Awards HQ Jan. 25: How to Save This Year’s Oscars Telecast; Emmy FYC Events Return; SAG Awards TV Predictions

My colleagues Clayton Davis and Elizabeth Wagmeister — a.k.a. #ClayAndWagz — have the skinny on the Oscar host frontrunners here. The tl;dr: The Academy is looking for multiple hosts. The Rock and Kevin Hart aren’t happening. But perhaps Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez will — or at least, they’re among the favorites.

That goes back to a piece I did, after ABC revealed that there would indeed be a host for this year’s ceremony, after three years without one, suggesting that the “Only Murders in the Building” stars should be a shoo-in.

As ABC Entertainment president Craig Erwichrecently told me, the trio is at the top of his wishlist, stating, “They have mass appeal. Everybody loves them. They’d be a dream. That said, there’s a lot of incredible talent we’re considering. We’re having ongoing conversations with Will and the Academy about it.”

Well, that’s good enough for me. Listen, I don’t need a contributing producer credit (although, hey, I won’t refuse one), but I’ve done a bit of the heavy lifting for ABC and the Academy, and have mapped out what an Oscars with Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez might look like — along with a heavy emphasis on celebrating the experience of going to the movie theater, something the industry really needs right now. Here’s my plan:

Cold open on hosts Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez on stage. But they’re not on stage at the Dolby. They’re at the TCL Chinese Theatre next door, and they’re in front of a crowd of movie fans. They make a few cracks about what they’re doing and how “normal” and “real” everyone looks. And then they begin their celebration of the movie going experience. Both the suburban 30-plex and the historic movie palaces, like the Chinese. As a matter of fact, movies have regularly played a role in movies…

Cut to a package of clips featuring iconic stars and characters attending the movies (while the hosts head over to the Dolby).

Opening credits, straight to the show-stopping first performance of the night (one of the nominated songs).

After that, go straight to the first award of the evening.

After the first ad break, you’re back with Steve, Martin and Selena — and it’s time to do their real opening monologue.

From there, more awards, with music performances also staggered throughout the evening.

Save the pre-taped Steve/Martin/Selena package for hour two (it’s usually the highlight – don’t waste it so soon!)

Other package ideas: “The Simpsons” short goes deep into the Oscars. (Better get them on this now!)

Another one will feature iconic actors and nominated stars returning to the movie theater they used to frequent while growing up. Maybe it was at a mall. But either way, show them popping up and surprising fans as they’re heading in or heading out, and include them explaining what going to the movies means to them.

Start a contest where three lucky movie fans get a trip to Los Angeles to attend the Oscars — and here’s the key part. In a brief game show-like moment, the three players will be on stage to answer movie trivia and a chance to win a lifetime movie pass to a partner chain. Martin Short is the host of this segment, of course.

“Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film” didn’t become an Oscar category. But there’s no reason you can’t award a certificate to 2021 box office champ “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” bringing the stars on stage for a quick reunion.

Send a comedian correspondent to the most remote or smallest town movie theater in America to do a live spot, showcasing how important that tiny theater is to their community. And then surprise them with a donation to keep that movie theater going.

A separate tribute to Sidney Poitier beyond the in memoriam.

TikTok challenge: Steve and Martin star in their own TikTok videos, to both be posted on Selena’s account at the very beginning of the night. (Perhaps this happens during the monologue.) Throughout the evening, we check in on whose video gets more likes, with the Senior TikTok Star to be named at the end of the evening.

Reunion: In a tongue-in-cheek parody of reunion specials, we reunite Steve with his “Bringing Down the House” co-stars Queen Latifah, Eugene Levy and Jean Smart to share their memories — but it quickly becomes a roast of Steve Martin.

Martin Short brings back Jiminy Glick to, of course, go through the Dolby and have some fun with the celebrities in the audience who would be game with his nonsense.

At one point, Nick Kroll and John Mulaney come out as Steve Martin and Martin Short, and play it completely straight, inhabiting the two as they tell a few jokes and introduce the next presenters. It’s never explained.

Geek Off: Sure, it sounds like Leonardo DiCaprio is a Star Wars fan.. but can he face off with Star Wars Geek #1 Patton Oswalt?

Selena Gomez performs the In Memoriam song — first time a host has done that on the Oscars. Another historic moment!

That’s just the beginning. We’re on Martin/Short/Gomez Watch. Check back next week for more.

