Tuesday, November 21, 2023

'Weird' leads television movies with eight nominations at the Emmy Awards for World Television Day

Happy World Television Day! As I wrote yesterday, I'm celebrating by examining the nominees for Outstanding Television Movie at the Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards beginning with the namesake program category.

Outstanding Television Movie
Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas (NBC)
Fire Island (Hulu)
Hocus Pocus 2 (Disney+)
Prey (Hulu)
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (The Roku Channel)
I begin by recycling my remarks from Broken Peach sings 'One Way or Another' from 'Hocus Pocus 2' for Halloween again.
Speaking of Hocus Pocus 2, I thought it should be nominated for Outstanding Television Movie. It was, along with Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas, Fire Island, Prey, and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. I don't think it will win; the experts at Gold Derby have it tied for last place with Weird: The Al Yankovic Story and Prey tied for first. I plan on writing more about that category and the other nominations for TV movies when I resume my series on the Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards. In the meantime, called that, too.
The experts at Gold Derby still have it tied with two each picking Weird: The Al Yankovic Story and Prey to win. The users made a clearer choice at the Gold Derby Awards, where it beat Prey and Fire Island from the Emmy field and Do Revenge and Reality filling out the field. Weird also beat Prey for Best Movie Made for Television at the Critics' Choice Awards. Total nominations also tip the balance in favor of Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, as it has the most nominations in the Emmy field with eight, followed by Prey with six, Hocus Pocus 2 with three, Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas with two, and Fire Island with only this one. That's a lot of nominations for television movies. Last year, only Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas, also from Roku, earned a second nomination, and the year before that only Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square and Oslo' earned two Emmy nominations. Seeing four movies meet or exceed that threshold shows what a great season it was for television movies!

Four of the nominations for Weird: The Al Yankovic Story and Prey are at the Primetime Emmy Awards and I'll get to those after sharing Gold Derby's interviews and panels, beginning with Making of 'Weird: The Al Yankovic Story': Hilarious roundtable panel with 6 creative Emmy contenders.

Making of 'Weird: The Al Yankovic Story': Hilarious roundtable panel with 6 creative Emmy contenders. Panelists are Leo Birenberg, Zach Robinson, Dan Butts, Jamie Kennedy, Anthony Vanchure and Mike James Gallagher. Gold Derby editor Marcus Dixon hosts this special event.
Based on how much fun the panelists had, they're already winners, regardless of whether any of them take home an Emmy on MLK Day.

Now for the people who would be among those to go onstage to accept the award, 'Weird: The Al Yankovic Story' producers Joe Farrell, Whitney Hodack: 'Everyone passed' on the film.

'Weird: The Al Yankovic Story' producers Joe Farrell and Whitney Hodack on Roku coming through after 'everyone passed' on the parody film. They never wanted a movie until "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2018) and "Rocketman" (2019) opened within months of each other to great success. Gold Derby senior editor Joyce Eng hosts this special interview as part of the 2023 PGA nominees panel.
Music biopics have continued to be popular with Elvis earning nominations at the People's Choice Awards and Oscars last year, although it was shut out at the latter, and Priscilla and Maestro getting awards buzz this year. That's a trend worthy of parody.

Now the nominations at the Primetime Emmy Awards, beginning with the one for acting.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Taron Egerton – Black Bird as Jimmy Keene (Apple TV+)
Kumail Nanjiani – Welcome to Chippendales as Somen Banerjee (Hulu)
Evan Peters – Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story as Jeffrey Dahmer (Netflix)
Daniel Radcliffe – Weird: The Al Yankovic Story as "Weird Al" Yankovic (The Roku Channel)
Michael Shannon – George & Tammy as George Jones (Showtime)
Steven Yeun – Beef as Danny Cho (Netflix)
Before I give the odds, I'm embedding Daniel Radcliffe ('Weird: The Al Yankovic Story') on not giving 'completely accurate impersonation' to let the nominee speak for himself.

