Breaking Bad: Did Netflix win or lose the 2014 Emmy Awards?
James R | On 26, Aug 2014
It’s hard to believe that it has been almost a year since Breaking Bad’s final season. The 2014 Emmys, though have not forgotten: Vince Gilligan’s series, which won a huge following in the UK after it was released on Netflix UK, took home Outstanding Drama for the second year in a row – not to mention Best Actor for Bryan Cranston (to go with his Best Moustache award), Best Supporting Actor for Aaron Paul and Best Supporting Actress for Anna Gunn.
Aaron Paul, in fact, stole the whole show with a loving tribute to his wife during his acceptance speech. “To my wife,” he finished. “My god. Thank you for marrying me, thank you for dedicating your life to spreading kindness across the world, we all appreciate it. If you guys don’t know what she does look up Kind Campaign, do yourself and your children a favour.”
The Kind Campaign website promptly crashed thanks to the high levels of traffic.
But the evening was expected to be overshadowed by another entity entirely, with even higher levels of traffic. Seth Meyers quipped that MTV holding the Video Music Awards the night before was like “network TV holding an awards show and giving all the trophies to cable and Netflix”, but the predicted wave of VOD victory was held at bay by the established shore of network shows – sort of.
Netflix took home none of the big awards from last night’s trophy sesh, despite having a record 31 nominations, including 12 for Orange Is the New Black and a whopping 13 for House of Cards. But look back at the Creative Arts haul dished out before the primetime slot and Netflix took home seven prizes in total.
Its wins included one for House of Cards – Sound Mixing – two for The Square – Non-fiction Cinematography and Direction – and two for Orange Is the New Black – Single-Camera Editing, Casting and, crucially, Guest Actress for Uzo Aduba’s memorable turn as Crazy Eyes.
The media has hailed this year’s Emmy voters as refocusing attention on the traditional networks, with Ricky Gervais’ Derek (a Netflix exclusive in the US) also going home empty handed. The industry, the narrative goes, is looking to the past not the future.
Indeed, they were not the only new faces to be overlooked, as Modern Family scooped the Outstanding Comedy gong for the fifth year in a row, beating edgier, more modern series, such as Silicon Valley and OITNB. Even HBO’s True Detective, which wowed with its movie star duo of Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, was pipped to the post by Bryan Cranston and his moustache (although Cary Fukunaga deservedly took home Outsanding Directing for a Drama Series).
But while everyone’s eyes were on Walter White, as he jokingly snogged Veep’s Julianna Margulies – and on Sofia Vergara, in an ill-judged sexist moment that literally placed her on a rotating podium for people to admire – Netflix was busy in the wings. If it looks like video on-demand failed to make an impact, the very fact that it is in the room to begin with is testament to Internet TV’s progress and quality. That its wins came largely behind-the-scenes is only fitting for a service that is summed up by the cunning face of Frank Underwood.
Netflix’s total of seven awards ranks its in eighth place overall at the 2014 Emmys, actually joint with FOX and ahead of Breaking Bad’s AMC (six awards), but it is important to remember that the company is a distributor as well as a producer: in the US, Sherlock (which won three prizes for Steven Moffat, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman), is currently only available on Netflix, while in the UK, Breaking Bad has long been an subscription exclusive for the streaming service. It’s no coincidence that Netflix’s shares reached a record high on the morning of the ceremony. Yes, Breaking Bad stole the show – but Netflix was in the shadows, smiling like a manipulative Kevin Spacey. That’s how you devour a while, one bite a time, Frank told us in Season One. Netflix’s bark may appear bigger this year, but its bite is still there.