This year, for the first time since March 2020, Emmy in-person events are making a comeback. The TV Academy didn’t hold any officially sanctioned in-person FYC events last year, keeping them all virtual, with the exception of drive-in screenings/panels. Drive-ins remain an option in 2022, and fully virtual panels will also continue to be a part of the mix. But the in-person allowance means that outlets like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video can once again potentially open their pricey pop-up FYC events spaces, while others will return to the Academy’s Wolf Theatre at its North Hollywood headquarters.

Obviously talking about live in-person events feels a bit strange at the moment, given the omicron surge and how the rise in COVID-19 cases has forced January and February events to be postponed, canceled or moved to virtual. But the hope is by March, the omicron wave will have passed and gatherings can resume with the proper precautions.

“We continue to work with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to ensure all possible safety measures are in place when holding live, in-person events for Television Academy members,” the org said on its website, in a note directed at networks and studios. “For 2022’s FYC events, we anticipate that you may choose between holding an in-person screening and/or panel, a live-streamed event, a streaming pre-recorded event, or a drive-in screening with or without a panel. We’d recommend considering hybrid events – an in-person event that is live-streamed or recorded for VOD – to maximize member reach.”

FYC events will take place starting Monday, March 14, through Wednesday, June 15. (That’s the day before nominations-round Emmy voting, which takes place from Thursday, June 16 through Monday, June 27, begins.)

Like last year, given the sheer volume of Emmy contenders eager for an FYC slot, there can be up to four events per day — two 5 p.m. slots and two 7 p.m. slots each weeknight, plus two 2 p.m. and two 7 p.m. slots every Saturday and Sunday. But the weeknight 5 p.m. slots can only be virtual.

Get the full scoop here.

Click to watch above! As written by Wilson Chapman:

In the latest Variety Awards Circuit video presented by HBO, Variety Deputy TV Editor Michael Schneider and Variety Co-Editor-in-Chief Cynthia Littleton reacted to the recently announced SAG Award nominations, discussing the shows recognized in the comedy series ensemble category.

“It is not a new thing to say about the comedies, but it still strikes me that every one of these shows expands the definition of what we would have traditionally called a comedy,” Littleton said. “It is just a wealth of riches right now.”

The two talked about the five shows nominated in the category, which includes a mix of breakout, first-season hits like HBO Max’s “Hacks” and Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building,” buzzy returning favorites such as Apple TV Plus’ “Ted Lasso” and Hulu’s “The Great,” and Netflix’s “The Kominsky Method,” which ended its acclaimed run with its third and final season last year.

While Littleton and Schneider praised all five shows, Littleton said she is personally hoping for “Hacks” to win. Describing the show as “what she needed in the moment,” Littleton said she devoured the comedy in a day. She and Schneider both praised the cast of the show, particularly the central performance of Jean Smart as comedian Deborah Vance, and the strong work of Hannah Einbinder opposite Smart.

Schneider predicted that the award could go to “Ted Lasso,” which won four Emmys last year, including best comedy series. Jason Sudeikis won a SAG Award for his performance last year, but the show itself missed out on the ensemble award, which went to Pop TV’s “Schitt’s Creek.” However, Schneider also said the category was his favorite in this year’s SAG lineup, and strong contenders such as “Only Murders in the Building” and “Hacks” could easily triumph come awards night.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t be shocked if any one of these won the SAG ensemble,” Schneider said.

Watch above, or click here.

I mean, I’m clearly posting this partly to include that photo of Juliette Lewis and Christina Ricci from “Yellowjackets” (although the entire cast is killer — LITERALLY — and bad ass). I can’t get the theme song out of my head. I have weird dreams that touch on the show. It has had quite an impact on me.

But that’s just part of the news coming out of this year’s WGA nominations. “Only Murders in the Building,” “Hacks,” “Loki” and “Yellowjackets” are among the top nominees for this year’s Writers Guild Awards, announced on Jan. 13. Winners will be honored at a joint 2021 Writers Guild Awards ceremony on Sunday, March 20, 2022.

The nominations from the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) and Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) include outstanding achievement in television, new media, news, radio/audio, and promotional writing during 2021.

“Only Murders” led the WGA tally with three noms, including comedy, new series and comedy episodic. Shows with two nominations include “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Loki,” “The Morning Show,” “Succession,” “Yellowjackets,” “Hacks,” “Reservation Dogs,” “Bob’s Burgers” and “The Simpsons.” HBO led all networks with nine (or if you include HBO Max, 12); followed by Apple TV Plus, FX, Hulu, NBC, Netflix and PBS, all with six. (If you include promotional writing, CBS also received six.)

