'Oceans with David Attenborough' tied with 'Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!' for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special

I'm returning to coverage of the Emmy Awards today after taking a break from entertainment in general and awards shows in particular yesterday. I can't be all DOOM or all fun all the time. Since today is World Conservation Day, I'm examining the categories with nature documentaries, beginning with Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special.

Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special

• John Candy: I Like Me (Prime Video)
• Marty, Life Is Short (Netflix)
• Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! (HBO)
• My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay (HBO)
• Ocean with David Attenborough (Nat Geo)

Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! and Ocean with David Attenborough co-lead with six nominations each, followed by John Candy: I Like Me with five nominations and Marty, Life Is Short tied with My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay at three. Normally, I'd consider Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! and Ocean with David Attenborough to be co-favorites, but the experts, editors, and users at Gold Derby disagree. They think John Candy: I Like Me and My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay to be the favorites, with 50.0% of experts, 28.6% of editors, and 61.0% of users picking the former, while 50.0% of experts, 57.1% of editors, and 26.3% of users choosing the latter. Normally, I'd favor the editors over the experts except one of the experts picking John Candy: I Like Me is Joyce Eng, whose opinion I trust. The remaining editor(s), 14.3%, are currently voting for Ocean with David Attenborough along with 3.5% of users. The rest of the users are split between Marty, Life Is Short with 6.2% and Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! with 3.0%. I've often written that, all things being equal,the Emmy electorate will vote for a good story about themselves. The corollary is that they will vote for a nominee about a dead celebrity over a living one. The prognosticators at Gold Derby seem to agree. Again, electorates matter.

That was the program category with one nature documentary nominee. Now for a performer category with three out of the five nominees in nature documentaries.

Outstanding Narrator

• Sir David Attenborough – A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough (Netflix)
• Sir David Attenborough – Ocean with David Attenborough (Nat Geo)
• Jodie Foster – Breakdown: 1975 (Netflix)
• Werner Herzog – Ghost Elephants (Nat Geo)
• Octavia Spencer – Lost Women of Alaska: "The Missing" (Investigation Discovery)

The experts, editors, and users disagree about the odds in this category, too, with 87.5% of experts and 83.0% of users but only 28.6% of editors electing for Sir David in Ocean with David Attenborough, 42.9% of editors along with 12.5% of experts and 9.4% of users choosing Octavia Spencer, and the remaining 28.6% of editors along with 2.9% of users on board with Warner Herzog. The remaining users split between Jodie Foster at 2.6% and Sir David's other nomination at 2.1%. Let's see who switches first, the experts or the editors.

The remaining four categories in which Ocean with David Attenborough earned nominations are Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program (covered in 'The Tale of Silyan' vs 'The Librarians' for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking at the Emmy Awards), Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary/Nonfiction or Reality Program (Original Dramatic Score) (sort of covered in 'Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age' earned two Emmy nominations for its VFX and music), Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program, and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program (covered in 'Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize' plus the Emmy nominees for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special). I don't feel like looking at any of them today, so instead I'm embedding CONSERVATION DAY | July 28 by National Day Calendar.



Do you enjoy the outdoors? Let us know!
Ha! No wonder Teddy Roosevelt was rated the most environmental president!

That's a wrap for today. I plan on resuming Emmy coverage Thursday. In the meantime, I have a song by the Marsh Family planned for tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Previous posts about the 2026 Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards

• 'The Tale of Silyan' vs 'The Librarians' for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking at the Emmy Awards
• Drink to Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show's Emmy nominations on National Piña Colada Day
• 'Desi Lydic Foxsplains Trump's Big Beautiful Ballroom' plus the short form nominees at the Emmy Awards
• 'Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize' plus the Emmy nominees for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special
• 'Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age' earned two Emmy nominations for its VFX and music

'Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age' earned two Emmy nominations for its VFX and music

I'm returning to the Emmy Awards for today's Sunday entertainment feature with the nominations for Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age. Like three years ago, it earned a nomination for its music by Kara Talve, Anže Rozman, and Hans Zimmer and a second for its visual effects. Time to watch Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age — Season 3 Official Trailer | Apple TV.

New creatures. New era. Experience the Ice Age like never before. Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age is now streaming on Apple TV https://apple.co/_PrehistoricPlanet

“Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age” is a sweeping new installment of the award-winning natural history series from executive producers Jon Favreau and Mike Gunton, produced by BBC Studios Natural History Unit (“Planet Earth”), and narrated by Golden Globe Award and Olivier Award winner Tom Hiddleston (“Earthsounds”), with an original score by Hans Zimmer, Anže Rozman and Kara Talve from Bleeding Fingers Music. The five-part docuseries, set to premiere globally on November 26, 2025, invites viewers into a dramatic new era of prehistoric life, millions of years after the extinction of the dinosaurs — an era shaped by ice, the intense fight to survive and the rise of a new cast of giants: the iconic megafauna.

“Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age” uses the latest scientific research and cutting-edge visual effects to bring this frozen world to life like never before, unveiling the spectacular habitats and inhabitants of ancient Earth for a one-of-a-kind experience. From towering woolly mammoths to elusive snow sloths, terrifying saber-toothed tigers to resilient dwarf elephants (only 3 feet tall), the series reveals the epic struggles and unexpected stories of animals that once ruled the Ice Age. Viewers will journey through vast tundras, barren deserts, expanding grasslands and melting permafrost as these creatures battle for survival in the face of extreme climates, shifting landscapes and the onset of “The Big Freeze,” and ultimately, “The Big Melt.”

The series is produced by the world-renowned team at BBC Studios Natural History Unit with support from the photorealistic visual effects of Framestore (“Gravity,” “The Golden Compass”). Theme by Hans Zimmer, with an original score by Zimmer, Anže Rozman and Kara Talve for Bleeding Fingers Music.

“Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age” continues the storytelling journey of the acclaimed Apple TV natural history series “Prehistoric Planet,” which transported viewers 66 million years into the past to witness the age of dinosaurs across two seasons. Blending cinematic storytelling with photorealistic visual effects, the series brings ancient worlds to life, offering a firsthand look at some of the most extraordinary creatures ever to walk the Earth. The complete first two seasons of “Prehistoric Planet” are available to stream now on Apple TV.

Since I concentrated on the music three years ago, I'm focusing on the visual effects today. Watch Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age — Season 3: Puppet Behind the Scenes | Apple TV.



Real survival, real stakes, and really impressive puppets.
That concentrated on the puppets. Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age VFX Breakdown | Framestore focused on the rest of the process.

Explore the award-winning VFX behind Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age, the critically acclaimed third season of the docuseries executive produced by Jon Favreau and Mike Gunton and produced by the BBC Studios Natural History Unit.

Our global teams were tasked with developing the VFX and animation for over 40 scientifically accurate creatures, many never-before-seen on screen. From sabre-toothed cats to rhino-sized wombats, tiny island elephants, and the largest ape to ever live, the core creative challenge was ensuring these animals felt as real, grounded, and emotionally compelling as subjects in a modern wildlife documentary.

Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age earned our global team Best FX at the Annie Awards alongside double honours at the VES Awards for Outstanding Visual Effects and Outstanding Effects Simulation.

This video worked for its awards campaign; it got nominated.

I close today's post with Main Theme (End Credits) - Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age.


That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for continuing coverage of the Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

Previous posts about the 2026 Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards

• 'The Tale of Silyan' vs 'The Librarians' for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking at the Emmy Awards
• Drink to Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show's Emmy nominations on National Piña Colada Day
• 'Desi Lydic Foxsplains Trump's Big Beautiful Ballroom' plus the short form nominees at the Emmy Awards
• 'Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize' plus the Emmy nominees for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special

Action TV nominees at the 2026 Critics Choice Super Awards

I'm concluding my series examining the nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards with the action television shows. Here are the nominated action programs from the press release.

BEST ACTION SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE

9-1-1: Nashville
Boston Blue
Dark Winds
High Potential
Hijack
The Lowdown
Task
Tracker

Boston Blue, Dark Winds, High Potential, Hijack, The Lowdown, and Task each have two nominations while 9-1-1: Nashville and Tracker both have one. Despite my using High Potential in the preview image, because it's the only nominee in this category running a campaign on Twitter, I think this will go to Task, the only nominee here with current Emmy nominations, six to be exact. As I wrote yesterday, "The critics are not the Hollywood creatives, but both still embody elite entertainment opinion, so they are likely to agree on Widow's Bay. As I usually write about awards shows but haven't written before in this series, electorates matter."

Follow over the jump for the acting nominations, which I'm recycling from 'House of the Dragon' vs. 'Paradise' for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy TV nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards.

'Dexter: Resurrection' and 'Widow's Bay' lead horror TV nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards

As I promised yesterday, I'm continuing my series on the Critics Choice Super Awards with the horror nominees. Here they are from the press release.

BEST HORROR SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE

The Beauty
The Boroughs
Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy
Dexter: Resurrection
Ghosts
IT: Welcome to Derry
Wednesday
Widow’s Bay

Dexter: Resurrection and Widow's Bay lead this field with three nominations each, The Boroughs, Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, IT: Welcome to Derry, and Wednesday follow tied at two, and The Beauty and Ghosts each have just this one. On that basis alone, Dexter: Resurrection and Widow's Bay are the favorites, which I'm resolving in favor of Widow's Bay, which I voted for in the 2026 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards. It also has 19 nominations at the Emmy Awards while Wednesday has six, It: Welcome to Derry two, and the rest none. The critics are not the Hollywood creatives, but both still embody elite entertainment opinion, so they are likely to agree on Widow's Bay. As I usually write about awards shows but haven't written before in this series, electorates matter.

Follow over the jump for the acting categories.

'House of the Dragon' vs. 'Paradise' for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy TV nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards

As I promised twice, I'm examining the science fiction and fantasy TV nominees as the next installment of my series on the Critics Choice Super Awards. That's because "House of the Dragon and Paradise each earned four nominations apiece in the television categories" to quote the press release, tying them for second.

