Based upon the praise you and ...
Question: Based upon the praise you and a lot of other people have given
Friday Night Lights and
Connie Britton, I started to watch it regularly this season. I had seen the premiere and finale of last season and some scattered episodes in between. When I started to watch this season, I thought it would be interesting to check just how much screen time Britton actually has, and I was surprised that it is really only between 9 and 14 minutes an episode. With the current system of Emmy voting, I don't see how she would get nominated unless it's in the supporting category, and for SAG, forget about it. She is great and should be acknowledged, but I am afraid that she would have to be held hostage in a bank robbery for an entire episode to even get near an Emmy nomination. Mariska Hargitay, Kyra Sedgwick, Holly Hunter et. al. are the stars of their shows and get a half hour or more of screen time per episode. And unless your name is Edie Falco or Sally Field or Glenn Close, you can't get in with 20 minutes or less, no matter
how good you are. So I think it'd be best if she went for the supporting category for this year's Emmys, because the lead submission last year was probably a mistake.
Answer: Practically speaking, you may be right. But then there are episodes like the recent one where she became a volleyball coach and was undoubtedly a leading lady for that week. Cumulatively, her role takes on enough symbolic weight in her scenes with her husband, and especially this season with her rebellious daughter, that she justifies inclusion as a lead actress. But she very well might have a better shot in the supporting category — except I fear she could just as easily be edged out by the usual suspects from the various ensemble dramas on network and cable with higher media profiles. It's just not fair.
