Television history was made at the Primetime Emmy Nominations on Thursday when Netflix received nods, making it the first non traditional TV medium to be recognized by the Academy.
The service aggressively got into the movie making area only this year and got noticed, receiving 14 nominations in all, a truly remarkable feat for an online provider.
With this development, Netflix proves that it is much more than a simple movie rental service. It can compete with the likes of HBO and Showtime and produce excellent quality programming in the process.
The major cable networks are taking notice of the new kid in town, like Kevin Spacey , of the nominated House of Cards , called the online service.
The Netflix nods marked the first time that shows that never aired on traditional broadcast or cable networks were nominated in the top categories, a historical moment for the awards.
A 2008 rule change made shows distributed over the Internet eligible for Emmys. But until now, no Web content has managed to take top Emmy categories, a shift that levels the playing field.
The top contenders for Netflix are House of Cards, starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright, both of whom were nominated and Arrested Development , the Emmy-winning cancelled Fox show, which was picked up by Netflix in May.
Actor Jason Bateman, who stars in Development , was nominated as best comedy actor. The horror series Hemlock Grove also received two nods.
Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, who pushed for the original series idea said they are beyond thrilled with the recognition.
“Emmy voters recognized that great television is great television, and they didn’t pay attention to how it got there. It really validates Internet television as a viable form of the highest-quality entertainment.”
Bruce Rosenblum, chairman of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, says “It’s all television, whether people watch on a mobile device, a tablet or a flat screen.”
Netflix has 29 million subscribers in the US.
How do you feel about the Emmy nominations Netflix received?