Friday, December 29, 2023

DC vs. Marvel on television and home entertainment at the Saturn Awards


I concluded Horror, Fantasy, and Action/Adventure/Thriller TV nominees at the 51st Saturn Awards by telegraphing today's post.
I plan on finishing this series tomorrow with the superhero TV series, television presentations, and home entertainment. I don't know if I'll post a retrospective of 2023 first. Stay tuned to find out.
As my readers can tell, I'm skipping the retrospective today because posting two entries a day is wearing me out, even when I'm not working, and because the topic would have been the year in entertainment and I've been blogging about a year in TV and movies, even if it's not all of 2023, all week, making 'Barbie' vs. 'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' for Best Fantasy Film at the Saturn Awards the Sunday entertainment feature. I love my entertainment, but I don't need to do it twice in one day!

Enough of that. Today's post examines two categories that didn't exist at last year's Saturn Awards, superhero television series and television presentations (movies and limited series), and I'm relieved that they returned. That happened because the Saturn Awards abandoned last year's split between network and cable television and streaming video and resumed what they did two years ago, considering linear TV and streaming as one thing, which nearly all other awards shows do. That division between linear TV and streaming eliminated superhero television series as a category, parceling out the superhero shows to science fiction, fantasy, and action/thriller series categories, and only recognized limited series while ignoring television movies entirely. Considering how strong television movies were last season, it's a good thing the Saturn Awards are including television movies in the current categories. I hope they continue doing that, but, as I've written before, "I never know with them, and I'm one of their voters!"

On to the superhero television nominees from Deadline!
Best Superhero Television Series

Doom Patrol (HBO/Max)
The Flash (Warner Bros. Television)
The Sandman (Netflix)
Secret Invasion (Marvel/Disney+)
She-Hulk: Attorney-At-Law (Marvel/Disney+)
Stargirl (Warner Bros. Television)
Superman & Lois (Warner Bros. Television)
Even more so than 'Star Trek' vs. 'Star Wars' at the 51st Saturn Awards, this category is a battle between two franchises, DC and Marvel. Five DC shows with eight nominations among them are contending with two Marvel shows with three nominations among them. Adding in the superhero nominees for Best Television Presentation, Best Television Home Media Release, and Best Animated Television Series or Special yields seven DC shows with ten total nominations and four Marvel shows with six total nominations. At least Amazon didn't stream episodes of The Boys during the eligibility period. That would have messed things up!

The most nominated superhero series is Superman & Lois with three nominations, including Tyler Hoechlin for Best Actor in a Television Series and Elizabeth Tulloch for Best Actress in a Television Series. She-Hulk: Attorney-At-Law and Stargirl tie for second with two nominations each, Tatiana Maslany for Best Actress in a Television Series and Brec Bassinger for Best Younger Performer in a Television Series. The rest have only this one nomination. Superman & Lois is the favorite, not only because it leads in nominations but also because won Best Science Fiction Television Series: Network/Cable last year. I'm pretty sure it will win, but I'm not voting for it. I may historically be a DC fan, but that's because of Batman, not Superman. I've also become a Marvel fan thanks to the Disney+ shows and movies, so I'm going to vote for She-Hulk: Attorney-At-Law. On that note, I'm sharing Gold Derby's interview of Tatiana Maslany ('She-Hulk: Attorney at Law'): 'Ireverent of any expectations of what superhero is'.

Tatiana Maslany ('She-Hulk: Attorney at Law'): This show is 'so irreverent of any expectations of what a superhero is.' Her character becomes a 6-foot-7-inch green superhuman after being accidentally cross-contaminated with her cousin Bruce Banner's blood. Gold Derby editor Rob Licuria hosts this webchat.
After watching that, I'm changing my vote for Best Actress in a Television Series from Caitriona Balfe to Tatiana Maslany, who I think is the professional choice.

Best Television Presentation

Black Mirror (Netflix)
Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities (Netflix)
Hocus Pocus 2 (Disney+)
Marvel’s Werewolf by Night (Marvel/Disney+)
The Midnight Club (Netflix)
Mrs. Davis (Peacock)
The Munsters (Universal 1440 Entertainment)
Marvel’s Werewolf by Night ties with The Midnight Club for the most nominated in this category with the former's Gael Garcia Bernal earning a nomination for Best Guest Star in a Television Series and and the latter's Igby Rigney for Best Younger Performer in a Television Series. The rest have only this one nomination. The professional choices are Black Mirror and Hocus Pocus 2, both of which have Emmy nominations. Between the two of them, I'm voting for Black Mirror.

I couldn't find any recent interviews of the creatives behind Black Mirror on Gold Derby's YouTube channel, but I did find an interview of Betty Gilpin on ‘Mrs. Davis’: ‘It was my favorite experience I’ve ever had’, who not only serves as a representative of Mrs. Davis, but also mentions Black Mirror.