Here’s the list of major category nominations:

Drama Series

“The Handmaid’s Tale,” written by Yahlin Chang, Nina Fiore, Dorothy Fortenberry, Jacey Heldrich, John Herrera, Bruce Miller, Aly Monroe, Kira Snyder, Eric Tuchman; Hulu

“Loki,” written by Bisha K. Ali, Elissa Karasik, Eric Martin, Michael Waldron; Disney Plus

“The Morning Show,” written by Jeff Augustin, Brian Chamberlayne, Kerry Ehrin, Kristen Layden, Erica Lipez, Justin Matthews, Adam Milch, Stacy Osei-Kuffour, Torrey Speer, Scott Troy, Ali Vingiano; Apple TV Plus

“Succession,” written by Jesse Armstrong, Jon Brown, Jamie Carragher, Ted Cohen, Francesca Gardiner, Lucy Prebble, Georgia Pritchett, Tony Roche, Susan Soon He Stanton, Will Tracy; HBO

“Yellowjackets,” written by Cameron Brent Johnson, Katherine Kearns, Jonathan Lisco, Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson, Liz Phang, Ameni Rozsa, Sarah L. Thompson, Chantelle M. Wells; Showtime

(Last year’s winner: “The Crown,” written by Peter Morgan, Jonathan Wilson; Netflix)

Comedy Series

“Curb Your Enthusiasm,” written by Larry David, Steve Leff, Carol Leifer, Jeff Schaffer, Nathaniel Stein; HBO

“Hacks,” written by Lucia Aniello, Joanna Calo, Jessica Chaffin, Paul W. Downs, Cole Escola, Janis E. Hirsch, Ariel Karlin, Katherine Kearns, Andrew Law, Joe Mande, Pat Regan, Samantha Riley, Michael Schur, Jen Statsky; HBO Max

“Only Murders in the Building,” written by Thembi Banks, Matteo Borghese, Rachel Burger, Kirker Butler, Madeleine George, John Hoffman, Stephen Markley, Steve Martin, Kristin Newman, Ben Philippe, Kim Rosenstock, Ben Smith, Rob Turbovsky; Hulu

“Ted Lasso,” written by Jane Becker, Ashley Nicole Black, Leann Bowen, Sasha Garron, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, Bill Lawrence, Jamie Lee, Michael Orton-Toliver, Jason Sudeikis, Phoebe Walsh, Bill Wrubel; Apple TV Plus

“What We Do in the Shadows,” written by Jake Bender, Jemaine Clement, Zach Dunn, Shana Gohd, Sam Johnson, Chris Marcil, William Meny, Sarah Naftalis, Stefani Robinson, Marika Sawyer, Paul Simms, Lauren Wells; FX Networks

(Last year’s winner: “Ted Lasso,” written by Jane Becker, Leann Bowen, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, Bill Lawrence, Jamie Lee, Jason Sudeikis, Phoebe Walsh, Bill Wrubel; Apple TV Plus)

New Series

“Hacks,” written by Lucia Aniello, Joanna Calo, Jessica Chaffin, Paul W. Downs, Cole Escola, Janis E. Hirsch, Ariel Karlin, Katherine Kearns, Andrew Law, Joe Mande, Pat Regan, Samantha Riley, Michael H. Schur, Jen Statsky; HBO Max

“Loki,” written by Bisha K. Ali, Elissa Karasik, Eric Martin, Michael Waldron; Disney Plus

“Only Murders in the Building,” written by Thembi Banks, Matteo Borghese, Rachel Burger, Kirker Butler, Madeleine George, John Hoffman, Stephen Markley, Steve Martin, Kristin Newman, Ben Philippe, Kim Rosenstock, Ben Smith, Rob Turbovsky; Hulu

“Reservation Dogs,” written by Tazbah Rose Chavez, Sydney Freeland, Sterlin Harjo, Migizi Pensoneau, Tommy Pico, Taika Waititi, Bobby Wilson; FX Networks

“Yellowjackets,” written by Cameron Brent Johnson, Katherine Kearns, Jonathan Lisco, Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson, Liz Phang, Ameni Rozsa, Sarah L. Thompson, Chantelle M. Wells; Showtime

(Last year’s winner: “Ted Lasso,” Written by Jane Becker, Leann Bowen, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, Bill Lawrence, Jamie Lee, Jason Sudeikis, Phoebe Walsh, Bill Wrubel; Apple TV Plus)

Original Long Form

“American Horror Story: Double Feature,” written by Brad Falchuk, Manny Coto, Ryan Murphy, Kristen Reidel, Reilly Smith; FX Networks

