Last night was a big night for Netflix and “The Queen’s Gambit.” Though star Anya Taylor-Joy didn’t take home a trophy for Best Actress in a Limited Series at the Primetime Emmys, the show did take home Best Directing and the coveted Best Limited Series/Anthology/Movie. And since we live in a world where “limited series” might actually mean “Season 1, but the network hasn’t greenlit more episodes yet,” inevitably, the talk surrounding “The Queen’s Gambit” and its wins is about a potential Season 2.

Continue reading ‘Queen’s Gambit’ Creator Says No Season 2 & Would Be “Terrified” To Ruin The Story With More Episodes at The Playlist.

It is not often that we get to view Netflix as an underdog. Since the platform began to invest in original content, it has dominated cultural conversations worldwide and set the gold standard for subscription numbers. But tonight, with crucial wins for “The Crown” and “The Queen’s Gambit” in the Outstanding Drama Series and Limited Series categories at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, two of the rare doors to remain closed to Netflix have flung themselves wide, wide open.

Continue reading Netflix Reaches Emmy Mountaintop With Drama Series & Limited Series Wins at The Playlist.

The 2021 Primetime Emmy Awards was a “Crown” -ing achievement for Netflix. The streaming service won Best Drama Series (“The Crown”) and Limited Series or Anthology Series (“The Queen’s Gambit”) for the first time in their history. During this telecast alone, Peter Morgan’s generational drama series took seven Emmys, and “Queen’s Gambit” added another two to its formidable haul following the Creative Arts Emmy Awards last weekend.

Continue reading Best & Worst 2021 Emmys: ‘Ted Lasso,’ Jennifer Coolidge, Michaela Coel at The Playlist.

In CONCLUSION: OK, so that’s a wrap. As somewhat predicted, it became a big night between HBO and Netflix, with the streamer beating their rival cable channel/streamer in the end. Netflix took home the big Outstanding drama series prize (“The Crown“), and then all eyes were on the Outstanding Limited Series award. It was clearly between “Mare Of Easttown” and “The Queen’s Gambit,” and while Kate Winslet took the Best Limited Series Actress award, Scott Frank, the writer, director, and creator of “The Queen’s Gambit,” took the Best Director in a Limited Series award and thus that was the sign that ‘Gambit’ was just ever so gently ending them out.

Continue reading Emmys 2021: ‘The Crown,’ ‘Queen’s Gambit’ & ‘Ted Lasso’ Win Big [Complete Winners List] at The Playlist.

The first of three Creative Arts Emmy ceremonies were handed out on Saturday evening and the big winner was “The Queen’s Gambit.” The critically acclaimed Netflix limited series took home seven trophies including Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, Period Costumes (beating “The Crown” and “Bridgerton”), and Production Design For A Narrative Period Or Fantasy Program (One Hour Or
More) (beating “The Crown” and “The Mandalorian”), among others.

Continue reading ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ Dominates 2021 Creative Arts Emmys Night One at The Playlist.

Just days after the Emmy nominations were revealed, the Television Critics Association announced their own nominees for this year’s TCA Awards. Not surprisingly, “Ted Lasso” led all programs with five nods while “Hacks,” “WandaVision,” “I May Destroy You,” and “Mare of Easttown” took four. Netflix led all networks with 15 nominations, although the combined might of HBO and HBO Max earned a whopping 25 overall.

READ MORE: Emmys 2021 Snubs and Surprises: M.J.

Continue reading ‘Ted Lasso,’ ‘Underground Railroad’ & ‘Legendary’ Earn 2021 TCA Awards Nominations at The Playlist.

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. It simply can’t be helped, but as we consider the nominees for the 2021 Primetime Emmy Awards, it must be acknowledged that the overall Comedy Series field is embarrassingly weak. Sure, there are great programs that will be lauded by the Television Academy including “Ted Lasso,” “The Flight Attendant” and “Hacks. Unfortunately, when you start drilling down to previously expanded acting categories, well, let’s just say there may be some unprompted raised eyebrows when the nominees are finally revealed next week.

Continue reading Emmy Nominations Predictions: ‘WandaVision,’ ‘I May Destroy You,’ M.J. Rodriguez at The Playlist.

Voting for the 2021 Emmy nominations is officially underway. Much of Los Angeles is covered with FYC billboards. With California opening up, the Television Academy and CBS are likely breathing a sigh of relief that they will be able to put on a full ceremony with almost zero COVID restrictions. That means red carpets, paparazzi, and post-parties galore. But will this year’s September 19 telecast feature enough stars to entice viewers to watch?

Continue reading Nine Big Questions As 2021 Emmy Nomination Voting Begins at The Playlist.

