Emmys Reverse Course, Will No Longer Merge Variety Series Categories
Move follows outcry over combining talk- and sketch-based showsThom Geier | February 19, 2021 @ 9:43 AM
Last Updated: February 19, 2021 @ 10:26 AM
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The TV Academy on Friday reversed course, announcing that this year’s Emmy Awards would no longer merge the two categories for variety series into one.
The flip-flop followed a Thursday meeting of the TV Academy’s board of governors and intense lobbying from producers of late-night talk shows since the rule change was announced in December to merge talk-based shows with sketch series like the NBC juggernaut “Saturday Night Live.”
“While the Academy remains concerned about the number of series produced and the relatively small pool of entries in the Variety Sketch genre, it acknowledges that the differences between Variety Sketch and Talk programs merit separate consideration,” the organization said in a statement. “As the Academy continues to engage with industry leaders and constituents, it will always endeavor to uphold the integrity of the competition and be as fair as possible.”