“Mare of Easttown,” written by Brad Ingelsby; HBO

“Midnight Mass,” written by James Flanagan, Mike Flanagan, Elan Gale, Jeff Howard, Dani Parker; Netflix

“Them: Covenant,” written by Christina Ham, Little Marvin, David Matthews, Dominic Orlando, Seth Zvi Rosenfeld, Francine Volpe; Prime Video

“The White Lotus,” written by Mike White; HBO

(Last year’s winner: “Mrs. America,” written by Tanya Barfield, Joshua Griffith, Sharon Hoffman, Boo Killebrew, Micah Schraft, April Shih, Dahvi Waller; FX Networks)

Adapted Long Form

“Halston,” written by Ian Brennan, Ted Malawer, Ryan Murphy, Tim Pinckney, Sharr White, Kristina Woo, Based on the book Simply Halston by Steven Gaines; Netflix

“Impeachment: American Crime Story,” written by Flora Birnbaum, Sarah Burgess, Halley Feiffer, Daniel Pearle, Based on the book A Vast Conspiracy by Jeffrey Toobin; FX Networks

“Maid,” written by Bekah Brunstetter, Marcus Gardley, Michelle Denise Jackson, Colin McKenna, Molly Smith Metzler, Inspired by the book by Stephanie Land; Netflix

“The Underground Railroad,” written by Jihan Crowther, Allison Davis, Jacqueline Hoyt, Barry Jenkins, Nathan C. Parker, Adrienne Rush, Based on the novel by Colson Whitehead; Prime Video

“WandaVision,” written by Peter Cameron, Mackenzie Dohr, Laura Donney, Bobak Esfarjani, Chuck Hayward, Megan McDonnell, Jac Schaeffer, Cameron Squires, Based on the Marvel Comics; Disney Plus

(Last year’s winner: “The Queen’s Gambit,” written by Scott Frank, Allan Scott, Based on the novel by Walter Tevis; Netflix)

Read more here.

Do the kids still call things “HAWT”? Did they ever? Either way, this cover is HAWT. And yes, I’m clearly biased, since I wrote the damn thing.

Lily James and Sebastian Stan spent months working together on the set of Hulu’s “Pam & Tommy.” Yet when they recently reunited for a photo session it was a bit jarring to both actors.

“I barely met Sebastian out of Tommy Lee, and he barely met me out of my Pamela Anderson,” James says. “It was really surreal to do even the Variety shoot. We were like, ‘Oh, hey, so that’s what you look like!’”

That’s a testament to the amount of work James and Stan put into studying and emulating the real-life characteristics of Anderson and Lee — and just how well the production’s hair, makeup and wardrobe crews perfected their physical transformation. The look is so spot-on that when Hulu released the first photos of the “Pam & Tommy” stars in May, it quickly went viral on social media. “I was blown away,” Stan says. “The hair and makeup team deserve all the accolades that they can get.”

“Pam & Tommy” is a fun watch, and also has a lot to say about culture, the birth of the Internet, how female celebrities are treated so differently from male stars, and how we’ve grown in some ways, but not others. It’s also a lot of fun. Read on here.

Peak TV is back. After a dip in 2020 — the first decline since FX began tallying the number of scripted series every year — the number of original scripted series on television once again hit a record in 2021.

According to FX Research, which has been counting the number of shows on TV since it got into the scripted game with “The Shield” in 2002, there were 559 adult scripted original series across broadcast, cable and streaming services last year. That’s up a whopping 66 from 2020 (a 13 percent change), when there were 493 shows. The previous high was 2019’s 532 series.

This past year’s comeback was likely fueled by series that were delayed in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic-related production shutdowns. But it’s also likely the result of several more streamers entering the game since the decade began, including Peacock, HBO Max and a rebranded Paramount Plus, which are now humming with ever-increasing volume.

In comparison, on the eve of the streaming revolution in 2011, there were 266 original scripted series on television — 116 on broadcast, 33 on pay cable, 111 on basic cable, and 6 — you read that right, SIX — on streaming/online services. And when FX got into the game with “The Shield” in 2002, there were 182 scripted series on TV (135 on broadcast, 17 on pay cable, 30 on basic cable, and none on streaming/online since that didn’t really exist yet).

Unlike past years, FX opted not to break down the tally by broadcast, network or streaming. And the list doesn’t include non-English language shows (i.e., no “Squid Game”), children’s programs or short-form content (like the former Quibi originals that debuted on Roku).

