In case you haven't heard, we are living in the golden age of television. On one hand, it can feel impossible to keep up with the zeitgeist, as every week brings some new show that all of your coworkers are already talking about. On the other hand, all these new programs (and networks) mean the medium is evolving faster than ever before—which is translating to way more stories about women and people of color.
That evolution is evident in the latest lot of award-show nominations. The Television Critics Association (TCA), an organization of over 200 journalists who cover the television industry, will hold their 33rd annual TCA Awards this August, and today they released (opens in new tab) the list of their top honors.
When it comes to the individual acting categories, you'll notice something very peculiar:
INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us, NBC Carrie Coon, The Leftovers & Fargo, HBO & FX Claire Foy, The Crown, Netflix Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies, HBO Jessica Lange, Feud: Bette And Joan, FX Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid's Tale, Hulu Susan Sarandon, Feud: Bette And Joan, FX
INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY Pamela Adlon, Better Things, FX Aziz Ansari, Master of None, Netflix Kristen Bell, The Good Place, NBC Donald Glover, Atlanta, FX Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep, HBO Issa Rae, Insecure, HBO Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag, Amazon
Network television is dead (though way to go, NBC!). Just kidding, that's not the surprising part. What's so interesting is that of these 14 actors, not one is a white male.
The most critically beloved shows of the year are stories centered on women (Big Little Lies, Insecure, The Crown, Feud: Better and Joan, Handmaid's Tale, Veep, Fleabag, Better Things) and/or people of color (Insecure, Master of None, Atlanta, This Is Us).
No, it doesn't mean the world is getting any easier for these marginalized groups. Any casual glimpse at the news will tell you that. But it is an indication that popular culture, at the very least, is changing. And that's pretty damn cool.
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