What's the likely fallout from Mad Men getting shut out at the Emmys? Will heads fly? Who gets punished?
—Ancient One, via Facebook
If you're hoping that Matt Weiner will ship January Jones off to a fat farm forever, or decide that Kiernan Shipka's character is suddenly 18 and ready to leave for Bryn Mawr, think again. Precisely zero changes are expected to happen because of the show's unexpected shut-out Sunday. That said...
Show producers, and perhaps even key cast members, could to face a few minor disappointments, thanks to the victory of Homeland.
How? Well, money, of course. Or, more specifically, a lack thereof.
"I have seen contracts—and we all know they exist—where talent gets pay bumps or bonuses if they win an Oscar or an Emmy," TV business exec-turned-manager Marrissa O'Leary tells me. "Anyone who had that in their Mad Men contract ain't gettin' anything."
Not even if they're cute like Kiernan Shipka.
But punishments? Because of Emmy losses? No. Even the evil world of Hollywood won't go so far as to take existing pay away from a star just because of an Emmy loss. That star may lose a raise for other reasons, but not that, O'Leary says.
At least, not directly. Instead, she points out, the producers of the show may have a harder time asking AMC for more money for next season's episodes, and without more money, it's certainly harder to offer pay raises, or build fancier dressing rooms, or hire more writers.
"They may also decide not to bring back certain cast members as series regulars—reduce their roles to guest stars," O'Leary points out.
But to have that happen to top talent like Jon Hamm or Jones? Because of an Emmy snub? Not likely. You can safely bet that any decisions about their future will have nothing to do with gold statuettes.