Betty Gilpin on ‘Mrs. Davis’: ‘It was my favorite experience I’ve ever had.’ The three-time Emmy Award nominee explains why the Peacock series was her most fulfilling project yet. Gold Derby editor Christopher Rosen hosts this webchat.
Now I want to watch this series!

Follow over the jump for the home entertainment categories that include superhero nominees and one last look at a television category with two superhero nominees.

Best Television Home Media Release

Better Call Saul (The Complete Collection) (AMC)
Creepshow (Season 3) (Shudder)
Doctor Who: The Abominable Snowman (BBC)
Interview with the Vampire (Season 1) (AMC)
Loki (Season 1) – 4K Steelbook (Disney Home Media)
Night Gallery, Season 3 (Kino Lorber)
Quantum Leap, Season 1 (Universal Home Entertainment)
Loki (Season 1) – 4K Steelbook is the superhero nominee here. This season won Best Fantasy Series: Streaming last year. I think its main competition is Better Call Saul (The Complete Collection), a show that won four Saturn Awards last year and ten total over its run. Because of that, I think it will win this category, but I'm going to vote for Loki (Season 1) – 4K Steelbook. On that note, I'm sharing Gold Derby's interview of 'Loki' star Tom Hiddleston: 'I was very engaged with the idea of breaking Loki open'.

'Loki' star Tom Hiddleston: 'I was very engaged with the idea of breaking Loki open.' Plus: His thoughts on the 10th anniversary of "The Avengers" and the "Thor: Love and Thunder" trailer. Gold Derby editor Joyce Eng hosts this webchat.
I'm looking forward to next year's Emmy and Saturn Awards, where I expect to see nominations for Loki. Glorious purpose!

Best Film Home Media Collection

Arsene Lupin Collection (Kino Lorber)
Irwin Allen: Master of Disaster Collection (Shout Factory)
Mr. Wong Collection (Kino Lorber)
Shawscope: Volume Two (Arrow Video)
Superman 1978-1987 4K Collection (Warner Home Video)
Universal Classic Monsters: Icons of Horror, Volume 2 (Universal Home Entertainment)
Warner Bros. 100th Anniversary 25 Film Collection: Vol. 4 (Thrillers, Sci-fi, Horror) (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)
Superman 1978-1987 4K Collection doesn't quite belong here, as this is a collection of movies, not TV shows, but three Superman properties have five nominations among them, to say nothing of The Flash movie, which has several Superman cameos, adding a fourth DC property with two more nominations to the total. Will the Saturn Awards voters and I check it on your ballots? Probably not, as I think the plurality of us will vote for Universal Classic Monsters: Icons of Horror, Volume 2, me included.

I conclude with a category I examined twice in 'Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3' leads Best Superhero Film nominees at the Saturn Awards and 'Star Trek' vs. 'Star Wars' at the 51st Saturn Awards.

Best Animated Television Series or Special
Chainsaw Man (Crunchyroll)
Gremlins: Secrets of Mogwai (HBO/Max)
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Netflix)
Harley Quinn (HBO/Max)
My Adventures with Superman (Cartoon Network/Adult Swim)
Star Trek: Lower Decks (Paramount+)
Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Lucasfilm/Disney+)
Speaking of animated features, last year's Oscar winner for Animated Feature, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, is among the nominees for Best Animated Television Series or Special. I think it's a ringer, but it's not any worse than Prey being nominated for Best Science Fiction Film. Given the competition, it's also the best choice, so I'm voting for it.
Two DC shows, Harley Quinn and My Adventures with Superman, earned nominations here. Add in Gremlins: Secrets of Mogwai, and Warner Brothers Television has three nominees in this category. Good job. Too bad none of them will win unless Harley Quinn pretends to be Zatanna and pulls a rabbit out of a hat to beat either Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio or Star Wars: The Bad Batch, last year's winner.

That written, I'm embedding a Gold Derby interview of 'Harley Quinn' writer/producer Patrick Schumacker discusses groundbreaking LGBTQ+ representation.

'Harley Quinn' writer/producer Patrick Schumacker discusses the show's groundbreaking LGBTQ+ representation. Charles Bright hosts this special Gold Derby 'Meet the Experts' animation panel kicking off Emmy season.
It's animation, so of course Charles Bright is the interviewer. He did a great job!

That concludes my analysis of the nominees. I'll return to reveal my votes on National Science Fiction Day. In the meantime, stay tuned for two more retrospectives of 2023 and next year's version of My favorite bands in the Rose Parade for New Year's Day. Now off to vote!

Previous posts about the 51st Saturn Awards
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