Daniel Radcliffe ('Weird: The Al Yankovic Story') on 'capturing' Al's 'spirit' rather than giving 'a completely accurate impersonation.' The comedy is loosely based on Yankovic’s life, parodying the biopic formula with tongue in cheek, much like the musical parodies. Gold Derby editor Rob Licuria hosts this webchat.
I'm pleased to see Daniel Radcliffe continuing his career after Harry Potter and even happier to see that he's become a great comic actor, good enough to earn a Critics' Choice Award for this role. Of course, electorates matter, so the experts at Gold Derby are not optimistic about his chances, with only one forecasting that he'll walk off with the Emmy. Five expect it will be previous winner Evan Peters and three think it will be Steven Yeun, who won the equivalent award at the Gold Derby Awards. I'm not surprised, as Radcliffe is the only nominee from a television movie instead of a limited series. He's fortunate to be nominated.

Next, a category where Prey earned a nomination instead of Weird.

Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Beef: "Figures of Light" – Lee Sung Jin (Netflix) Beef: "The Great Fabricator" – Jake Schreier (Netflix) Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story: "Bad Meat" – Carl Franklin (Netflix) Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story: "Silenced" – Paris Barclay (Netflix) Fleishman Is in Trouble: "Me-Time" – Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (FX) Prey – Dan Trachtenberg (Hulu)
Now to let the director speak for himself in Gold Derby's Dan Trachtenberg ('Prey' director): Audiences will 'flock to see something that is new and unique'.

Director Dan Trachtenberg says 'Prey' has been so successful because audiences will 'flock to see something that is new and unique.' Amber Midthunder stars as Naru, young Comanche woman is determined to prove herself as a hunter on the Northern Great Plains of 1719. Gold Derby editor Rob Licuria hosts this webchat.
Normally, I'd be rooting for Prey to win because it's a serious science-fiction film full of action, horror, and drama. It's the kind of entry I'd be looking forward to voting for at the upcoming Saturn Awards, should there be a Best Film Presentation on Streaming Media award there (that category didn't exist last year). If it gets lumped in with the theatrical releases, I expect Avatar: The Way of Water, which I plan on voting for as Best Science Fiction Film, will clobber it. Worse yet, it would probably be snubbed. Sigh.

Speaking of being clobbered, the experts at Gold Derby have Trachtenberg in fourth, with only one expert selecting him to win. In contrast, Paris Barclay earned the votes of five experts to win for the "Silenced" episode of Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story while the rest split for Beef with two for Lee Sung Jin, the director of "Figures of Light" and one for "The Great Fabricator."

Now the only category in which Prey and Weird are competing directly against each other at the Primetime Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Beef: "The Birds Don't Sing, They Screech in Pain" – Lee Sung Jin (Netflix)
Fire Island – Joel Kim Booster (Hulu)
Fleishman Is in Trouble: "Me-Time" – Taffy Brodesser-Akner (FX)
Prey – Patrick Aison and Dan Trachtenberg (Hulu)
Swarm: "Stung" – Janine Nabers and Donald Glover (Prime Video)
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – Al Yankovic and Eric Appel (The Roku Channel)
Weird Al Yankovic ('Weird: The Al Yankovic Story' writer) on making a biopic for a 'post-fact age'.

Weird Al Yankovic ('Weird: The Al Yankovic Story' writer) on making a biopic for a 'post-fact age.' 'I thought, well maybe there is room for a 'Weird' Al biopic where we just throw facts out the window,' says the comedian. Gold Derby senior editor Daniel Montgomery hosts this special interview as part of the 2023 WGA nominees panel.
A "post-fact age" — and I thought I was avoiding politics in this entertainment holiday entry!

While one expert at Gold Derby picked "Weird" Al and Eric Appel to take home the Emmy for writing, that's only good for third place. Beef has six votes while Fleishman Is in Trouble has two.

Follow over the jump for the rest of the nominations at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Beef – Charlene Lee and Claire Koonce (Netflix)
Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story – Robert J. Ulrich, Eric Dawson, and Carol Kritzer (Netflix)
Daisy Jones & the Six – Justine Arteta and Kim Davis-Wagner (Prime Video)
Fleishman Is in Trouble – Laura Rosenthal and Jodi Angstreich (FX)
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – Wendy O'Brien (The Roku Channel)
Despite hearing all the stars of movies and TV making cameos in the first video I embedded, the experts at Gold Derby placed Weird in last place. Instead, they think the Emmy will go to Beef with six votes while Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story has two.

Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score)
Hocus Pocus 2 – John Debney (Disney+)
Ms. Marvel: "Time and Again" – Laura Karpman (Disney+)
Prey – Sarah Schachner (Hulu)
A Small Light: "What Can Be Saved" – Ariel Marx (Nat Geo)
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson (The Roku Channel)
I praised Laura Karpman on Twitter for her work in Ms. Marvel. Karpman herself liked that tweet. I seem to get along best with the composers in Hollywood.

That written, the experts at Gold Derby have her in last place. Three of them chose Weird: The Al Yankovic Story while two picked A Small Light, the only Emmy nomination for the limited series.

Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics
Ginny & Georgia: "Hark! Darkness Descends!" – "Marriage Is a Dungeon" by Lili Haydn and Ben Bromfield (Netflix)
The L Word: Generation Q: "Questions for the Universe" – "All About Me" by Heather McIntosh, Taura Stinson, and Allyson Newman (Showtime)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: "Susan" – "Your Personal Trash Man Can" by Curtis Moore and Thomas Mizer (Prime Video)
Ted Lasso: "Mom City" – "Fought & Lost" by Tom Howe, Jamie Hartman, and Sam Ryder (Apple TV+)
Ted Lasso: "So Long, Farewell" – "A Beautiful Game" by Ed Sheeran, Foy Vance, and Max Martin (Apple TV+)
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – "Now You Know" by Al Yankovic (The Roku Channel)
The experts have all voted for "Now You Know" to win. I'll embed the song at the end of the post.

Outstanding Picture Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Beef: "Figures of Light" – Nat Fuller and Laura Zempel (Netflix)
Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story: "The Good Boy Box" – Stephanie Filo (Netflix)
Ms. Marvel: "Generation Why" – Nona Khodai and Sabrina Plisco (Disney+)
Obi-Wan Kenobi: "Part VI" – Kelley Dixon and Josh Earl (Disney+)
Prey – Angela M. Catanzaro and Claudia Castello (Hulu)
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – Jamie Kennedy (The Roku Channel)
Gold Derby has no odds on this category, so I'll revisit it when I write about limited series. In the meantime, watch Gold Derby interview Angela Catanzaro ('Prey' editor) on cutting a film with minimal dialogue for 'profound impact'.

Angela Catanzaro ('Prey' editor) on how cutting a film with minimal dialogue can have 'a very profound impact on the viewer.' The Hulu film is the latest installment in the "Predator" film franchise, serving as a prequel to the first four films. Gold Derby editor Rob Licuria hosts this webchat.
That was interesting. Good luck!

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Beef: "The Great Fabricator" – Penny Harold, Andrew Garrett Lange, and Sean O'Malley (Netflix)
Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story: "Lionel" – Laura Wiest, Jamie Hardt, Joe Barnett, and Amanda Beggs (Netflix)
Daisy Jones & the Six: "Track 10: Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" – Lindsey Alvarez, Mathew Waters, Chris Welcker, and Mike Poole (Prime Video)
Obi-Wan Kenobi: "Part VI" – Danielle Dupre, Scott Lewis, Bonnie Wild, and Julian Howarth (Disney+)
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – Tony Solis, Richard Bullock, Brian Magrum, and Phil McGowan (The Roku Channel)
As I've written about the music documentaries, I think music shows like Daisy Jones & the Six and Weird have the advantage. That written, Gold Derby has no odds on this category, so I'll revisit it when I write about limited series.

Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special
Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story: "God of Forgiveness, God of Vengeance" – Gary Megregian, Borja Sau, Bruce Tanis, David Klotz, Sam Munoz, and Noel Vought (Netflix)
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities: "The Autopsy" – Nelson Ferreira, Jill Purdy, Paul Davies, Bernard O'Reilly, Paul Germann, Tom Jenkins, Robert Hegedus, Rose Gregoris, and Goro Koyama (Netflix)
Mrs. Davis: "Mother of Mercy: The Call of the Horse" – Bryan Parker, Kristen Hirlinger, Nathan Efstation, Roland Thai, Matt Decker, Sam Lewis, Sam Munoz, Ellen Heuer, and Nancy Parker (Peacock)
Obi-Wan Kenobi: "Part VI" – Matthew Wood, Trey Turner, Angela Ang, Ryan Cota, Jon Borland, Tim Farrell, Michael Levine, Ramiro Belgardt, Nicholas Fitzgerald, Thom Brennan, Ronni Brown, and Sean England (Disney+)
Prey – Chris Terhune, William Files, Jessie Anne Spence, James Miller, Diego Perez, Lee Gilmore, Christopher Bonis, Daniel DiPrima, Stephen Perone, Leslie Bloome, and Shaun Brennan (Hulu)
Once again, Gold Derby has no odds on this category, so I'll revisit it when I write about limited series.

Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes (Area)
Hocus Pocus 2 – Salvador Perez, Elizabeth Shelton, and Gala Autumn (Disney+)
House of the Dragon: "The Heirs of the Dragon" – Jany Temime, Katherine Burchill, Paul Yeowell, Rachel George, and Joanna Lynch (HBO)
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: "A Shadow of the Past" – Kate Hawley, Libby Dempster, Lucy McLay, Jaindra Watson, Pip Lingard, and Jenny Rushton (Prime Video)
The Mandalorian: "Chapter 22: Guns for Hire" – Shawna Trpcic, Elissa Alcala, Julie Robar, and Julie Yang Silver (Disney+) Obi-Wan Kenobi: "Part I" – Suttirat Anne Larlarb, Stacia Lang, and Lynda Foote (Disney+)
What We Do in the Shadows: "The Wedding" – Laura Montgomery, Barbara Cardoso, and Judy Laukkanen (FX)
What We Do in the Shadows won this category last year, but it's up against four new shows this season, so I don't know how that will play out. I plan on revisiting this category at least three times, once each for limited series, comedy, and drama.
Gold Derby had an interview with Salvador Perez ('Hocus Pocus 2') was 'huge fan' of original; whose costume was 'a happy accident'?

Salvador Perez ('Hocus Pocus 2') on being 'a huge fan' of the original and whose costume was 'a happy accident.' "I didn't expect it, so that just makes it that more special," he reveals about his 2023 Emmy nomination for the Disney+ movie. Gold Derby editor Marcus Dixon hosts this webchat.
Sometimes it's better to be lucky than to be good. Salvador Perez was both.

Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Area)
Beef: "The Birds Don't Sing, They Screech in Pain" – Helen Huang, Austin Wittick, YJ Hwang, and Mark Anthony Summers (Netflix)
Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas – Provi Fulp, Jose Ramos, and Steve Summers (NBC)
Fleishman Is in Trouble: "Me-Time" – Leah Katznelson, Angel Peart, Katie Novello, Deirdre Wegner, and Anne Newton-Harding (FX)
Swarm: "Honey" – Dominique Dawson, Brittny Chapman, and Mashal Khan (Prime Video)
The Watcher: "Welcome, Friends" – Lou Eyrich, Rudy Mance, Catherine Crabtree, and Zakiya Dennis (Netflix)
I've watched The Watcher, but didn't think anything of the costumes at the time. It's a good thing I have another chance at revisiting this category when I examine the limited series nominees. In the meantime, watch Gold Derby's Sam Haskell ('Dolly Parton's A Mountain Magic Christmas,' 'A Walton's Thanksgiving') interview.

Sam Haskell ('Dolly Parton's A Mountain Magic Christmas,' 'A Walton's Thanksgiving'): 'The TV movie is back!' Both of these films focus on the joy of the holiday season and are eligible at the 2023 Emmys. Gold Derby's Tony Ruiz hosts this webchat.
Based on this field with so many nominations, I agree with Haskell, the TV movie is back!

As promised, I conclude with the Emmy-nominated "Weird Al" Yankovic - Now You Know (Official 4K Lyric Video).

Official 4K lyric video for "Now You Know" by Weird Al Yankovic
This song plays over the closing credits to the new movie WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story (streaming right now for FREE on The Roku Channel). In fact, you may want to watch the movie before listening to this, because… SPOILERS!
HAHAHAHA! That's hilarious! I'll play the rest of the nominees when I write about the comedy nominees, but I can see why it's the favorite.

That's it for World Television Day, but I'm not done with holidays, as I plan on two days of Thanksgiving, followed by Black Friday/Buy Nothing Day, and Small Business Saturday. Stay tuned.

Previous posts about the 2023 Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards
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