'Orange is the New Black' and 'Cosmos' already big Emmy winners

Last year, I posted three entries about the Prime Time Emmy Awards: Politics and fantasy at the Emmy Awards: Dramas, Funny politicians and scientists on television, and Politics, funny and dramatic, and horror in miniseries and variety shows.  I might repeat that in advance of tomorrow night's awards show, but first I'm going to write about those shows and actors that already received their awards a week ago Saturday.  CNN has the story in HBO, 'SNL,' 'Orange' win Emmys, beginning with what they think is important.

"Orange Is the New Black," "True Detective" and "Cosmos" picked up Emmys as TV's awards season began, while -- appropriately -- "Saturday Night Live" added to its four-decade-long haul with five more honors at the Creative Arts Emmys.

HBO won the most awards of any network, with 15. The cable channel is a division of Time Warner, as is CNN.

In keeping with my interest in Crime and injustice among the Oscar nominees, I found "Orange is the New Black" great entertainment, despite the grim setting.  My wife and I found that we enjoyed far more than the second season of "House of Cards," which made us feel dirty (It's too difficult to root for that scum Frank Underwood, as much as I like Kevin Spacey, but more on that later).  It has an outstanding ensemble cast, one of whom won her category.

Uzo Aduba, who plays "Crazy Eyes" Warren in "Orange Is the New Black," won for guest actress in a comedy series.

She was up against two other actresses from the series, Natasha Lyonne as Nicky Nichols and Laverne Cox as Sophia Burset, which means that she had a clear win over two other people who could have split the vote and handed it over to Tina Fey or Melissa McCarthy for their stints as host of Saturday Night Live or Joan Cusack on Shameless.  I was enough that Jimmy Fallon won for hosting SNL.  However, the ensemble can take indirect credit for their strength, as the show won Best Casting for a Comedy.  It was well deserved, something I'll say more about in a future post about comedies.

ON the subject of crime, HBO's "True Detective" was and still is up for a number of awards and won several at the early awards.

HBO's "True Detective," which earned eight nominations, received four awards, including wins for makeup and credit design.

I'll have more to say about this show when I cover the nominees for Drama.

Enough of crime.  Follow over the jump for shows about science and food, along with the theme song of one series I listed in the title that also won an award.

There was also a show about scientists that won an acting award.

Allison Janney of "Masters of Sex" won for guest actress in a drama series. Janney previously won four Emmys for "The West Wing."

I'm going to have to see if I can catch the show about Masters and Johnson (yes, that Masters and Johnson) on either Netflix or Amazon.

Speaking of shows about scientists...

"Cosmos," the new version of the science series featuring astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, also earned four Emmys. Two of the awards went to Alan Silvestri, who composed the music for the show. He didn't forget its host.

"I have two special thanks left," Silvestri said, according to Deadline.com. "Neil deGrasse Tyson" and "the voice of Neil DeGrasse Tyson."

Unfortunately, "Cosmos" didn't win best documentary.  That honor went to American Masters on PBS.  Darn.  Oh, well, I won't be buying that series for myself and my class, but I will be buying "Cosmos."

The last show I'll mention is CNN's "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown," which won for Informational Series or Special.  I have a special fondness for Mr. Bourdain.  Not only is he a great character who writes about food and is a fun host of shows about travel and food, but I've been told that I sound like him.  I rather like that idea.

I promise to have more to say about the nominees for tomorrow's awards later.  For now, I conclude this installment with the music for "Cosmos."