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 The unconventional approach to TV at Netflix Inc netted 31
Emmy nominations on Thursday, a major achievement for a company
that plunged into original programing just last year.
"Thirty-one nods - not bad for the new kid on the block," said
"House of Cards" star Kevin Spacey, nominated for best actor in
a drama series for the second straight year.
It is still less than a third of the nominations for cable
competitor Time Warner Inc's HBO, but Netflix is now nipping on
the heels of networks that have been in the TV business for
decades and is advancing careers for people who have been around
a long time.
"I have never been nominated for an Emmy before, and I've been
acting for 40 years," said Kate Mulgrew, a supporting comedy
actress nominee for her role as a powerful inmate in "Orange is
the New Black." "It has particular resonance for me."
Netflix made history last year when it shook up Hollywood with
the first nominations in major categories for shows delivered
exclusively over the Internet. Netflix took home three Emmys for
"House of Cards" for its 14 nominations overall.
At that time, "Orange is the New Black," a dark prison comedy,
was just gathering steam with its surprising twists and turns in
season one.
When a new script arrives, Mulgrew said "my heart pounds a
little faster because I know within those pages there is going
to be something so unexpected, so awful, so delicious."
The relatable characters, who wear little makeup and only drab
prison garb, also drive the show's appeal.
"Those are not surgically enhanced lips," Mulgrew said. "Those
are not porcelain veneers. These are real women in a really
challenging situation. They are trying, each of them in their
own way, to survive it as well as she can. You are drawn in.”
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'TV SCREENS, TABLETS, OR PHONES'
The diverse cast includes the first openly transgender Emmy nominee,
Laverne Cox, for her portrayal of an inmate who committed fraud to
pay for a sex change procedure.
Netflix is investing in original shows to help attract new
subscribers to its TV and movie streaming service. It has made a
mark by releasing all episodes of a season at once, fueling
binge-viewing and getting new fans, although the company does not
release ratings.
Upcoming Netflix shows include "Marco Polo," an epic drama being
filmed in Asia, and comedy "Grace and Frankie" starring Jane Fonda
and Lily Tomlin.
Other digital outlets have joined Netflix in producing original
content but have not made it to the Emmy race. Amazon.com Inc
actively campaigned for nominations for its John Goodman political
comedy "Alpha House" with billboards and mobile ads urging Emmy
voters to recognize the show.
Beau Willimon, creator and executive producer of "House of Cards,"
said Netflix has "deep respect for the creative process" and allowed
him, Spacey and costar Robin Wright to create "layered characters
who aren't just reduced to their ambition and ruthlessness."
"They show vulnerability and humanity in ways that surprise us,"
Willimon said. "I think audiences have come to expect those
sophisticated complex characters on their TV screens or tablets or
phones."
(Editing by Mary Milliken and Jonathan Oatis)
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