The Emmys aren’t an accurate barometer for measuring the best that television has to offer. Look no further than Modern Family, a perfectly fine but by no means great show, winning Outstanding Comedy Series five years in a row, while Parks and Recreation went home empty handed. A much better (and classier) representation of quality TV is the Peabody Awards, which were announced this morning. Notable winners include Master of None, Marvel’s Jessica Jones, Beasts of No Nation, and even some non-Netflix shows.
Other trophies went to (with explanations from the judges):
–Black-ish, “a bright, boisterous, big-hearted comedy about an affluent black family working overtime to keep it real, Black-ish doesn’t let jokes get in the way of insights about race, class, guns and other hot-button topics that most popular entertainment shows scarcely mention.”
–The Leftovers, a “challenging, deeply philosophical, boldly imagined drama.”
–Mr. Robot, “a riddle wrapped in a mystery shrouded in a hoody, Mr. Robot’s hero, Elliot, is a tormented, anti-social cyber-security whiz caught up in techno-anarchy conspiracy. The series’ twisting, turning, Rubik plot is almost as startling as its overtly anti-corporate stance. Occupy Prime Time?”
–UnREAL, “a spot-on, behind-the-scenes send-up of ersatz ‘reality’ shows like The Bachelor, UnREAL makes viewers care about venal producers and petty contestants even as it skewers them.”
The awards will be handed out on May 21. Despite not winning anything, the cast of Modern Family is expected to attend out of habit.
(Via Variety)
