There will be a little bit more television competition at the 2019 Producers Guild Awards, with limited series and TV movies now competing in their own separate categories.
The introduction of the David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Limited Series Television and the Award for Outstanding Producer of Streamed or Televised Movies comes as the volume of limited series in particular has given the genre a wealth of nominees.
“Long-form television has exploded in recent years with exciting, daring new programming and new voices,” PGA presidents Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher said Wednesday in a statement. “This shift in our industry has given producers the opportunity to deepen their skills in creating limited series shows and streamed or televised movies. By expanding our Producers Guild Awards long-form program category into two separate categories, we acknowledge their stellar work in both genres.”
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The move follows one similarly made by the Emmys. The Television Academy voted in 2014 to overturn the previous rule change that had lumped movies and miniseries together — as nearly all corners of TV right now are in the miniseries or limited series business.
The PGA released specific eligibility requirements as follows:
Eligibility of Limited Series or Streamed/Televised Movie. A Limited Series or Streamed/Televised Movie may be submitted for awards consideration if it originally released in the United States between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2018 (“Eligibility Period”) and otherwise meets the following eligibility requirements.
Limited series: In accordance with the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards rules promulgated by the Television Academy (“TA Rules”), a Limited Series is defined as a program with two (2) or more episodes with a total running time of at least one hundred and fifty (150) program minutes that tells a complete, non-recurring story, and does not have an ongoing storyline and/or main characters in subsequent seasons. At least 50% of the episodes must originally release within the Eligibility Period. The Limited Series submitted must not previously have been included on any Producers Guild Awards ballot.
Streamed/Televised movie: In accordance with the TA Rules, a Streamed/Televised movie is defined as an original program, which tells a story with a beginning, middle and end, and is originally released in one part. The movie must not have had a theatrical release prior to its streamed or televised release and must not previously have been included on any Producers Guild Awards ballot.
