Happy International Tiger Day! I'm following through with my plan to "look at the nominated nature documentaries at the News & Documentary Emmy Awards" today. Here are the nominees from the NATAS website.
Outstanding Nature DocumentarySuper/Natural leads with four nominations, followed by Wildcat with three, while all the rest of the nominees have only the one nomination in this category. I'll examine the nominees' odds of winning this category and the others after sharing their trailers, beginning with Super Natural | Official Trailer | Disney+.
America the Beautiful Disney+
Animal Netflix
The Green Planet PBS
Kangaroo Valley Netflix
Super/Natural National Geographic
Wildcat Amazon Prime
If you think you know nature, think again. Experience a realm beyond human perception in #SuperNaturalSeries, from executive producer James Cameron and National Geographic, and narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch.This trailer is so good that earned its own nomination for Outstanding Promotional Announcement. Wow! Also, leave it to the voice of Doctor Strange, Khan Noonien Singh, and Sherlock Holmes to tell the show's viewers about superpowers. Those characters would know about abilities beyond those of normal humans. Speaking of which, I might find clips of flying squirrels from this show to share on Wester, which falls on October 1st this year. That would be the Sunday after the NATAS announces the News & Documentary Emmy Awards winners, so it would be an appropriately timed topic for a post.
No tigers headlining today, but I do have ocelots in Wildcat - Official Trailer | Prime Video.
Wildcat follows the inspiring story of a young veteran on his journey into the Amazon. Once there, he meets a young woman running a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center, and his life finds new meaning as he is entrusted with the life of an orphaned baby ocelot. What was meant to be an attempt to escape from life, turns out to be an unexpected journey of love, discovery, and healing.This is a far more human story than Super/Natural. That would definitely impress the Hollywood creatives and professionals at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, but they're not voting here. The journalists and documentarians are. That might make a difference. Remember, electorates matter.
Next, the trailers for the remaining nominees in alphabetical order, starting with America the Beautiful | Official Trailer from Shine Labs.
America the Beautiful, narrated by Michael B. Jordan, is the jaw-dropping story of North America’s picturesque lands and its amazing animals. A journey through the mountainous Northwest, the steamy South, the arid West and the endless Heartland to witness the animals of North America overcoming the elements and thriving.Oh, look, a patriotic nature documentary with the appropriate music released on July 4th. All it would have needed was Captain America narrating it. Even so, I think Michael B. Jordan has a more pleasing voice than either Chris Evans or Anthony Mackie.
Release Date: July 04, 2022.
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Narrator: Michael B. Jordan
Continuing with nominees beginning with A, I present Animal | Official Trailer | Netflix.
Get even closer to nature's biggest stars. Animal takes you on an emotional, immersive and revelatory ride into some of the greatest wildernesses on Earth.Hey, a tiger! Also, lions, leopards, cheetahs, and pumas! This trailer made this post no longer off-topic for the holiday. As for Anthony Mackie not being as good as Michael B. Jordan, he and a bunch of other Hollywood stars were good enough for Netflix to narrate episodes of this series.
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This immersive series follows the world's most magnificent creatures, capturing never-before-seen moments from the heartwarming to the outrageous.
Next, The Green Planet | Official Teaser | PBS
Travel the globe with Sir David Attenborough, meet the largest living things that have ever existed, trees that care for each other, plants that hunt animals and plants that breed so fast they could cover the planet in a matter of months. By examining our relationship with plants past, present and future, THE GREEN PLANET reveals how all animal life, including ours, is totally dependent on plants.I was wondering when I'd encounter Sir David among these nominations. Also, animals get most of the attention, so it's about time plants got their time in the limelight.
I conclude the trailers with Kangaroo Valley | Official Trailer | Netflix.
