It's time for Primetime Emmys to give docuseries their due

Los Angeles Times

From The Last Dance to Cheer to McMillions and Tiger King, docuseries are all the rage in 2020. "But should any of them receive Emmy nominations Tuesday — which seems likely — they won’t be honored at the Primetime Emmy Awards in September," says Meredith Blake. "That’s because the Television Academy has not kept pace with the viewing public when it comes to the popularity of docuseries. Not only are the documentary awards handed out at the less-watched Creative Arts Emmys, but the Emmy categories also do not reflect the increasingly rich array of nonfiction storytelling available in the era of Peak TV." Blake spoke to acclaimed documentarian Ken Burns, who says of the popularity of the docuseries format: “What we have are circumstances, not just over the last four months but over the last four years, that require facts, that require truth. In a funny way, fiction is sometimes inadequate. I think, right now, you can’t make this (stuff) up. There is an urgency (for fact) right now, which I think helps drive the demand.”