The inclusion of three popular small screen series, Glee, Jane The Virgin, and Shameless, to the list of shows eligible for consideration under the comedy category might have brought confusion to the public following the announcement of the latest amended guidelines with regard to the nominations but the academy shared that the decision was made by the majority of the members of the committee, according to the official press release of the award giving body.
According to the statement, the nine-member panel came up with the decision to include the aforementioned series following deliberation sessions. Five of the nine members are appointees of the Academy Chairman while the remaining four were delegated by the Board of Governors. A decision can only be considered representative of the group of at least two-thirds or six of the total number of members agree on it.
This announcement unsurprisingly pleased those behind the three shows. Jennie Snyder Urman, the showrunner of Jane The Virgin, shared her excitement and joy over the said news. "We are thrilled with the television academy's decision," she shared. Moreover, Urman explained that the decision definitely brought happiness over to the entire cast and crew as the packaging of the entire series was based on the central theme that leans on the funny side. "This show was always conceived as a comedy; pitched to the network and studio as a comedy; and marketed to viewers as a comedy," she shared.
Earlier this year, the TV Academy released a new set of rules to govern the small screen shows in an effort to provide more concrete and stricter guidelines. However, one of the most controversial regulation newly imposed was the change in the eligibility rules for both drama and comedy shows. To curb the prevalent practice of TV programs that entail "changing their denomination as a comedy or a drama to better their chance at nominations," the committee decided to categorize all shows that run for half an hour or less as comedy while those going beyond the said time frame are considered dramas.
The complete list of nominations will be released on July 16, Thursday. The 67th Emmy Awards will be held on September 20 on Fox. The event will hosted by the highly acclaimed and multi-awarded writer, comedian, and actor, Andy Samberg.