Editing is a craft that arguably never gets its due in the same way outwardly flashy crafts like cinematography and costumes can. It’s the invisible art, and one can argue it’s an easy one to overlook and underappreciate (look at all the “superstar” cinematographers you can name vs. say all the “superstar” editors). Take something like Netflix’s award-winning limited series “The Queen Gambit,” a very beloved, well-watched series that audiences seemed to adore, and it received major love at the Golden Globes.

Continue reading ‘The Queen’s Gambit’: Editor Michelle Tesoro Walks Through The Construction Of Her Favorite Dialogueless Scene [Exclusive Video] at The Playlist.

Truth be told, no Emmy category includes more memorable performances of the past year in any medium than Lead Actress in a Limited Series or TV movie. It’s historically rich in incredible work. There’s SAG Award winner Anya Taylor-Joy (“The Queen’s Gambit”), Pennsylvania accent champion Kate Winslet (“Mare of Easttown”), Elisabeth Olsen (“WandaVision”), and Michaela Coel (“I May Destroy You”) just to start.

Continue reading Lead Actress In A Limited Series Or TV Movie Emmys 2021 Predictions & Contenders at The Playlist.

Six slots and only one Emmys lock. Yep, the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie category is essentially wide open. Well, that is outside of “Small Axe’s” John Boyega, of course.

READ MORE: “The Queen’s Gambit”: Anya Taylor-Joy shines in Scott Frank’s absorbing tale of genius, addiction, and redemption [Review]

The questions in this category are many. “The Queen’s Gambit” will land a boatload of nods, but will Bill Camp be one of them?

Continue reading Supporting Actor In A Limited Series Or TV Movie Emmys 2021 Predictions & Contenders at The Playlist.

The Oscars may have combined the Sound Editing and Sound Mixing categories into one Best Sound award this year, but the industry honors are continuing to move forward separately. Over the past two days, the MPSE Golden Reel Awards (Sound Editing) and the Cinema Audio Society’s CAS Awards (Sound Mixing) announced their yearly honors. Films and programs that won honors from both organizations included “Soul,” “The Queen’s Gambit” and “The Mandalorian.”

READ MORE: “Trial of the Chicago 7,” “The Queen’s Gambit” and “Palm Springs” win key ACE Eddie Awards

“Sound of Metal” won the key CAS Award for a Motion Picture.

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There were few surprises at the 25th Annual Art Directors Guild Awards. The pandemic delayed virtual ceremony honored old favorites and eventual Oscar and Emmy, winners. The major honories of the night included “Mank,” “Soul,” “Ozark,” “Black Is King,” “The Queen’s Gambit,” “The Mandalorian” and “Tenet.”

READ MORE: “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Mank” among early 2021 BAFTA Award winners

This actually turned out to be Donald Graham Burt‘s second win of the day as “Mank” also took the BAFTA honor for Production Design.

Continue reading ‘Mank,’ ‘Black Is King,’ ‘Soul’ & ‘Tenet’ Top 2021 ADG Awards Winners at The Playlist.

The Comedy and Drama Series categories are filled with questions about what programs will fill out the eight slots allotted for each, but the Limited Series race is a battle royale for just five nominees. It’s so competitive there are arguably only two locks, “The Queen’s Gambit” and “WandaVision.” And there are two “should be” locks in “I May Destroy You” and “Small Axe,” but, sadly, neither is guaranteed to make the five.

Continue reading Limited Series 2021 Emmys Predictions & Contenders at The Playlist.

Like most of the past year’s awards ceremonies, the 32nd Annual Producers Guild of America Awards were a virtual event, but a fast one. Lasting just XXX, the PGA honored the best in television in film. The big winner of the night, however, was “Nomadland,” which took the PGA Award for Theatrical Motion Picture.

READ MORE: ‘Minari’ and ‘The Crown’ rule 2021 SAG Awards nominations

It should be noted that every Searchlight Pictures title that won Best Picture also won the PGA Award.

Continue reading ‘Nomadland,’ ‘The Crown,’ ‘Schitt’s Creek’ Top 2021 PGA Awards at The Playlist.

Traditionally, the USC Scripter Awards take place on USC’s campus with an elegant dinner and tributes to each of the 10 nominees in the film and TV categories. This year, was markedly different with a pre-taped ceremony. via zoom. The Scripter has long been seen as a bellwether for the Adapted Screenplay Oscar and that’s good news for “Nomadland.”

READ MORE: “The Trial of the Chicago 7” and “One Night in Miami…” lead 2021 WGA Awards nominations.

Continue reading ‘Nomadland’ & ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ Win 2021 USC Scripter Awards at The Playlist.

This year’s television nominations for the 2021 Directors Guild Awards were full of expected nominees (“Ozark,” “Better Call Saul,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm”), but also some noteworthy surprises. Not only did “Ted Lasso” earn two nominations (Zach Braff and MJ Delaney), but “WandaVision” cracked the Limited Series category and Jon Favreau earned nods for “The Mandalorian” and his reality program “The Chef Show.” WandaVision,” “Ted Lasso,” “The Flight Attendant” and “Bridgerton” earned their first nominations.

