From a media release:
The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is pleased to announce the nominations for the 23rd Annual Gemini Awards, recognizing the year’s best in Canadian English-language television. The Gemini Awards Broadcast Gala will be presented in Toronto, ON at the John Bassett Theatre on Friday, November 28, 2008. Canwest Broadcasting joins the Academy in celebrating this year’s exceptional achievements, airing the Gemini Awards Broadcast Gala on E! Network and Showcase at 9 pm ET.
“This was a banner year for Canadian television,” said Sara Morton, CEO of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. “The nominees announced today truly exemplify the depth and breadth of our country’s talent, both in front of and behind the camera. Featuring newcomers and returning favourites, this year’s field of nominees has engaged and entertained audiences in Canada and beyond.”
For a complete list of nominees visit www.geminiawards.ca.
Canadian drama leads the 2008 Gemini Award nominations with Murdoch Mysteries receiving 14 nominations followed closely by Durham County with 13 nominations; The Tudors and The Englishman’s Boy received 12 nominations each.
News information series the fifth estate received 11 nominations, while The Border and CBC News: The National tied with 9 nominations. The TV mini-series Would Be Kings received 8 nominations and Across the River to Motor City and Mayerthorpe each received 7. Marketplace, ReGenesis, Rent-A-Goalie and Cowboy Junkies – Trinity Revisited all amassed 6 nominations.
The Canadian industry will gather in Toronto at the Liberty Grand on October 20th, 21st and 22nd to honour and celebrate the News, Sports and Documentary Awards, the Lifestyle, Children’s and Youth Awards and the Drama, Comedy and Variety Awards. The Gemini Awards Broadcast Gala will be presented in Toronto, ON at the John Bassett Theatre on Friday, November 28, 2008.
Diane,
Awards are always challenging and perplexing as to why certain titles, departments, or actors get shortlisted and why others don’t.
In the best dramatic series category we have nominees that are so different in tone and content, that it is like comparing apples with oranges for lack of a better cliche.
But I feel the most strongly about the following.
Durham County was ground breaking television in this country.
The fact that it is listed a best dramatic series in the traditional sense is incorrect in my opinion and here’s why.
Although the subject matter was probably never meant for mainstream tv,
It had “one” story line that was developed and continued over six episodes. In fact it was really a 6 hour movie divided into 6 equal segments, with the background and characterization as well as plot having it’s beginning, middle, and end spread out over the 6 episodes.
It was the only way that story could have been told.
Murdoch Mysteries, the Border, and Intelligence, all terrific shows and groundbreaking in a more traditional sense, deal with one hour weekly installments of different story lines that require a beginning, middle, and an end at the conclusion of each episode. This particular format is traditionally how series television works for the broadcaster and is historically the way most series television operates. Perhaps “24” is the exception, and shows like Lost and Prison Break.
But It also means that each episode has to sacrifice either plot, or character, because it is impossible to develop both due to the constraints of time.
I am not sure about the Tudors as I have not watched it.
So, In my opinion, Durham County should be classified as a mini series regardless of the number of episodes it has because it follows that tradition in style more than the traditional weekly series of the other nominees on the short list.
This will be an interesting challenge for the Gemini Awards in the future if more shows are developed with the same style and approach Durham County uses.
I know in the UK, shorter weekly series are quite popular. But they also have 56 minutes as opposed to 42-45 minutes per episode because the main stations do not have commercial breaks.
“I know in the UK, shorter weekly series are quite popular. But they also have 56 minutes as opposed to 42-45 minutes per episode because the main stations do not have commercial breaks.”
Actually, Iden, the BBC channels are the only ones (of the free-to-air) channels that do not have commercial breaks. ITV, Channel 4, et alia, do have commercials, and the episodes of their series run about 45 minutes without ads. And those stations often run 6-episode series, though they are typically “episodic”, rather than a single storyline.
I do agree with you that DURHAM COUNTY should count as a mini-series, rather than a regular series, for the same reasons as yours.