BEST SCIENCE FICTION / FANTASY SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE

Alien: Earth
For All Mankind
House of the Dragon
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Paradise
Pluribus
Silo
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

As written above, House of the Dragon and Paradise lead with four nominations apiece, followed by Alien: Earth and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms tied at three, Pluribus and Silo tied at two, and For All Mankind and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds with just one each. The odd thing is that Paradise has two nominations as a science fiction/fantasy series and two as an action series, which could act as a tiebreaker. On the other hand, I wouldn't be surprised if Pluribus wins; it's that good.

Follow over the jump for the acting categories.

'The Boys' leads TV nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards

I promised to resume my coverage of the Critics Choice Super Awards twice, so I'm quoting the relevant passage from the press release.

“The Boys” leads this year’s television nominees with five nominations overall including Best Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie. Antony Starr earned a nod for Best Actor in a Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie, in addition to Best Villain in a Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie, while Valorie Curry and Colby Minifie were both nominated for Best Actress in a Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie.
...
“Fallout,” “House of the Dragon,” and “Paradise” each earned four nominations apiece in the television categories.

Now for the nominees.

Best Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie

The Boys
Daredevil: Born Again
Fallout
Gen V
Invincible
Peacemaker
Spider-Noir
Wonder Man

This is a three-way contest among The Boys, Fallout, and Spider-Noir, all of which have multiple Emmy nominations. Peacemaker may have won the equivalent Saturn Award, but it wasn't contending against any of these three.

Follow over the jump for the acting nominees and what these nominations might mean for the Saturn Awards.

Artemis III for National Moon Day

Happy National Moon Day, the 57th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the Moon! Yesterday, I asked "Artemis III, anyone?" Not reading any objection, I'm kicking off today's celebration with NASA Introducing Artemis III.

In 2027, the Artemis III mission will practice docking the Orion spacecraft with two lunar landers in low Earth orbit. On future Artemis missions, landers will bring astronauts to the lunar surface. While Artemis III will not land on the Moon, it will test the complex capabilities we need to return humanity there — this time to stay.

NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, and Andre Douglas will join European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano on this historic mission.

As if that's not enough, NASA also compiled Artemis III Announcement Recap: Crew, Mission Details, and What’s Next.

Another step toward one of the most complex spaceflight missions in history, NASA provided updates on Artemis III and announced crew members for the test flight. Planned to launch in 2027, the mission will practice docking the Orion spacecraft with two lunar landers in low Earth orbit.

On future missions, including Artemis IV in 2028, landers will bring astronauts to the lunar surface. While Artemis III will not land on the Moon, it will test the complex capabilities we need to return humanity there — this time to stay.

Crew assignments are as follows:
• NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, commander
• ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Luca Parmitano, pilot
• NASA astronaut Andre Douglas, mission specialist
• NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, mission specialist
• NASA astronaut Bob Hines, backup crew member

Both of those look good, as expected for successfull PR, but it's not all smooth flying. Artemis III depends on launches by SpaceX and Blue Origin and both are having their issues, as PBS NewHour explained in How a Blue Origin rocket explosion could impact NASA's moon mission.

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded on the launchpad during a test in Cape Canaveral on Thursday. The company, owned by Jeff Bezos, said no one was injured and all personnel were accounted for. But the rocket has a crucial role in NASA’s Artemis program to return American astronauts to the surface of the moon. Amna Nawaz discussed its significance with science correspondent Miles O’Brien.

Early this January, I wrote, "Starship is running behind schedule and holding up a lunar landing, so I'm rooting for Blue Origin to either win the contract or inspire SpaceX to get its act together in time." Looks like Blue Origin has to get its act together, too.

I close with National Day Calendar's NATIONAL MOON DAY | July 20.

If possible, would you tour the moon one day? Let us know in the comments!

Not what I was expecting, but worthwhile just the same.

That's a wrap for today's holiday. Stay tuned for the television nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards.

Drink to the action movie nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards on National Daiquiri Day

As I wrote yesterday, "Stay tuned for the action movie nominees on National Daiquiri Day as the Sunday entertainment feature." Here are the nominees.

Best Action Movie

The Furious
Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice
Motor City
The Naked Gun
Normal
The Rip
Sisu: Road to Revenge

The Furious leads with three nominations; the rest of the field is tied at two apiece. I'll go with The Furious based on its three nominations here and its Astra Midseason Movie Award for Best Stunts, although The Rip has an Emmy nomination and Sisu: Road to Revenge won a Saturn Award.

Follow over the jump for the acting nominations and my analysis of what these nominations might mean for the Saturn Awards.

'Project Hail Mary' leads Science Fiction/Fantasy nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards

The last movie nominee with four nominations is Project Hail Mary, so I'm examining the science fiction and fantasy nominees today.

Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie

Bugonia
Disclosure Day
Frankenstein
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die
I Love Boosters
Predator: Badlands
Project Hail Mary

Out of this field, I'm picking Project Hail Mary, and not just because it has the most nominations. My wife and I paid money to stream it, which we almost never do, and thought it was worth every penny. That the Astra Awards crowned it the best movie of the first half of the year just cements my choice.

As for the rest of the nominees, Bugonia has three nominations, while Disclosure Day, Frankenstein, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, I Love Boosters, and Predator: Badlands each have two, which confirms my intuition that Bugonia and Disclosure Day are the dark horses that could upset Project Hail Mary.

I noticed two snubs, Avatar: Fire and Ash, which led movie nominations at the Saturn Awards and The Mandalorian and Grogu. The former won five Saturn Awards, including Best Science Fiction Film and I expect the latter will earn nominations at the next Saturn Awards. Here, both are shut out of Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie. Once again, welcome to the critics vs. the fans!

That written, the Critics Choice Association didn't completely shut out Avatar: Fire and Ash, as it earned two acting nominations. Follow over the jump for those.

'Obsession' vs. 'Weapons' for Best Horror Movie at the Critics Choice Super Awards

I'm using the relevant sentence from the press release to determine which genre to examine next: "'Masters of the Universe,' 'Obsession,' 'Project Hail Mary,' 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps,' and 'Weapons' followed closely behind 'Superman' with four film category nominations each." I covered Superman, Masters of the Universe, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps yesterday, leaving Obsession and Weapons in horror and Project Hail Mary in science fiction and fantasy, so I'm writing about horror today.

Best Horror Movie

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Backrooms
The Long Walk
Obsession
Send Help
Weapons

Five of the six nominees also earned nominations for Best Wide-Release Movie at the 2026 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards, Obsession and Weapons tied at four nominations, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and Backrooms tied at three nominations, and Send Help with two nominations. The Long Walk has only one nomination at the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards for Best Supporting Performance, but two nominations here. Although I voted for Weapons, I think Obsession is more likely to win Best Wide-Release Movie at the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards. On the other hand, I think Weapons is more likely to win this category here. Once again, welcome to the critics vs. the fans.

Follow over the jump for the acting categories, where three more horror movies earned nominations.

'Superman' leads film nominees at the 2026 Critics Choice Super Awards

I concluded 'Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize' plus the Emmy nominees for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special by telling my readers, "Stay tuned for more tomorrow, although I expect the Critics Choice Super Awards nominees will be announced later today, so stay tuned to see if I shift to them." That's what I'm doing, so time for the relevant paragraph from the press release.

“Superman” leads this year’s film nominees, having earned six nominations including Best Superhero Movie. David Corenswet, Edi Gathegi, and Nicholas Hoult all received nominations for Best Actor in a Superhero Movie, while Nicholas Hoult received an additional nod for Best Villain in a Movie. Rachel Brosnahan is also up for Best Actress in a Superhero Movie.

I'm repeating the nominees from the preview image.

Best Superhero Movie*

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
Exit 8
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Masters of the Universe
Mortal Kombat II
Supergirl
Superman

The two top nominees are, of course, Superman with six nominations and Fantastic Four: First Steps with four. This sets up a rematch of Fantastic Four: First Steps vs. Superman from the Saturn Awards. Fantastic Four: First Steps won that match, but I expect Superman will win this one. Welcome to the critics vs. the fans.

Masters of the Universe also has four nominations, but I doubt it is as strong as Fantastic Four: First Steps. It's followed by Exit 8, Mortal Kombat II, and Supergirl with two and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle with just this one.

What does this mean for the Saturn Awards? Not much. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Superman were already recognized. Exit 8 would likely be nominated for International Film or Horror Film and Masters of the Universe would work better as a Fantasy Film, leaving Mortal Kombat II and Supergirl. I suspect the latter will earn at least one Razzie nomination for Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel, but probably won't "win." Whew. Instead, I think the contest will be between two movies not yet released, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday. Other films that could join them would be Resident Evil and Street Fighter. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and the upcoming The Angry Birds Movie 3 could be nominated, but they're more likely to be recognized under animation.

Follow over the jump for the acting nominations.

'Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize' plus the Emmy nominees for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special

I'm returning to the Creative Arts Emmy nominees today with Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize | The Daily Show, a nominee for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special.

Donald Trump can’t stop talking about how he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, and no, the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize doesn’t count. Jordan Klepper travels to a JD Vance event, the “burning hellhole” city of Portland, and home of the peace prize, Norway, to find out if the president actually deserves to be given this prestigious award.

That was even more hilarious than last year's 'The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: MAGA: The Next Generation' plus the Emmy nominees for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special — and more violent.

Like last year, this special earned two Emmy nominations. Follow over the jump for them, the nominations for its competition, and their Gold Derby odds.

'Desi Lydic Foxsplains Trump's Big Beautiful Ballroom' plus the short form nominees at the Emmy Awards

I told my readers to "stay tuned for coverage of the Emmy Awards...nominees," so I'm following through with one of the nominees, Desi Lydic Foxsplains Trump's Big Beautiful Ballroom | The Daily Show.

