Why do the Emmys hate ‘Outlander’?
Season 7 of “Outlander” began airing on June 16, which means it’s ineligible to compete at the current 2023 Emmys — that’s why it’s not nominated for anything on Wednesday morning. (See the list of nominations.) Even if Starz’s sweeping romance epic had aired within the eligibility period of June 2022 – May 2023, it’s unlikely Emmy voters would have showered it with much love. Why? Because, shockingly, “Outlander” hasn’t been nominated in any category in the past five years.
To date, the cult TV series has only received a grand total of four bids: music composition (2015), period production design (2016) and period costumes (2016 and 2018). The list of egregious snubs includes lead actors Caitriona Balfe (who plays time-traveling doctor Claire Randall Fraser) and Sam Heughan (who plays her Highlander true love Jamie Fraser), plus all of the show’s writers, directors and producers.
What’s with all of the “Outlander” hate? Frankly speaking, the television academy has always had a tough time embracing the romance genre, as they much prefer crime shows, legal shows, etc. The only major exception in recent years was “Bridgerton,” which scored 15 noms for its first two seasons and won a pair of trophies for period/character hairstyling (2021 and 2022). Of course, that romance show had the benefit of being one of the most watched programs in Netflix history. Comparatively, “Outlander” airs on Starz, a network that frequently gets forgotten by voters.
Another reason, as pointed out recently by Gold Derby contributor Stacy Henry, is that there’s “FIERCE competition” in the world of television, and the market is overloaded with worthy contenders. As she explains, “In the age of streaming, it feels as if there have never been more shows on TV. There is certainly no dearth of content. In fact, it’s hard to keep up … It’s simply not possible to watch it all.”
Even though the Emmys have repeatedly been cruel to “Outlander,” other kudosfests have recognized various aspects of the series. It won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress (Balfe), three People’s Choice Awards for Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Show, two Critics Choice Awards for Most Bingeworthy Show, and two Gold Derby Awards for Best Drama Actor (Heughan).
The good news, if there is any, is that “Outlander” will continue to air Part 1 of Season 7 throughout the summer, so it will be eligible at next year’s 2024 Emmys. The new episodes are based on “An Echo in the Bone,” the seventh novel in the world-renowned series from author Diana Gabaldon. New cast member Charles Vandervaart has joined the series as William Ransom, the “secret son” of Jamie.
In their video recap of the Season 7 premiere, titled “A Life Well Lost,” Gold Derby’s “Outlander” superfans Rob Licuria and Paula Sullivan-Licuria remarked on how “the budget and the pace and the quality” greatly improved this year. “That episode was insane … it was very, very well done, very well-written, polished,” Rob declared. Hey, Emmy voters, are you paying attention?
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