Read more here.

My colleague Jenelle Riley and I write:

The SAG Awards are usually good for a few shockers, but there’s rarely one as big as this year’s omission of Kristen Stewart for her heralded performance in “Spencer.” That puzzling absence tops the list of head scratchers, but there were some fun surprises on the film side as well, including the first major nod for Bradley Cooper’s turn in “Licorice Pizza” and a strong showing for “House of Gucci” and “The Power of the Dog.”

Meanwhile, it was just two years ago that the SAG Awards made history by awarding the Korean-language drama “Parasite” as best cast in a motion picture. Now, with a drama ensemble nomination for Netflix’s South Korean series “Squid Game,” the kudocast is poised to do the same on the TV side.

Not only was “Squid Game” nominated in the ensemble drama field, but stars Jung Ho-Yeon and Lee Jung-Jae were nominated in the female drama actor and male drama actor categories, respectively.

In TV, Emmy darlings “Succession” and “Ted Lasso” were tops with five a piece, followed by “Mare of Easttown,” “The Morning Show” and “Squid Game,” with four. “Only Murders in the Building” received three.

“Succession” made waves by going from completely being snubbed by the SAG Awards in its first two seasons to becoming the first series ever to land three of the five slots in the male actor in a drama series category.

The SAG Awards are still considered a precursor to the Academy Awards in many ways, but there is not as much guaranteed correlation on the television side of the ballot, for the eventual Primetime Emmy Awards in September. And frustratingly, the SAG Awards still doesn’t recognize limited series ensemble casts, even though those feature some of the year’s biggest casts and best performances.

Among the biggest SAG snubs of 2022: Michaela Jaé Rodriguez and “Pose.” Star Rodriguez broke new ground this year as the first trans actress ever to win a Golden Globe Award, landing the honor for drama actress.

But of course, in a weird year in which the Globes weren’t televised and nominees didn’t attend the stripped-down announcement, Rodriguez didn’t get to experience the usual celebratory moment. Sadly, she also won’t get that opportunity at the SAG Awards, which ignored her stunning performance in the show’s final episodes. “Pose” had never received a SAG Award nomination, so snubs for “Pose” are nothing new: But this year, it felt like at the very least, Rodriguez and Billy Porter might receive noms, even if the show didn’t land in the drama ensemble field. But alas, it didn’t happen.

Read on as Variety breaks down more the biggest snubs and surprises of the 28th Annual SAG Awards here.

Variety’s Angelique Jackson sums up this year’s NAACP Image Awards noms, and we zero in on TV here:

“The Harder They Fall,” “Insecure” and H.E.R. lead the pack of film, TV and music nominees for the 53rd NAACP Image Awards, while Jennifer Hudson, Lil Nas X, Megan Thee Stallion, Regina King and Tiffany Haddish will face off for the 2022 Entertainer of the Year prize.

Winners will be revealed during the annual ceremony, hosted by seven-time Image Award winner Anthony Anderson, on Feb. 26. The two-hour live TV special begins at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on BET. It will proceed without an in-person audience due to the ever-changing developments with COVID-19.

Netflix leads nominations across motion picture and television categories. “The Harder They Fall” and HBO’s “Insecure” are tied for the lead with 12 nods in their respective categories. H.E.R. is the most-nominated musician with six nods.

“Insecure” creator and star Issa Rae nabbed two nominations for the hit HBO comedy’s final season, earning recognition in both the lead actress and outstanding writing categories. The show’s main cast — including Yvonne Orji (also nominated for outstanding actress), Jay Ellis (outstanding actor), Kendrick Sampson (supporting actor), Natasha Rothwell and Amanda Seales (both in the supporting actress category) — and guest performer Christina Elmore were also recognized. Prentice Penny and Melina Matsoukas earned nods in the outstanding directing category. Joining “Insecure” in the outstanding comedy series race are “black-ish,” “Harlem,” “Run the World” and “The Upshaws.”

The outstanding drama series contenders are “9-1-1,” “All American,” “Godfather of Harlem,” “Pose” and “Queen Sugar.” “Pose” star Billy Porter earned a total of three nominations, outstanding actor in a drama series, outstanding literary work – biography/autobiography (“Unprotected: A Memoir”) and outstanding character voice-over performance, television (“Fairfax”).

