The Academy recently announced a new set of rules for the next Emmy Awards. These new rules include candidates from six to seven (in drama and comedy) more and more, by broadening the definition of what it means to be a "guest actor" on a show, the definition of the limited series category and adhering to stricter guidelines for both comedy and drama. The reason for all these new rules is, in part, due to the increase of new shows in production, both on television and with original content from online video services such as Netflix "Orange is the new black "and Amazon's" Transparent. "Online-only series are giving traditional television series new competition, and the Academy does its best to keep things fair.
How do these rules affect Netflix series?
In a attempt to clarify what defines a series of comedy against what defines a drama series, the Academy changed the qualifications for these two categories. Any series with episodes lasting 30 minutes or less are now being submitted as a comedy, while the whole series that lasts more than 30 minutes is classified as a drama. This could pose problems for Netflix "Orange is the new black," as it was billed as a comedy last year and last episodes almost a hour. These new rules mean that "Orange is the New Black" will likely compete with other original series from Netflix, "House of Cards" in the drama category. If the producers of the show believe that it is not part of the drama category, they can submit a formal request to this rule. The industry panel will make the final decision on these petitions to a requirement 2/3-vote approval.
Competition in these respective categories will not just stop there. While the series of comedy and theater have always been held to six candidates per category, these new rules will in seven nominations each.
A complete list of rules and rule addendum can be found on the website of the TV Academy later this month, and an announcement of the 67th Primetime Emmy Award nominations will be available July 16 to prepare for this year's Emmy broadcast in September, you can rewatch or catch up on "orange is the new black" and "House of Cards" on Netflix.