'Kangaroo Valley' is the coming-of-age story of a young kangaroo joey called Mala, learning what it takes to survive her incredible first year. The odds are not in her favor: only one in five joeys make it to their first birthday. Mala's greatest enemy is the dingo pack that stalks her family. Among them is the young dingo, Miro, who turns out to be her greatest mentor.That looks and sounds like fun.
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Journey to a secret valley in Australia, where a nervous baby kangaroo named Mala faces hungry dingoes and winter snows in this coming-of-age adventure.
After watching all the trailers, I still think it's a contest between Super/Natural and Wildcat. The former has more nominations, but the latter's trailer has a lot more views, which means the show might have more viewers. That could give it an advantage.
Follow over the jump for the other categories in which Super/Natural and Wildcat along with two nominations for Nuisance Bear, which won Best Short Documentary at the Critics' Choice Documentary Awards.
Outstanding Cinematography: DocumentarySuper/Natural is the leading nature documentary here, followed by Nuisance Bear, but Retrograde is tied with Good Night Oppy at these awards with six nominations, so it's my preliminary favorite to win this category.* Speaking of Good Night Oppy, it's competing against Wildcat in the next category.
Master of Light HBO Max
Nuisance Bear The New Yorker
Op-Docs Long Line of Ladies The New York Times
Retrograde National Geographic
Super/Natural National Geographic
Outstanding Music CompositionGood Night Oppy won Best Score against a very different field at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, so it's my preliminary pick to win here, too. I reserve my right to change my mind after listening to all the scores. I am a musician, after all.
Body Parts Starz
CNN Films Julia CNN
Exposing Muybridge VOD
Good Night Oppy Amazon Prime
Wildcat Amazon Prime
Good Night Oppy and Retrograde are competing against Super/Natural and Nuisance Bear in the next category as well.
Outstanding SoundAs I have written before, I think that music nominees have the best chances, all things being equal, so that gives the advantage to Great Performances. Also, like The U.S. and the Holocaust and Good Night Oppy, Our Universe has a nomination at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. I used Emmy nominations at this ceremony to break ties at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards so I might use nominations there to break ties here, such as between Good Night Oppy and Retrograde, which puts Good Night Oppy in the lead with seven total nominations at the two ceremonies.
A Trip to Infinity Netflix
Good Night Oppy Amazon Prime
Great Performances Now Hear This PBS
Nuisance Bear The New Yorker
Our Universe Netflix
Retrograde National Geographic
Super/Natural National Geographic
Now for the News & Documentary Emmy Awards equivalent to Outstanding Commercial.
Outstanding Promotional AnnouncementShark Week regularly earns nominations and usually wins this category, so I'm picking it now. Again, I reserve the right to change my mind, but I'm not sure I'll have to.
Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story Captive Audience “Shocking” Trailer Hulu
NOVA Augmented PBS
Retrograde National Geographic
Shark Week “Seal Cam” / Shark Week 2022 Discovery Channel
Super/Natural National Geographic
I conclude with a category I covered in R.I.P. Sinéad O'Connor, who died one day before 'Nothing Compares' earned two News & Documentary Emmy Awards nominations.
It still is.Outstanding Direction: DocumentaryMy preliminary pick...[is]..."Retrograde" for Outstanding Direction: Documentary...
In Her Hands Netflix
The Janes HBO Max
Master of Light HBO Max
Nothing Compares Showtime
Retrograde National Geographic
Wildcat Amazon Prime
This completes another installment of blogging as professional development, as I've found even more shows to recommend to my biology and environmental science students to watch for extra credit. Stay tuned for an examination of the documentary and nonfiction specials tomorrow for the Sunday entertainment feature.
Previous posts about the 2023 News & Documentary Emmy Awards
- R.I.P. Sinéad O'Connor, who died one day before 'Nothing Compares' earned two News & Documentary Emmy Awards nominations
- '100 Foot Wave' has the most nominations but experts think 'The U.S. and the Holocaust' and 'The 1619 Project' have best chances to win Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series at the Emmy Awards
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