Outstanding Comedy Series
“black-ish” (ABC)
“Harlem” (Amazon Studios)
“Insecure” (HBO)
“Run the World” (Starz)
“The Upshaws” (Netflix)

Outstanding Drama Series
“9-1-1” (Fox)
“All American” (The CW)
“Godfather of Harlem” (Epix)
“Pose” (FX Network)
“Queen Sugar” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)

Outstanding Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special
“Colin in Black & White” (Netflix)
“Genius: Aretha” (National Geographic)
“Love Life” (HBO Max)
“Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia” (Lifetime)
“The Underground Railroad” (Amazon Studios)

Outstanding Talk Series
“Desus & Mero” (Showtime)
“Hart to Heart” (Peacock)
“Red Table Talk” (Facebook Watch)
“Tamron Hall” (Syndicated)
“The Real” (Syndicated)

Outstanding Reality Program, Reality Competition or Game Show (Series)
“Celebrity Family Feud” (ABC)
“Iyanla: Fix My Life” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
“Sweet Life: Los Angeles” (HBO Max)
“The Voice” (NBC)
“Wild ‘n Out” (VH1)

Outstanding Variety Show (Series or Special)
“A Black Lady Sketch Show” (HBO)
“BET Awards 2021” (BET)
“Dave Chappelle: The Closer” (Netflix)
“Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3” (Amazon Studios)
“The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” (Comedy Central)

Read more here.

A tally of the year’s most-watched TV networks seems wildly incomplete in the 2020s without Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney Plus or HBO Max in the mix. But with no real apples-to-apples way of comparing viewership on the streaming platforms to linear consumption, we’ll continue to measure them in different ways, at least for now.

In the land of the linear, sports continue to save the day, helping stabilize viewership this year for at least two of the four major broadcast networks. On the flip side, COVID be damned, a year without a contentious political season left most of the news networks with massive declines. Double-digit dips remain the reality for most of the basic and premium networks — a trend that becomes more acute as even those networks’ owners eagerly shoo viewers away from that old-fashioned delivery system and on to their newfangled streaming services.

Below are the top 50 broadcast, cable and premium cable networks in 2021, among total viewers. [For historical record, here are previous year-end network rankers: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015.]

For the entire list of all 153 Nielsen-reported networks, plus the top 50 in adults 18-49, go here.

On Netflix’s Korean thriller “Squid Game,” the show’s fictional contestants compete in a series of life-or-death grudge matches from red light, green light to tug of war. But that’s child’s play. Now, the stars and producers behind the global smash are about to face the real-life blood sport that is awards season.

The breakout Netflix hit has become a front-runner in what may be the most competitive TV awards season ever as shows that had been on hiatus return and new streamers put up their wares for the first time. And regardless of the outcome, “Squid Game” is poised to make history.

“Squid Game” earned its first U.S. honor in late November, when the Gotham Awards named it this year’s breakthrough long – form series. Since then, the show has been nominated for key SAG, Golden Globe and Critics Choice awards. At the Globes, O Yeong-su won the supporting actor in a drama award.

The show also recently made history at the 2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards by becoming the first non-English-language series and first Korean series to score a nomination.

Netflix has been positioning the show to enter the major TV awards shows and make waves in perhaps the same way another project from South Korea, Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite,” picked up kudos all the way to an Oscars best picture win in 2020.

As Variety confirmed last fall, “Squid Game,” which has quickly become one of the most-watched Netflix series of all time, is indeed eligible for Primetime Emmy consideration.

According to a TV Academy spokesperson, because “Squid Game” was produced under guidance from Netflix, which is an American company, and it was always intended to be distributed in the U.S., it can be entered in the Primetime Emmy race.

But since “Squid Game” was produced internationally, it is also eligible to enter the International Emmys. But it has to choose and can’t enter both, as both the Los Angeles-based TV Academy and the New York-based International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences have rules preventing Emmy double-dipping.

Read more here and here.

And also, watch us have some fun with the “Squid Game” folks as Jung Ho-yeon, Lee Jung-Jae, Park Hae-soo and Director Hwang Dong-hyuk answer who is most likely to win Squid Game in real life, most likely to improvise on set, most likely to Google themselves, and more:

The Television Academy’s 74th Emmy Awards rule changes include eliminating the program time length for comedy and drama series and further defining what a “limited series” is.

As announced in December, the drama/comedy rule change: “Categorization based on program length for a comedy or drama series has been eliminated. Episode length will no longer dictate submission categories. Instead, producers will now determine category submission with the stipulation that the Television Academy’s Industry Panel reserves the right to review the producer’s preference. Comedy and drama series are defined as programs with multiple episodes (minimum of six) in which the content is primarily comedic for comedy series entries or primarily dramatic for dramatic series entries. In addition, the ongoing theme, storyline and main characters are presented under the same title and have continuity of production supervision. The exception is programming under 20 minutes, which must be submitted in short-form categories.”

