Emmy snub - a PR strategy for FX and Ryan Murphy productions
Let's be honest: American Crime Story didn't deserve all those Emmy Awards, but FX was very wise knowing where to invest its money to build interest in this TV show through these awards. The real winner of the miniseries nominations should have been Fargo, but that didn't interest the cable network.
Emmy Awards were on Sunday night. Only 72 hours later Ryan Murphy, Sarah Paulson and Cuba Gooding Jr. are on the cover of Entertainment Weekly to talk about the success of the show besides American Horror Story new season on FX. Was it a coincidence? Not at all.
FX has spent part of its budget in promoting a lot of their shows for the awards season (The Americans, Fargo, American Crime Story), but its main efford was in American Crime Story with the aim of getting those awards so that the show becomes well known to the general public, establish it and generate some buzz for upcoming season/s, besides getting all the attention for the premiere of American Horror Story season 6 the same week.
Fargo is a consolidated show nowadays after an amazing (and awarded) first season, plus a second season that got the best reviews in TV that any other show had in many years. Even if Fargo deserved most part of the Emmy awards, there was no interest in getting them. Everybody knows Fargo is one of the best shows on TV. What's the point of investing money in a show that's already working when they can push another one or two that needs it more?
Getting an award for Ryan Murphy as executive producer of the show and Sarah Paulson as lead actress is the best way of promoting American Horror Story and American Crime Story. It's a win win situation for FX and Ryan Murphy productions.
As part of the audience I feel betrayed by these awards and a PR strategy from FX to get more viewers. It's not fair.
Fargo deserved the 2016 Emmy awards.