Desi Lydic Foxsplains why Donald Trump's golden palace of dance is great for all Americans... even if they can't actually see, touch, or use it.

On the one hand, HAHAHAHA! On the other, I'm recycling what I wrote in Meyers, 'The Daily Show,' Kimmel, and the Marsh Family take closer looks at the royal visit.

I'm repeating what I wrote yesterday.

Donald "Hoover Harding Cleveland" Trump doubling down on his ballroom and going after Kimmel and James Comey is just him pursuing his pet projects. It's also an example of "never let a good crisis go to waste." It's just a shame that the projects being pursued are so petty.

Even more of a shame that he's getting so many to go along with him, including shifting its funding from private donors to the taxpayers. Ugh.

That's not the most recent video in the Desi Lydic Foxsplains playlist. Desi Lydic on How "Foxsplains" Came to Be - After the Cut | The Daily Show is.

Desi Lydic describes how her Emmy-winning Foxsplains segment was born out of necessity during the early days of the Covid pandemic[.]

"I'm not either." I second that emotion!

Follow over the jump for the short form nominees.

Vote for the 2026 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards, if you dare

I concluded Drink to smartphones lowering birth rates for World Population Day and National Mojito Day by telling my readers, "Stay tuned for the Sunday entertainment feature. I have an awards show my readers can vote in for free, as long as they are interested in horror and horror-adjacent science fiction movies and television." Those are the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards for horror movies, podcasts, series, and video games. I'm letting PVD Horror list and discuss the nominees along with their votes in Fangoria Chainsaw Awards 2026 Nominees.

It's that time again, Fangoria Chainsaw Award nominees have been announced and the ballots are out! Join us as we go through the categories and pick our winners from a very strong 12 month span that featured films such as Obsession, Backrooms, Weapons, Frankenstein, and many more!

Vote for your favorites, Voting closes July 15 at 11:59 PM PT.

If that's too long, watch Fangoria Chainsaw Awards by Scarah Damsel of the Doomed.

The scream of the crop has arrived!
The nominations for the 2026 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards are officially LIVE! @fangoria gathered 35 of the best new horror films across 14 categories to celebrate the very best in the genre.
Now it’s YOUR turn to decide the winners.
IMPORTANT: The voting window is open for a limited time!
Deadline: July 15th, 2026
Vote Now: Head to Fangoria.com and let your horror-loving voice be heard!

Voting link.

Follow over the jump for my votes and PVD Horror's.

Drink to Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show's Emmy nominations on National Piña Colada Day

Happy National Piña Colada Day! Like last year, the day is doing double duty by toasting nominees of an awards show, the creative people behind Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show. I begin with Gold Derby reporting Bad Bunny bouncing towards the Emmys as his Super Bowl halftime show scores unprecedented 9 nominations.

Puerto Rican superstar, who tallied three Grammys earlier this year, looks to add another statuette to his burgeoning collection.
...
Bad Bunny conquered the Grammys. Now he's coming for the Emmy Awards.

As Gold Derby predicted in January, the Puerto Rican superstar — whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — scored a nomination Wednesday for Best Variety Special (Live) for his sizzling, much-scrutinized halftime show at Sunday's Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. The special was one of the most-nominated programs, receiving nine total bids, including Production Design for a Variety Special, Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming, Directing for a Variety Special, Hairstyling for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program, Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Special, Music Direction, Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special, and Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Special. That marks a record for a halftime show.

People listed Bad Bunny's competitors for Best Variety Special (Live).

The milestone comes after the performance drew a staggering 128.2 million viewers, making it the fourth-most-watched Super Bowl halftime show in history. The show is also nominated for Outstanding Variety Special (Live), where it will compete against four major awards ceremonies: the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards, the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, the Oscars and the 78th Annual Tony Awards.

I'm not going to handicap this category today; Gold Derby has its prediction page for the Creative Arts Emmy Awards up, but no one seems to have made a prediction in this category. When enough predictions have been tallied, I'll return to this category. On the other hand, the Super Bowl Halftime Show is leading the odds for Variety Special Directing and Music Direction; Gold Derby is not making predictions in the craft categories. I'll look at those when I examine Gold Derby's prediction for Variety Special (Live).

As I noted in February, Bad Bunny's performance elicited some controversy. Back to Gold Derby.

Going into the Super Bowl, there was much right-wing consternation over the NFL's selection of Bad Bunny for the coveted slot, given that he performs in Spanish — often wearing dresses — and is a vocal critic of Trump administration policies. The MAGA crowd went so far as to counterprogram in the form of a widely lampooned Kid Rock-led show for Turning Point USA.

I'll let Emmy winner and returning Emmy nominee Desi Lydic mock this reaction in Desi Lydic Foxsplains Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show | The Daily Show.

Desi Lydic Foxsplains the outrage over the un-American, un-manly, and un-known superstar slated for the Super Bowl halftime show: Bad Bunny.

