Emmy Nomination Snubs 2013: Breaking Down the Best Choices and Biggest Upsets

Culture

Online streaming has joined cable and broadcast for the first time in the Emmys' 65-year history, as Netflix series House of Cards and Arrested Development each earned nods Thursday morning. It highlights a wild list of nominees that encompasses some of television's strongest efforts of the year, but not without leaving a few deserving candidates in the dust.

The political thriller House of Cards is up for best drama at the September 22 award show, while leads Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright are nominated for best lead actor categories. The program scooped an impressive nine total nominations, and the revived sitcom Arrested Development cracks the list with Jason Bateman's candidacy for best lead actor in comedy.

Both shows deserved the Emmy attention, and we can only wonder what doors are opened for future online programming.

Away from the interwebs, FX's American Horror Story: Asylum lead everything with 17 nominations, while HBO's Game of Thrones earned 16 to lead primetime series. Both deserve the credit, with GoT becoming the most buzzworthy show of the year with intricate characters, gorgeous cinematography and cringing plot twists. Despite a shoddy season, Saturday Night Live saw 15 noms for NBC, while HBO film Behind the Candelabra picked up 15 as well, including nods for lead actors Michael Douglas and Matt Damon. The academy did well in recognizing 30 Rock, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Downton Abbey and Modern Family. Each of the critically-acclaimed shows is up for double-digit Emmys.

The biggest night in television isn't without its snubs. Gone from the ballot for outstanding drama (considered by many to be the biggest award of the night) is HBO's prohibition-era series Boardwalk Empire, which was booted for House of Cards while the rest of the bill stayed the same. Aaron Sorkin probably doesn't have room on the mantle for any Emmys after his work on The West Wing, but it is surprising that he didn't receiving any attention for The Newsroom. NBC's The Office was expected to be up for comedy series, as a retirement present if nothing else, but leaves air empty-handed. No noms for popular dramas Sons of Anarchy, The Walking Dead and The Good Wife either. Also, last year's best supporting actor winner in a comedy series, Eric Stonestreet, is without a nomination this year. 

Critically-acclaimed comedy Community suffered without showrunner Dan Harmon, but it's still shocking to see the Joel McHale-lead show go without any attention.

Sons and Boardwalk may be the most egregious snubs, but all in all there's plenty to cheer for. Staples like GoT and Mad Men got their usual nominations, 30 Rock gets the more-deserved going out party over The Office, and most importantly, Netflix shows get the recognition they warrant for the first time in the award show's history.

Who do you like to win the Emmys this fall? Upset that Portlandia or How I Met Your Mother didn't make the cut too? Let us know in the comments.