I’m making a small down payment on the promise I made at the end of Diversity a winner at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards to blog more about the Emmys by following up on ‘Born This Way,’ ‘Deadliest Catch,’ and ‘United Shades of America’ — society and nature in reality TV programs at the Emmy Awards” at Crazy Eddie’s Motie News.
The returning winner for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program, as I mentioned above, is “United Shades of America With W. Kamau Bell,” which also earned nominations for Outstanding Host For A Reality Program and Outstanding Picture Editing For An Unstructured Reality Program. I watched two episodes of this show the weekends after Anthony Bourdain died. I found it fascinating, and not just for its humorous take on race and race relations. I had no idea Bell was three-time Hugo winner N.K. Jemisin‘s cousin until I saw Bell interview her on his show. I also saw little distinction between “United Shades of America” and “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” even though they are in different categories; the line between an informational nonfiction show and a reality show must be very fine. I’m sure it also helps that they are promoted in different categories so that they don’t step on each other at awards time.
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Competing against “Born This Way,” “United Shades of America,” “Deadliest Catch,” and “Naked And Afraid” for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program are “Intervention” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked.” I doubt either of the latter two have much a chance at winning this category, although both examine serious social issues with the last doing so obliquely and light-heartedly. Instead, I’m rooting for “United Shades of America” to win again.
I called this outcome, as Deadline reported that “United Shades of America” won Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program a second year in a row. Congratulations!
Even in winning, “United Shades of America” couldn’t escape the shadow of “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, as Deadline blogged: “A shoutout to fellow CNNer Bourdain from senior show producer Geraldine Porras: ‘This award is dedicated to the memory of Anthony Bourdain, who continues to inspire us every day.'”
While W. Kamau Bell lost Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program to RuPaul Charles, which I expected, “United Shades of America” won Outstanding Picture Editing For An Unstructured Reality Program for the first time, which I didn’t.
“Life Below Zero” did not earn a nomination for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program, but it did garner nominations for Outstanding Cinematography For A Reality Program and Outstanding Picture Editing For An Unstructured Reality Program. It is competing against both “Born This Way” and “Deadliest Catch” in the first category along with competition reality shows “The Amazing Race” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and structured reality show “Queer Eye.” As I mentioned above, “Born This Way” won Outstanding Cinematography For A Reality Program last year, so I expect it will win again. In the second category, it faces all three of “Born This Way,” “United Shades of America,” and “Deadliest Catch” along with “RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked.” Here, “Life Below Zero” holds the trophy and would be my choice to win.
However, “Life Below Zero” did not go away empty-handed, as it won Outstanding Cinematography For A Reality Program. Congratulations! In the case of both “United Shades of America” and “Life Below Zero,” I was glad to be wrong. On the other hand, “Born This Way” did, as it not only lost Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program and Outstanding Picture Editing For An Unstructured Reality Program and Outstanding Casting For A Reality Program to “United Shades of America” and Outstanding Cinematography For A Reality Program to “Life Below Zero”, it lost its fourth nomination, Outstanding Casting For A Reality Program, to “Queer Eye.” In contrast, the latter had a good night, also winning Outstanding a Structured Reality Program and Outstanding Picture Editing for a Structured or Competition Reality Program for a total of three. Congratulations to “Queer Eye!”
I might have more to say about reality shows after the Primetime Emmy Awards, when Outstanding Reality-Competition Program will be awarded, especially if “RuPaul’s Drag Race” wins. In the meantime, stay tuned for me following up on ‘Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown’ earns seven posthumous Emmy nominations; the series won six of them!
