AMC’s monster hit “The Walking Dead” airs its sixth and final episode on Dec. 5. Will Emmy voters reward such a short run of a series with any nominations? Though commonplace in other countries, such as the United Kingdom, season orders for American television usually run into the double digits.
Almost all of the Emmy winners for Drama Series have had significantly longer runs, from 13 episodes upwards for a season. The one exception: 2007 champ “The Sopranos,” which won this race for second time with the nine episodes that comprised the second half of the sixth and final season.
With so many contenders vying for the Drama Series prize, “The Walking Dead” should use its shorter run to its advantage. Instead of going up against the likes of reigning three-time champ “Mad Men,” HBO’s new period piece “Boardwalk Empire,” and past nominees “True Blood,” “Dexter,” “The Good Wife,” and “House,” AMC should submit its zombie drama as a Miniseries.
There is precedence for this move. In 2006, the FX series “Thief” was not renewed after its first season, and so its entire run of six episodes was entered in the Miniseries category, where competition was much less fierce. While the show did not receive a nomination, the move paid off for star Andre Braugher, who won a second Emmy as Best Actor in a Movie/Mini.
However, with AMC having ordered already a second season of 13 episodes, “The Walking Dead” is not a typical miniseries. Emmy voters could see such a switch as category fraud, and cast their votes elsewhere.
Photo: “The Walking Dead” poster (AMC)
