StarzWhat will it take for the Emmys to finally pay attention to Outlander? For the second season in a row, the series and its stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan found themselves shut out of the major nominations. And according to Starz CEO Chris Albrecht, that might never change.
The premium cable network's boss was addressing reporters at Starz's TCA Summer Press Day when he shared his pessimistic outlook on the fan-favorite show's chances at being invited to the TV Academy's party in the future. But he doesn't see that as an indictment of the quality of the work. Rather, he placed blame at the feet of the Academy itself.
"I don't think we'll ever break through with those people on those shows," he admitted, revealing that he doesn't see much Emmy love in the cards for network siblings Power or Survivor's Remorse, either. "I was part of a team that invented how to campaign for Emmy votes. Trust me, it's not a level playing field. I spent years inside the TV Academy working it. It took a lot of money and there's a certain momentum that goes along with that. Having said that, we couldn't be more proud of the work that is being done by the people on the shows. It is award-worthy. Whether it's an Emmy award or not, it's not the point."
As Albrecht sees it, the TV Academy has yet to fully embrace the embarrassment of riches we've been gifted in this era of Too Much TV. "I think the TV Academy should be celebrating…an unprecedented time in our industry," he continued. "They should be finding a way to platform the diversity, to have something that reflects this expansion and not have what is…a continually reductive process that ends up with a longer list of losers and the same list of winners."
While he may not be too hopeful about its chances at Emmy love, Albrecht remains bullish about Outlander's future at the network. "Outlander's gonna be around for a while. We couldn't be more proud of the show," he said. "They do such a fantastic job."
Do you think the Emmys will finally come around and give Outlander some nominations next season? Sound off in the comments below!
Outlander returns to Starz with season three in 2017.