Also, with “limited series” often returning with a new story (read: “American Horror Story” or next up, “The White Lotus”), the Academy has further clarified that a limited series’ “story arc must be completely resolved within its season, with no on-going storyline and/or main characters in subsequent seasons,” and that “subsequent seasons of a limited series must cover completely new ground, requiring no knowledge of the events of the previous season.”

Among other changes: Music supervisors will now be solely eligible to win the Emmy in their category (ending the practice that some shows have had of adding the showrunner’s name to the mix as well). And in a note on non-English language production, the Academy has removed the stipulation that it would give the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences at least 18 months notice prior to the creation of new non-English language categories. (Although the TV Academy has not yet actually added a non-English category, this is perhaps a sign that it’s on the table.)

Meanwhile, as previously announced, the Academy has redefined the definition of theatrical motion pictures, ruling that any film placed on the viewing platform for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be deemed a theatrical motion picture and thus ineligible for the Emmy competition. This rule is meant to finally resolve the “double-dipping” that had taken place in the documentary world, where docs that failed to receive an Oscar nom tried again at the Emmys.

The Academy also announced changes in the stunts and voice-over categories and expanded entry eligibility for various professionals working on reality programming, animation and special visual effects.

Read the full roundup here.

The walls that long separated the L.A.-based Television Academy and its New York counterpart, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, continue to be torn down. In the latest agreement between the two orgs, several more categories have been realigned to focus on genre, rather than dayparts, as a way to divide eligibility between the Primetime and Daytime Emmys.

“We’re no longer looking at the clock to decide what’s daytime, and what’s primetime,” NATAS president/CEO Adam Sharp told Variety. “That just no longer makes sense, in the way consumers currently watch TV. I think this realignment reflects that and allows us to have more clarity between the two competitions. I think it also makes it a lot easier for creators in our community who were getting increasingly confused — ‘I produce a show for a streaming platform, that I intend to be consumed at all different times. So where does that put me?’”

Most notably, the alignment shifts all scripted programming to enter the Primetime Emmys, with two exceptions: Daytime soap operas — defined as “multi-camera, weekday daily serials” and any spinoffs or reboots of those sudsers — will remain with the Daytime Emmys. And as previously announced, all children’s fare are now be a part of the new Children’s & Family Emmys, which launches in 2022 as a new ceremony.

That means all of the non-daily soaps that had previously competed in the Daytime Emmys — series like Amazon Prime Video’s “Studio City” and Popstar TV’s “The Bay” — will now move to Primetime consideration. “Studio City” won the Daytime Emmy last year for outstanding limited drama series, in which it competed against “The Bay,” “A House Divided” (UMC) and “Beacon Hill” (Reel Women’s Network); but that category will be discontinued.

In the talk fields, the TV Academy and NATAS will keep two separate talk show competitions in both the Daytime and Primetime competitions for now. But the orgs have added language specifying the format and style characteristics that make a “daytime talk show” vs. a primetime or late-night talker. Series that have previously competed in the Daytime Emmys will continue to do so, and late night in the Primetime Emmys. But shows will be allowed to petition to switch competitions if they can make a case that they belong in that ceremony. “Ellen” is an example of a talk show that has a format to late-night shows like “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” or “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” but will remain in the daytime competition because of precedent. But future daytime shows in the style of “Ellen” may want to submit in the Primetime Emmys.

NATAS also announced that it has scrapped the morning show and Spanish-language morning show categories from the Daytime Emmys, noting that the more news-oriented morning shows (like “Today” and “Good Morning America”) should compete in the News & Documentary Emmys, while the more chat-oriented morning shows (like the third hours of “Today” and “GMA”) should move to talk.

Read more here.

Most hit shows begin to see their ratings and awards recognition erode by Season 4. But for “Yellowstone,” it’s only beginning. With a SAG Awards nomination for drama ensemble — the show’s first major kudos nod — executive producer David Glasser told Variety that he, showrunner Taylor Sheridan and the other keepers of the growing “Yellowstone” enterprise are ready to capitalize on the moment.

“It’s now an ‘all of U.S.’ show,” said Glasser, who’s the CEO of 101 Studios. “It definitely hit the middle [of the country] in the beginning and then spread out. And that’s great, because I think there’s still a lot of audience to grow… What started with my friends in Nashville and Texas calling me, now all of a sudden my friends in New York and LA and San Francisco and Miami are calling. And so I think the show’s got incredible legs.”

