Could shows like ‘Pawn Stars,’ ‘The Little Couple’ really win an Emmy? New rule makes it possible

Oh, the Emmys and their changing rules!

Yesterday, we reported about a new change that will allow Miniseries and TV Movies to be separated each into a different category for the upcoming edition of the show later this year. We do have a little bit more clarification on that now: The overall categories will be split, but unfortunately for performers like Jessica Lange, Benedict Cumberbatch, or Matthew McConaughey, the acting nominations will still be combined between the two separate mediums. That’s most ironic, given that these are probably the categories that need the division the most based on the number of great performances in this space.

Now, another new change is coming that could heavily benefit shows like “Mythbusters,” “Duck Dynasty,” “The Little Couple,” or (we shudder to think of it) “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” Basically the Reality category is going to be divided further. Rather than just having an Outstanding Reality Program to go with the Reality Competition Program awards, there will now be three categories in the space: Reality Competition, Unstructured Reality Program, and Structured Reality program. Here are some examples to make this a little clearer:

Structured – “Undercover Boss,” “Shark Tank,” “Mythbusters,” “Antiques Roadshow,” or anything that has a specific goal every week that producers are trying to meet i.e. selling a product or completely a repair job. While not scripted per se, there is a defined blueprint.

Unstructured – “Duck Dynasty,” “19 Kids and Counting,” “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” or “Snooki & JWoww.” These are shows more focused on the characters’ stories, and are not necessarily trying to complete a set goal every episode. (Yes, we know that you could still consider these structured in that they are heavily manipulated and edited, but still.)

The part of this that could get confusing to some would be in the event that you have a show like “Pawn Stars,” which feels in some ways like a little bit of both. This doesn’t really make anything clearer, but it does allow for more of the family or story-based reality shows to shine. While not all of them need to shine, a program like “The Little Couple” featuring nice, genuine people would never have a chance under the previous rules.

In the end, we’ll just see how this plays out. The only truly idiotic thing that we have seen so far is NBC deciding for some reason to air the awards ceremony on a Monday.

What do you think of the change? Share below.