HAHAHAHA! No wonder she earned another two nominations!

Now to drink to Bad Bunny and the Super Bowl Halftime Show's Emmy nominations with PINIA COLADA FOR #badbunny SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOW (sic).


That was misspelled and really should have used a Bad Bunny song, like piña colada y bad bunny.


There, better.

That's a wrap for today's holiday celebrating Puerto Rico. Stay tuned for World Population Day on National Mojito Day.

Previous posts about the 2026 Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards

• 'The Tale of Silyan' vs 'The Librarians' for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking at the Emmy Awards

'The Tale of Silyan' vs 'The Librarians' for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking at the Emmy Awards

As I promised yesterday, I'm beginning my examination of this year's Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards nominees today. Unlike past years, I'm not starting with the nominees for Outstanding Commercial. Don't worry, I'll get to the category. Instead, I'm kicking off the series by examining the nominees for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking, of which there are only two, The Librarians (PBS) and The Tale of Silyan (Nat Geo). Watch their trailers, beginning with THE LIBRARIANS | Official Trailer.

America’s war on books is more than a war on words. THE LIBRARIANS, a new feature documentary from Academy Award® nominee and Peabody Award winner Kim A. Snyder.

In Texas, the Krause List targets 850 books focused on race and LGBTQIA+ stories – triggering sweeping book bans across the U.S. at an unprecedented rate. As tensions escalate, librarians connect the dots from heated school and library board meetings nationwide to lay bare the underpinnings of extremism fueling the censorship efforts. Despite facing harassment, threats, and laws aimed at criminalizing their work – the librarians’ rallying cry for freedom to read is a chilling cautionary tale.

That's powerful and an example of why I pay attention to awards shows; they bring films and shows to my attention that are worth watching for the subject matter.

Next, The Tale of Silyan | Official Trailer | National Geographic Documentary Films.

A down-on-his luck farmer develops a unique bond with a wounded white stork as he nurses the bird back to health.

This is a film I can recommend to my environmental science students, as it's about both wildlife and farming, two topics in that class. Welcome to blogging as professional development.

Between the two, I think The Tale of Silyan is the favorite. First, it has a second Emmy nomination for Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program, which I'll examine over the jump, while The Librarians has only one. Second, it earned a nomination for Best Documentary at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards in addition to Best Cinematography. The Librarians also earned a nomination at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards for Best Political Documentary, but not Best Documentary. Third, The Tale of Silyan earned nominations at the Film Independent Spirit Awards and PGA Awards and wins at the Cinema Eye Honors Awards and Golden Trailer Awards. Yes, the trailer I embedded is a winner in its own right for Best Documentary Subject. Meanwhile, The Librarians earned nominations at the Satellite Awards and Cinema Eye Honors Awards. When the two films earned nominations at the same awards shows, The Tale of Silyan won awards and more and better nominations. Gold Derby hasn't created a predictions page for the Creative Arts Emmy Awards yet, but I don't have to wait until they do; I can tell which nominee is more likely to win, especially since this is a juried award. The experts will prefer the craft and storytelling of The Tale of Silyan over the subject matter of The Librarians.

Follow over the jump for The Tale of Silyan's other nomination.

Drink to the Colts 'American Experiment' for a drum corps 4th of July

Happy 4th of July! Change of plans — instead of revisiting Drink to America Sings for July 4th, I'm observing today as one of my trademark drum corps holidays by featuring a show currently on the field, Colts 2026: American Experiment.

Colts Drum and Bugle Corps is proud to present…

American Experiment!

That's just the show announcement, but it makes for a good preview image. Here's an actual performance, Most Certainly not Colts 2026 - American Experiment.



Colts 2026 - American Experiment
That's both a patriotic show and a completely modern one, so I'm happy with the concept. I'm not as confident this upload will last. As I wrote in 2012's Christmas in July, enjoy it while it lasts. On the other hand, I'm more confident that NOT the Colts 2026 “American Experiment” 07/02/26 will remain up; it's a rehearsal video shot by the uploader.

I close with Red, White & Boozy 4th of July Cocktail | How To Make Recipe from Alyena's Kitchen.

Looking for the perfect red, white and blue drink? This cocktail is festive and just the right amount of boozy and perfect for your Independence Day, 4th of July party!

Enjoy! Please drink responsibly and NEVER drink and drive!

What Alyena said.

That's a wrap for the second of three patriotic holidays I celebrate during July with the third being Bastille Day. In the meantime, stay tuned for fun with wombats and ice cream on Souther!

Storied recounts 'The Most Puzzling UFO Case of the 20th Century' for World UFO Day 1

Happy first of two World UFO Days! I'm observing today by sharing Dr. Emily Zarka of PBS Storied recounting The Most Puzzling UFO Case of the 20th Century.

In 1952, a terrifying creature was spotted in Flatwoods, West Virginia — a 10-foot-tall creature with glowing eyes, a spade-shaped head, and cloaked in a metal skirt. Was it an alien, a Cold War experiment, or mass hysteria?

