It's Time to Pay Attention to the Writing and Directing Races
Briefly

The Primetime Emmys awards 12 acting categories, outpacing the Oscars significantly. This abundance risks sidelining writing and directing categories, potentially diminishing their recognition. Despite fewer acting nominations, shows like What We Do in the Shadows have thrived due to writing accolades, indicating that clever scripts garner value within the industry. Voting procedures influence this dynamic; only writers vote for writing categories and directors vote for directing. There have been notable instances where shows received writing honors despite lacking overall recognition, underscoring the differing values attributed to various genres and forms of storytelling.
The Primetime Emmys telecast presents more performance categories than the Oscars, which can overshadow the importance of writing and directing awards, often leading to viewing distractions.
What We Do in the Shadows, although not nominated for acting, received seven writing nominations, highlighting that clever writing drives the show's success at the Emmys.
Only writers vote in the writing categories while directors vote in the directing categories, creating a divergence in voting trends that often leads to surprising Emmy victories.
Winners such as The X-Files and Malcolm in the Middle received recognition despite broader industry hesitation, showing a significant appreciation for distinct and clever writing.
Read at Vulture
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