The Producers Guild convenes to initiate Netflix into its sacred TV nomination rituals

By Sean O'Neal | December 3, 2013 | 10:37pm

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And lo, on a bleak and moonless mid-afternoon did the Producers Guild gather in their great hall constructed from the bones of Black Swan interns, to sip their honeyed wine, to recall conquests of far-flung lands and naïve actresses, and to bestow their solemn huzzahs to the year’s best in television. And so it was that Netflix found itself welcomed to this sort-of-historic and somewhat-interesting court, receiving its first-ever round of nominations and the wary, plotting eye of traditional networks. Yes, the streaming giant had proved itself. But, the Guild wondered, what match would it make for the broadcast and cable giants? To say nothing of the Skullfucking Giant of Mount Weinstein?

Anyway, the non-golf-related PGA nominations were announced today, and Netflix did pretty well in its maiden outing, racking up nods for both House Of Cards and Arrested Development. (Orange Is The New Black was excluded thanks to the PGA’s strange eligibility window, which only includes series from June 2012 to May 2013—a month before Orange premiered.) But Netflix’s shows will still have to contend with the usual heavy-hitters from traditional distributors, a list that includes mainstays like Breaking Bad, Homeland, Game Of Thrones, Modern Family, and 30 Rock, with only the exclusion of past winners like Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire improving their odds.