Dr. Z doesn't make up her mind to resolve her question, although she certainly leans heavily on cultural context influencing how people interpret what they see.

Speaking of cultural context, there is a UFO movie out now. Watch Disclosure Day | Final Trailer.

Universal Pictures is proud to release a new original event film created and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film stars SAG winner and Oscar® nominee Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer, A Quiet Place), Emmy and Golden Globe winner Josh O’Connor (Challengers, The Crown), Oscar® winner Colin Firth (The King’s Speech, Kingsman franchise), Eve Hewson (Bad Sisters, The Perfect Couple) and two-time Oscar® nominee Colman Domingo (Sing Sing, Rustin).

Based on a story by Spielberg, the screenplay is by David Koepp, whose previous work with Spielberg includes the scripts for Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Combined, those films earned more than $3 billion worldwide. Koepp also wrote the script for this 2025’s Jurassic World Rebirth.

Disclosure Day is produced by five-time Academy Award® nominee Kristie Macosko Krieger (The Fabelmans, West Side Story) and by Spielberg for Amblin Entertainment. The executive producers are Adam Somner and Chris Brigham.

Steven Spielberg is one of the industry’s most successful and influential filmmakers. The top-grossing director of all time, Spielberg has helmed such blockbusters as Jaws, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, the Indiana Jones franchise and Jurassic Park.

Among his myriad honors, he is a three-time Academy Award® winner, including Oscars® for Best Director and Best Picture for Schindler’s List, which received a total of seven Oscars®, and for Best Director for Saving Private Ryan. His most recent film, The Fabelmans, was released by Universal in 2022 and received seven Academy Award® nominations, including for Directing, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Picture.

While I fully expect to see Disclosure Day earn nominations at the Critics Choice Super Awards next month and the Saturn Awards in January, if they stick to this year's schedule, I also expect it to lose to Project Hail Mary in most of its categories, especially Best Science Fiction Film or equivalent. Its best bets are best actress for Emily Blunt followed by supporting actor for Colman Domingo. That written, will it influence how people see UFOs/UAPs? Yes, but not as much as previous Spielberg movies on the subject.

I close with National Day Calendar's World UFO Day.

Is anyone out there? On this episode of the National Day Spotlight (https://nationaldaycalendar.com/), Marlo Anderson (https://marloanderson.com/) and co-host Alice Anderson are diving into the unexplained mysteries of the cosmos for World UFO Day (https://nationaldaycalendar.com/celeb...) . They’ll explore why humanity keeps looking to the skies for answers and celebrate the fun of cosmic curiosity. Tune in for an episode that is truly otherworldly!

That's a wrap for this week's series of holiday entries. I have a musical post planned for tomorrow followed by a particularly doomy preview of the drum corps season, which begins Friday. Stay tuned.

'Underdogs' wins two News & Doc Emmy Awards plus a late World Sea Turtle Day

I closed 'Secrets of the Penguins' wins two News & Doc Emmy Awards by telling my readers, "Speaking of Underdogs, it also won two News & Doc Emmy Awards, so I think I will cover it next." I promised that again at the end of A late National Megalodon Day. Without any further ado, I'm revisiting what I wrote in 'Underdogs' earns four News & Doc Emmy Award nominations.

The trailer alone demonstrated that Underdogs deserved this nomination. Unfortunately, I doubt it will win this award. It's competing against 2000 Meters to Andriivka with six nominations including Best Documentary, Songs from the Hole with four nominations including Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary, and The Stringer, also with four nominations including Outstanding Investigative Documentary. I expect grit will win over wit.

I was wrong; wit beat grit in Outstanding Writing: Documentary.

The #DocEmmys Award for Outstanding Writing: Documentary goes to Underdogs (Wildstar Films). pic.twitter.com/e0Za8c3VkB

— The Emmys (@TheEmmys) May 29, 2026

Congratulations!

Now for Outstanding Sound: Documentary.

Secrets of the Penguins deserved this nomination, but I doubt it will win. Instead, I think it's between Turning Point: The Vietnam War with five total nominations and Love + War with four nominations. Both are also nominated for Best Documentary. The sounds of combat would probably impress the journalists and documentarians, possibly even more than the sounds of nature or music. If the entertainment professionals in the Creative Arts Emmys were voting, they might give WE WANT THE FUNK! the advantage. Not here; electorates matter.

I think the same of Underdogs' chances for Outstanding Sound: Documentary. Given the competition in its categories, it has an apt title.

I was wrong here, too. As I wrote about Outstanding Cinematography: Documentary in 'Secrets of the Penguins' wins two News & Doc Emmy Awards, "I'm glad that nature beat warfare."

The #DocEmmys Award for Outstanding Sound: Documentary goes to Underdogs (Wildstar Films). pic.twitter.com/wiCqcKtVG8

— The Emmys (@TheEmmys) May 28, 2026

Again, congratulations! I'm never more happy to be wrong!