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If there is one industry union that has taste, style, and, yes, a sense of humor, it’s the Costume Designers Guild. For example, with this year’s 2021 Costume Design Guild Awards they nominated such worth films as “Promising Young Woman,” “Birds of Prey,” “Emma” and “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Oh, and how could we forget, the indomitable “Barb and Star go to Vista Del Mar.”

READ MORE: SAG Awards wisely going to a taped one-hour special

The CDG breaks out film nominees into three categories and television into four which allows them to honor a swath of deserving nominees.

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It’s that time of year again—where the biggest names in Hollywood get all glammed up, gather in front of their webcams, and wait for their Zoom meeting to begin so they can find out who won this year’s Golden Globes. With COVID-19 still a major issue in the US and around the world, this year’s 78th Annual Golden Globes Awards did things a bit differently, as the ceremony was mostly a digital affair but with some familiar elements.

Continue reading Golden Globes 2021 Full Winners List: ‘Nomadland,’ ‘Queen’s Gambit,’ Chadwick Boseman & More at The Playlist.

Some award season honors are bellwethers for Oscar acting nominations. Others provide hints of where the Academy’s Documentary and Animation branches may be leaning toward with their own individual categories. When it comes to Adapted Screenplay, the WGA Awards are your best bet, but the USC Scripter Awards has increasingly made a name for itself as an Oscar bellwether. That’s good news for the screenwriters of “One Night In Miami,” “Nomadland” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” among others.

Continue reading ‘One Night In Miami’ & ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ Among USC Scripter Awards Nominees at The Playlist.

Slightly delayed due to the pandemic, the American Film Institute announced their annual top 10 lists for 2020, and, as always, there were numerous surprises. Long hyped Oscar contenders such as “Nomadland,” “Minari” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” made the list, but so did underdogs such as “Sound of Metal” and “Da 5 Bloods.” On the television side, it was more predictable with only recent seasons of “Ramy” and “What We Do In Shadows” and newcomers such as “The Undoing,” “Never Have I Ever” and “P Valley” among the snubs.

Continue reading ‘Sound of Metal’ & ‘Judas And The Black Messiah’ Make AFI’s Top 10 Lists at The Playlist.

It’s the time of Top 10s. Every December, critics, publications, celebrities, and basically anyone with social media reveal their favorite films and TV series of the year. Some people tend to go more mainstream with their picks, while others love to showcase how deep their love of cinema goes. But every year, it seems that one of the most reasonable people who share their Best of 2020 list is none other than Former POTUS, Barack Obama.

Continue reading Barack Obama’s Best Films Of 2020 List Includes ‘Mank,’ ‘Soul,’ ‘Selah & The Spades’ & More at The Playlist.

In spite of the general state of the world, 2020 ended up being a pretty great year for films – expectations for long-awaited auteur projects that were supposed to come out this year obviously being exempt from that conversation – and what’s more, it was a great year for film scores and soundtracks.

READ MORE: The 25 Best Films Of 2020

All of the films featured on this list are films that have drastically less of an impact without music, and there is a wide, rather dizzying array of talent here: seasoned professionals who’ve been doing this a long while, young up-and-comers who are interested in muddying the definition of what a traditional movie soundtrack is supposed to sound like, plus that dude from Phoenix writing new music for his wife’s movie (which is really just another way of saying if you haven’t checked out the soundtrack to Sofia Coppola’s “On The Rocks” yet, do so immediately). 

READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2021

At times, 2020 seemed like it had made time for every obscure musical subgenre under the sun: dancehall (“Lover’s Rock”), noise-metal (“Sound of Metal”), reggaeton (“Ema”), and Baltimore hip-hop (“Charm City Kings”).

Continue reading The 20 Best Soundtracks & Scores Of 2020 at The Playlist.

What a year, right? With people stuck at home more than ever before, television felt even more essential, and the best creators rose to the challenge. While there was concern that pandemic shutdowns would destroy the landscape, there was no dearth of titles to choose from when it was time to pick the best 25 programs of 2020. Great shows missed the cut. And the diversity of genres and networks felt broader than ever.

READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2021

Dramas, comedies, docuseries, mini-series, and genre-benders defined the year.

Continue reading The 25 Best TV Shows & Mini-Series Of 2020 at The Playlist.

“Godless” is a series that holds great weight around The Playlist. Stop most of our contributors in the digital hallways of our website and ask about “Godless,” the Netflix limited series from Scott Frank that was released in 2017, and you’ll hear us rave about the tight story, the incredible acting, and great style. But sadly, outside of awards recognition, it’s hard to say that “Godless” made a “Stranger Things”-esque dent in the world of Netflix.

Continue reading Netflix Claims ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ Is The Most Popular Limited Series In The Streaming Service’s History at The Playlist.