COMMENTARY: Hulu comes out on top at Emmy Awards

Photo+courtesy+of+the+official+The+Handmaid%E2%80%99s+Tale+Facebook+page.

Photo credit/ Todd Williamson

Photo courtesy of the official The Handmaid’s Tale Facebook page.

Briana Ryan, Contributor

Streamed shows have often been viewed as a novelty act by industry awards. That changed when Hulu Original Series “The Handmaid’s Tale” nabbed Outstanding Drama Series at this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards. So what does this mean for the future of television?

In recent years, there has been a revolution brewing within the television landscape. This revolution began with streaming networks like Netflix and Amazon garnering more industry attention. However, it was Hulu that came out on top this year with their adaption of Margaret Atwood’s classic dystopian novel.

Hulu has ranked low against competing streaming networks in dramas.  This Emmy win could pave the way for Hulu to begin producing more original content in order to become more competitive against other streaming networks. That has to sting for Netflix who not only pioneered the streaming platform, but also previously turned down “The Handmaid’s Tale” adaptation.

“The Handmaid’s Tale” earned the most Emmy Awards within the drama category at this year’s ceremony with five wins including: Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Ann Dowd), Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Elisabeth Moss), Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (Bruce Miller) and Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Reed Morano).

The Emmy Awards for “The Handmaid’s Tale” reflects the audience’s growing dissatisfaction with traditional television’s lack of diversity within programming. This sends a message that the audiences may be turning to streaming services for more diversity in shows.

The second season of “The Handmaid’s Tale” will premiere on Hulu in 2018.

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