By the way, yesterday was World Sea Turtle Day, so I'm embedding National Day Calendar's WORLD SEA TURTLE DAY | June 16 for a late celebration.

Have you been able to see a sea turtle in times past?

May I remember to observe the day on time next year.

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for an evergreen educational entry I can share in July tomorrow, followed by a string of holidays, Juneteenth, American Eagle Day, National Seashell Day, the Summer Solstice, World Giraffe Day 2025, Father's Day, World Rainforest Day, and Detroit-style Pizza Day. I love holidays!

Previous posts about the 57th News & Doc Emmy Awards

• 'Sally' leads Science and Technology Documentaries at the News & Doc Emmy Awards
• 'Secrets of the Penguins' leads Outstanding Nature Documentaries at the News & Doc Emmy Awards for Earth Day
• 'Underdogs' earns four News & Doc Emmy Award nominations
• 'Songs from the Hole' leads arts and culture documentaries at the News & Doc Emmy Awards
• 'Prime Minister' leads nominees for Outstanding Politics and Government Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards
• 'Katrina: Come Hell and High Water' leads social issue documentaries at the News & Doc Emmy Awards for Flashback Friday
• 'The Stringer' leads nominees for Outstanding Investigative Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards for Flashback Friday
• Vietnam War and Hurricane Katrina subjects of leading nominees for Outstanding Historical Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards
• '2000 Meters to Andriivka' leads Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary and Best Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards
• 'Love + War' at the News & Doc Emmy Awards for Wayback Wednesday
• 'The Strike' leads Outstanding Crime and Justice Documentary at tonight's News & Doc Emmy Awards for Throwback Thursday
• 'The Memory of Darkness, Light, and Ice' wins Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards for Wayback Wednesday
• 'Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller' wins 7 News & Doc Emmy Awards for World Oceans Day
• 'Prime Minister' wins two News & Doc Emmy Awards including Best Documentary for Throwback Thursday
• SciShow explains 'How Instagram Hacks Your Brain' plus Howtown on brain rot for Flashback Friday
• 'Secrets of the Penguins' wins two News & Doc Emmy Awards

'Secrets of the Penguins' wins two News & Doc Emmy Awards

It's time to revisit my predictions from 'Secrets of the Penguins' leads Outstanding Nature Documentaries at the News & Doc Emmy Awards for Earth Day.

This is in the same overall series as Secrets of the Whales, Secrets of the Elephants, and Secrets of the Octopus, all of which earned nominations at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. That, and its award-winning producer and director, bode well for its award chances at these Emmy Awards.
...
I'm rooting for Secrets of the Penguins...

I got my wish; Secrets of the Penguins won Outstanding Nature Documentary.

On the other hand, I was happy to be wrong about Outstanding Cinematography: Documentary, for which I wrote, "Secrets of the Penguins is in very good company, including 2000 Meters to Andriivka with six nominations including Best Documentary, which is my pick to win both that award and this category." I repeated that thought in 'Underdogs' earns four News & Doc Emmy Award nominations: "Underdogs might be more deserving than Pangolin: Kulu's Journey and as deserving as Secrets of the Penguins, but I still think 2000 Meters to Andriivka is the favorite to win Outstanding Cinematograpy: Documentary."  Nope, Secrets of the Penguins won Outstanding Cinematography: Documentary.  I'm glad that nature beat warfare.

Speaking of Underdogs, it also won two News & Doc Emmy Awards, so I think I will cover it next. Stay tuned.

Previous posts about the 57th News & Doc Emmy Awards

• 'Sally' leads Science and Technology Documentaries at the News & Doc Emmy Awards
• 'Secrets of the Penguins' leads Outstanding Nature Documentaries at the News & Doc Emmy Awards for Earth Day
• 'Underdogs' earns four News & Doc Emmy Award nominations
• 'Songs from the Hole' leads arts and culture documentaries at the News & Doc Emmy Awards
• 'Prime Minister' leads nominees for Outstanding Politics and Government Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards
• 'Katrina: Come Hell and High Water' leads social issue documentaries at the News & Doc Emmy Awards for Flashback Friday
• 'The Stringer' leads nominees for Outstanding Investigative Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards for Flashback Friday
• Vietnam War and Hurricane Katrina subjects of leading nominees for Outstanding Historical Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards
• '2000 Meters to Andriivka' leads Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary and Best Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards
• 'Love + War' at the News & Doc Emmy Awards for Wayback Wednesday
• 'The Strike' leads Outstanding Crime and Justice Documentary at tonight's News & Doc Emmy Awards for Throwback Thursday
• 'The Memory of Darkness, Light, and Ice' wins Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards for Wayback Wednesday
• 'Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller' wins 7 News & Doc Emmy Awards for World Oceans Day
• 'Prime Minister' wins two News & Doc Emmy Awards including Best Documentary for Throwback Thursday
• SciShow explains 'How Instagram Hacks Your Brain' plus Howtown on brain rot for Flashback Friday