The SAG Awards recognizing “Yellowstone” first makes sense, given the wide, cross-country membership of SAG-AFTRA. “SAG voters are everywhere, and that’s great representation,” Glasser said. “We could not be happier for the show to get the recognition that we truly believe it deserves. It’s just truly a great ensemble, so I think it’s the perfect sort of launching point for the show.”

Read more here.

On HBO’s “Succession,” Shiv Roy, as played by Sarah Snook, has experienced a bit of a roller coaster this season as she struggled to remain in her father’s inner circle. While media baron Logan Roy has declared war on his son Kendall, who is also on the outs with his siblings, Shiv suddenly finds herself upstaged by younger brother Roman.

But then came the season’s penultimate episode, when Roman’s creepy obsession with company CEO Gerri is made public — and suddenly Shiv has a new tool at her disposal to get back in. In the episode, Shiv exchanges monumental moments with Gerri, as well as her husband Tom — whom she doesn’t love but does love — and her absentee mother. It’s quite an insight into who Shiv is and how she became the way she is.

Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast spoke with Snook about Shiv’s tumultuous times, the relationships between the siblings — as well as the real-life actors who portray the Roys — and what she hopes happens next. We began by discussing what it was like to get back to “Succession” after the pandemic delayed production for nearly a year. Click and listen below:

Variety’s Marc Malkin reports::

GLAAD 33rd Media Awards nominees include Lil Nas X, “West Side Story,” “Hacks,” Anderson Cooper and “Yellowjackets.” HBO Max topped the streamers with 19 nominations, followed by Netflix with 17 and Hulu rounding out the top three with seven. Broadcast network noms were led by ABC with four and NBC and PBS with three each. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures was the only major film studio with multiple nominations, earning two.

Nominations include:

Outstanding Comedy Series
“Dickinson” (Apple TV+)
“Gentefied” (Netflix)
“Love, Victor” (Hulu)
“The Other Two” (HBO Max)
“Saved by the Bell” (Peacock)
“Sex Education” (Netflix)
“Shrill” (Hulu)
“Special” (Netflix)
“Twenties” (BET)
“Work in Progress” (Showtime)

Outstanding Drama Series
“9-1-1: Lone Star” (Fox)
“Batwoman” (The CW)
“The Chi” (Showtime)
“Doom Patrol” (HBO Max)
“Good Trouble” (Freeform)
“Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC)
“The L Word: Generation Q” (Showtime)
“Pose” (FX)
“Star Trek: Discovery” (Paramount Plus)
“Supergirl” (The CW)

Outstanding New TV Series
“4400” (The CW)
“Chucky” (Syfy/USA Network)
“Hacks” (HBO Max)
“Harlem” (Prime Video)
“The Long Call” (BritBox)
“The Sex Lives of College Girls” (HBO Max)
“Sort Of” (HBO Max)
“With Love” (Prime Video)
“Y: The Last Man” (FX)
“Yellowjackets” (Showtime)

Outstanding TV Movie
“The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls” (Hallmark Channel)
“The Fear Street Trilogy” (Netflix)
“Nash Bridges” (USA Network)
“Single All the Way” (Netflix)
“Under the Christmas Tree” (Lifetime)

Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
“Dopesick” (Hulu)
“Halston” (Netflix)
“It’s a Sin” (HBO Max)
“Little Birds” (Starz)
“Love Life” (HBO Max)
“Master of None Presents: Moments in Love” (Netflix)
“Rurangi” (Hulu)
“Station Eleven” (HBO Max)
“Vigil” (Peacock)
“The White Lotus” (HBO)

Outstanding Reality Program
“12 Dates of Christmas” (HBO Max)
“Dancing with the Stars” (ABC)
“Family Karma” (Bravo)
“I Am Jazz” (TLC)
“Legendary” (HBO Max)
“MTV’s Following: Bretman Rock” (MTV)
“Queer Eye” (Netflix)
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” (VH1)
“The Voice” (NBC)
“We’re Here” (HBO)

The GLAAD Media Awards will be held in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton on April 2, and in New York City on May 6 at the Hilton Midtown.

I’ll be back next week with another special edition of Awards HQ, as we recap the DGA and PGA TV noms and so much more! Share your questions, suggestions and fan letters (ha!) to mschneider@variety.com, and your hot tips as well! Thanks for reading.