BBC News: Downton Abbey stars on new season; Variety on DA's Emmy chances

[clairiere]

If it can't be played outside the UK, let me know and I'll upload it to YT, but it's a really brief interview:

Phyllis Logan, Allen Leech & Rob James-Collier, and Jim Carter share their thoughts on the next series.

Comments

[german_shep_fan]

Thanks very much for the new vid clip :) It worked for me and im outside the UK :)

[clairiere]

Oh that's great, thanks for letting me know. Always nice when I don't have to infringe on copyright.

[lavenderteawit]

Meh! I wish Jim Carter would stop playing down the power of Carson/Hughes. I am very tired; all I can think of to say is: hooray for Phyllis Logan, she makes me laugh.

[eolivet]

Ooh! Variety always has the best Emmy stuff. :D Thanks for posting! A little confused about this, though...

Highlight: Fans of a romantic persuasion might cite the long-awaited kiss between Lady Mary and Matthew, while those who prefer mind games would go with the ongoing rivalry between the crusty Dowager Countess and Isobel Crawley.

I'm SO psyched to see that scene in ep 6 highlighted for its fantastic writing because I've always found that to be one of the most well-written scenes of the series (the dialogue just crackles, the turns of phrase are marvelous, there's such a flow to the scene -- ahhh, so good!!!) but I was under the impression DA only submitted ep 1 for consideration. Maybe it's different with writing, though...

(Hey, if ep 6 helps them win the writing Emmy, I certainly won't complain. ;)

[clairiere]

If you can make heads and tails of this article (I can't, only understand half of it), DA (unlike Sherlock) submitted itself as a mini-series rather than a stand-alone movie, which I suppose allows it to be judged whole. But I think in certain categories (such as directing), you're judged on a single episode which is stated clearly in the nominations and awards, eg. director Brian Percival for PBS part 1 of DA. I haven't checked the rules (and have no desire for that), but that would be similar to what goes on in the drama/comedy categories, though over there it also applies to the writing categories. But it makes sense, given the multiple number of directors and writers involved in most series. (I remember when Laura Innes directed a couple of eps. on the West Wing away from ER, and was nominated specifically for 'Shibboleth' in the 2nd season.)

[eolivet]

Huh...the Emmys keep changing their rules -- a few years ago, each nominated series (not miniseries) would submit a tape/DVD with several episodes on it. That was supposed to be their "submission tape" and ostensibly, they'd be "judged" on those 4-5 eps. I have no idea how it works with miniseries -- only that when I read the nominations, every time they listed DA, they'd have after it "episode 1 - Masterpiece" (so I guess that was "PBS part 1, which was 'ep 1 and about 10 minutes of ep 2'). To me, that meant they were only being judged on ep 1 (especially since they were competing against movies -- it wouldn't be "fair" I guess to have DA have 7 eps for judging, and the movies only to have one). But there really is no way of knowing what was taken into consideration

[clairiere]

Doesn't sound like the rules have changed all that much-- 'outstanding drama/comedy' nominees are still submitting a number of eps. as samples (I think it's six these days). Unless you mean this was the case for ALL the categories. But in the years I've watched it's always been single eps. for writing, directing and the technical categories, like Hush for Buffy (Whedon's one and only Emmy nom. as a writer).

I have no idea how it works with miniseries -- only that when I read the nominations, every time they listed DA, they'd have after it "episode 1 - Masterpiece" (so I guess that was "PBS part 1, which was 'ep 1 and about 10 minutes of ep 2'). To me, that meant they were only being judged on ep 1 (especially since they were competing against movies -- it wouldn't be "fair" I guess to have DA have 7 eps for judging, and the movies only to have one).

It's only 'Part 1' for some of the nominations, not all. You can tell the difference in the writing category, in which Fellowes and Moffat have both been nominated. Moffat's nom. is