Limited Series Tempt Movie Stars to Television, But Who Will the Emmys Embrace?

And with its difficult subject matter, can Netflix's "When They See Us" break into a loaded category?

By Anne Thompson, Libby Hill

June 12, 2019 4:30 pm

Who Will Win the Emmy, as Limited Series Tempt Movie Stars to TV?

The Emmy Awards — An Emmy Statue

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While most television fans pivot to summer pleasure watching, digging into new content from “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Black Mirror,” and “Big Little Lies,” our Emmys pundits continue to cast their eyes to the past, sizing up the state of the race and attempting to read the tea leaves as Emmy voting is finally underway.

This week’s Screen Talk Emmy Edition delves beyond the broader categories of Outstanding Limited Series and TV Movie and into the performances that make them what they are. IndieWire Editor-at-Large Anne Thompson and TV Awards Editor Libby Hill discuss this year’s influx of high-quality limited series and why they serve as a siren song to movie stars who would never have considered TV otherwise.

Also on the docket is the rising star of HBO’s “Chernobyl,” the difficult path of Ava DuVernay’s Netflix miniseries “When They See Us,” and the struggle of creating buzz for shows that debuted months and months ago — we’re looking at you, “Sharp Objects.” Plus, the awards duo discuss whether or not “Deadwood: The Movie” has enough industry traction to make its mark on Emmy nomination morning, and if anyone at all is up to the task of upsetting Patricia Arquette in lead actress in a limited series.

Emmy voting is open from Monday, June 10 through Monday, June 24 at 10 p.m. PT. Nominations for the 71st Primetime Emmys will be announced Tuesday, July 16.

Listen to the episode below, and remember to subscribe to Screen Talk on Apple Podcasts or via your preferred listening source. New Emmy edition episodes will be rolling out each week, while traditional Screen Talk episodes — with Thompson and IndieWire Executive Film Editor and Chief Critic Eric Kohn — will continue to hit the site each Friday. Make sure to listen to IndieWire’s other podcasts, as well, including Chris O’Falt’s Filmmaker Toolkit Podcast. For more on this year’s Emmy race, please head over to IndieWire’s Awards page, where you’ll find breaking news, Consider This profiles, and Emmy predictions in 21 categories.