A complete list of the 2014 Emmy Award winners
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
TY BURRELL as Phil Dunphy ABC
Modern Family
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
LOUIS C.K., Written by FX NETWORKS
Louie
So Did The Fat Lady
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
ALLISON JANNEY as Bonnie CBS
Mom
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
GAIL MANCUSO, Directed by ABC
Modern Family
Vegas
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
JIM PARSONS as Sheldon Cooper CBS
The Big Bang Theory
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS as Vice President Selina Meyer HBO
Veep
OUTSTANDING REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
THE AMAZING RACE CBS
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A DRAMATIC SPECIAL
STEVEN MOFFAT, Written by PBS
Sherlock: His Last Vow (Masterpiece)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
KATHY BATES as Madame Delphine LaLaurie FX NETWORKS
American Horror Story: Coven
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
MARTIN FREEMAN as John Watson PBS
Sherlock: His Last Vow (Masterpiece)
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A DRAMATIC SPECIAL
COLIN BUCKSEY, Directed by FX NETWORKS
Fargo
Buridan’s Ass
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH as Sherlock Holmes PBS
Sherlock: His Last Vow (Masterpiece)
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
JESSICA LANGE as Fiona Goode FX NETWORKS
American Horror Story: Coven
OUTSTANDING MINISERIES
FARGO FX NETWORKS
OUTSTANDING TELEVISION MOVIE
THE NORMAL HEART HBO
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL
SARAH SILVERMAN, Written by HBO
Sarah Silverman: We Are Miracles
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL
GLENN WEISS, Directed by CBS
67th Annual Tony Awards
OUTSTANDING VARIETY SERIES
THE COLBERT REPORT COMEDY CENTRAL
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
AARON PAUL as Jesse Pinkman AMC
Breaking Bad
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
CARY JOJI FUKUNAGA, Directed by HBO
True Detective
Who Goes There
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
ANNA GUNN as Skyler White AMC
Breaking Bad
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
MOIRA WALLEY-BECKETT, Written by AMC
Breaking Bad
Ozymandias
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
JULIANNA MARGULIES as Alicia Florrick CBS
The Good Wife
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
BRYAN CRANSTON as Walter White AMC
Breaking Bad
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
MODERN FAMILY ABC
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
BREAKING BAD AMC
OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
JENNIFER EUSTON, CSA, Casting Director NETFLIX
Orange Is The New Black
OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A SPECIAL
Fargo FX NETWORKS
OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
True Detective HBO
OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR REALITY PROGRAMMING
Deadliest Catch DISCOVERY CHANNEL
OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING
PEDRO KOS, Edited by NETFLIX
CHRISTOPHER DE LA TORRE, Edited by
MOHAMED EL MANASTERLY, Edited by
The Square
OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
JOE MORTON as Rowan ABC
Scandal
OUTSTANDING SINGLE-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING FOR A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
YAN MILES, Editor PBS
Sherlock: His Last Vow (Masterpiece)
OUTSTANDING MULTI-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
PETER CHAKOS, Edited by CBS
The Big Bang Theory
The Cooper Extraction
OUTSTANDING SINGLE-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
SKIP MACDONALD, A.C.E., Edited by AMC
Breaking Bad
Felina
OUTSTANDING SINGLE-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
WILLIAM TURRO, Editor NETFLIX
Orange Is The New Black
Tit Punch
OUTSTANDING ART DIRECTION FOR A CONTEMPORARY OR FANTASY SERIES (SINGLE-CAMERA)
(Area Award: Possibility of one or more than one award).
DEBORAH RILEY, Production Designer HBO
PAUL GHIRARDANI, Art Director
ROB CAMERON, Set Decorator
Game Of Thrones
The Laws Of Gods And Men/The Mountain And The Viper
OUTSTANDING ART DIRECTION FOR A PERIOD SERIES, MINISERIES OR A MOVIE (SINGLE-CAMERA)
(Area Award: Possibility of one or more than one award).
BILL GROOM, Production Designer HBO
ADAM SCHER, Art Director
CAROL SILVERMAN, Set Decorator
Boardwalk Empire
Erlkönig/The Old Ship Of Zion/Farewell Daddy Blues
OUTSTANDING ART DIRECTION FOR A CONTEMPORARY PROGRAM
(HALF-HOUR OR LESS)
(Area Award: Possibility of one or more than one award).
RAY YAMAGATA, Production Designer SHOWTIME
CHIKAKO SUZUKI, Art Director
TIM STEPECK, Set Decorator
House Of Lies
Wreckage/Middlegame/Zhang
OUTSTANDING ART DIRECTION FOR VARIETY, NONFICTION, REALITY OR
REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
(Area Award: Possibility of one or more than one award).
DEREK MCLANE, Production Designer ABC
JOE CELLI, Art Director
GLORIA LAMB, Art Director
The Oscars
OUTSTANDING ANIMATED PROGRAM
BOB’S BURGERS FOX
Mazel Tina
OUTSTANDING SHORT-FORMAT ANIMATED PROGRAM
DISNEY MICKEY MOUSE DISNEY CHANNEL
‘O Sole Minnie
OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN ANIMATION
NICK JENNINGS, Art Director CARTOON NETWORK
Adventure Time
Wizards Only, Fools
IAN WORREL, Art Director DISNEY CHANNEL
Disney Gravity Falls
Dreamscaperers
NARINA SOKOLOVA, Background Painter DISNEY CHANNEL
Disney Mickey Mouse
‘O Sole Minnie
VALERIO VENTURA, Background Designer DISNEY CHANNEL
Disney Mickey Mouse
The Adorable Couple
SEAN SZELES, Storyboard Artist CARTOONNETWORK.COM
Long Live The Royals
JASMIN LAI, Background Painter CARTOON NETWORK
The Powerpuff Girls: Dance Pantsed
CAMERON BAITY, Animator ADULT SWIM
Robot Chicken DC Comics Special II: Villains In Paradise
DMITRY MALANITCHEV, Color Design Director FOX
The Simpsons
Treehouse of Horror XXIV