The nominations for the Saturn Awards came out and as Claude Rains in Casablanca said, "Round up the usual suspects." Lost lead the pack with 11 nominations, six for Heroes, and four each for Battlestar Galactica and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Newbie sci-fi/horror like Fringe and True Blood also received nominations, as well as the outre Dexter, Life on Mars, Jericho and The Ghost Whisperer.All those make sense to me. However, why did the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror films choose to nominate Bryan Cranston for Breaking Bad and Kyra Sedgwick for The Closer, as Best TV actor and actress, respectively?
Don't get me wrong. I think both performers are superb in their shows. Bryan more than deserved his Emmy last year and after watching the second season premiere this past week, he's on his way to another. Kyra Sedgwick has also been brilliant as Brenda Leigh Johnson, an L.A. deputy chief in charge of the priority homicide division.
Both Breaking Bad and The Closer are not fantasy or horror or science fiction. If you stretch to say that the criminal activities depicted are pretty horrible, Saturn should be adding the CSI's to the mix, or The Big Bang Theory for its science bent.
But as I pored over the list of nominees, it seems that the rules are being liberally altered. In the category of Best Syndicated/Cable TV series, Leverage joined the The Closer against Dexter, True Blood, Battlestar Galactica and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. That, to me, is one weird grouping of shows for Saturn voters to choose from. If you include Leverage, why not Burn Notice or Psych? There are probably a bunch of other more sci-fi/fantasy/horror candidates, I'm sure. And tell me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the original intent of the Saturn Award to recognize the genres that are traditionally shunned by mainstream awards like the Emmys?
I don't know...could their thinking be the more the merrier? It should make for an interesting award show; and traditionally, they do get plenty of stars to appear.
The Saturns will be dispensed on June 25 at a site yet to be announced.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-11-2009 @ 2:56PM
Claire said...
I was wondering the same thing when I looked at the nominations. I would like for them to stick to their roots and stay in genre. Leverage, though it's good, can't be considered sci-fi/fantasy/horror. Unless the master criminal/spy stuff can count...which it shouldn't.
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3-11-2009 @ 3:54PM
Bill said...
Yeah this is just plain silly. The Closer and Breaking Bad, both fine shows, but not even close to this genre. Looks like they may be looking to broaden the appeal of these awards. Maybe get a major network to carry the ceremony?
http://tvnewsandnotes.blogspot.com/
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3-11-2009 @ 3:53PM
0megapart!cle said...
You don't have a problem with Dexter? Why? How does that fit into the Scifi/Fantasy genre any more than the other shows you mentioned?
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3-11-2009 @ 4:58PM
bcarter3 said...
No "Best Film" nomination for "Let the Right One In," which has some claim to being the best horror film of the last 20 years, but a nomination for "The Happening'?
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3-11-2009 @ 8:23PM
Morjana Coffman said...
For the first time in ten years, Stargate wasn't nominated for a Saturn. Fingers are crossed for Stargate: Universe for next year!
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