It’s the end of an era.
The Television Academy has announced there will not be DVD screeners for the 2020 Emmy Awards. The party is over.
Newly elected Television Academy Chairman Frank Scherma said, “This is a wonderful opportunity for the Academy to take an important first step to move the industry forward in an area of great concern for both our partners and members, reducing costs and delivering a tremendous positive impact for the environment. Television has an ever-expanding role as the world’s most innovative and popular entertainment medium, and this decision embraces the evolution of viewing practices and preferences of the Academy’s 25,000 members and the industry at large.”
This was inevitable. Peak TV has caused the problem, with dozens of new shows off-network and all series with many episodes– the DVDs were out of control. Also, they were expensive. Plus, no one who received the entire collection had room for it!
Will the Oscars follow suit? I don’t think so. The screeners are needed, especially for indie films. For the Emmys, everything is available on a variety of services already.