TV Academy could "correct" snubbed shows like The Wire with Legacy Award

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https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv...ew-1236467287/

The Legacy Award will be given out to TV programs “that have made a profound and lasting impact on audiences and remain relevant to society, culture and the industry,” the TV Academy announced this morning, adding that the award will be selected by the Governors Award committee annually. “The Legacy Award celebrates groundbreaking programming — programs that have stood the test of time delivering stories that continue to engage audiences and featuring iconic and timeless characters with multigenerational appeal,” said Television Academy chair Cris Abrego in a statement. “The award allows the Academy to honor more of television’s rich history and acknowledge the storytellers whose work has resonated with viewers and continues to entertain legions of fans around the globe.” TV Academy president and CEO Maury McIntyre tells The Hollywood Reporter the Legacy Award “absolutely can go to a show that’s still on the air, or it can go to a show that hasn’t been on the air in 30 years. We really want to honor shows that have lasted and that have had impact, either culturally or on the industry, for a long time. So yes, it could go to Grey’s Anatomy for being one of the longest-running medical procedural shows on television, or it could go to Gunsmoke because it established westerns. We’re happy to do both.” Was the Legacy Award to right Emmy wrongs? “Are we trying to correct The Wire (which infamous received only two Emmy noms during its run, winning neither) Is that what you’re asking?” McIntyre says with a laugh. “That was not necessarily the intent, but it obviously is something that we see as an opportunity. I have to credit Pearlena Igbokwe (Chairman, Television Studios, NBC Entertainment & Peacock Scripted), quite honestly, for this award. Pearlena sat on our executive committee last year, but she also sat on the Hall of Fame selection committee, and she reached out to me at some point during the year and said, ‘Why don’t we have an award that’s kind of a Hall of Fame for programs?’ That was more the impetus. We thought, ‘Wow, we don’t recognize programs that have had a long-lasting impact,” and it was a bit of a no-brainer for the awards committee and for the board to say, ‘Yeah, we should do something like this.’ So the answer is yes, we can certainly use this sometimes as an opportunity to rectify a wrong if we feel a show didn’t get the Emmy love that it should have. That wasn’t necessarily the impetus, but it’s a happy byproduct.” If The Wire were to win the Legacy Award, the honor would not be going to the actors, but to the “creator/creators, plus up to an additional four showrunners who the Academy has determined played a significant role in the longevity of the show,” says McIntyre. “And it will go to the network partner that aired the show for the majority of its run.”