Better Call Saul web series has two Emmy nominations revoked
Better Call Saul will head into the Emmys with a few fewer shots at a trophy.
The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced on Friday that it has revoked two Emmy nominations for the Breaking Bad prequel’s web series, Better Call Saul Employee Training: Madrigal Electromotive Security, over an issue of running time. Posing as training videos, the 10 episodes featured Banks, as head of security of Madrigal Electromotive, giving lectures and tips to new hires.
Earlier this week, BCSET:MES received a nomination in the Short Form Comedy or Drama Series category, while Jonathan Banks scored an Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series nomination for reprising his role as fixer Mike Ehrmantraut in the videos, serving as host. Given that Better Call Saul Employee Training: Madrigal Electromotive Security did not meet the minimum required run time, which is two minutes for at least six episodes, the Academy declared it ineligible to compete in either category.
“This decision is in no way a diminishment of the quality of Better Call Saul Employee Training or Mr. Banks’ performance in it,” stressed the Academy in a statement.
The folks at Better Call Saul can certainly console themselves with nine nods for the main show, including one for Outstanding Drama Series and Banks’ nomination in the Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category.
Due to this snafu, Sundance TV’s State of the Union — which received the next highest number of votes — will assume Saul‘s place in the Short Form Comedy or Drama Series category, while Ryan O’Connell, who starred in Netflix’s Special takes Banks’ slot in the Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series category.
There have been Emmy nomination disqualifications in recent years. This Is Us lost an Outstanding Contemporary Costumes nod in 2017 because at least 51 percent of the action of the episode did not take place within the past 25 years. The previous year, Peter MacNicol lost a guest actor nomination for his work on Veep because he did not meet the qualification of having appeared in less than 50 percent of the season.
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