No Studio? No Severance? No sweat.
Apple TV scored a record 89 nominations for the streamer, thanks to the Emmy love for its dramas and comedies — three of each which scored coveted slots on the ballot.
Matt Cherniss, the head of Apple TV programming, credits taking risks and trusting in his showrunners to deliver for the results. Here, he breaks down the stunning success of Widow’s Bay and its 19 nominations, and when we can expect to see Season 2 of Pluribus and The Studio. And, yes, he promises that Widow’s Bay showrunner Katie Dippold is back in the writers’ room for Season 2 — though he hopes she’s taking the day off to celebrate.
Gold Derby: What’s your overall takeaway on the nominations?
Matt Cherniss: We’re elated about everything. I think that it reinforces the quality over quantity strategy that we’ve had and will continue to have. It’s not just I think the number of nominations, I think it’s the breadth of those nominations across the 15 shows is something that’s also really rewarding,
Going into this season, you were looking at a year without The Studio and Severance. What gave you the confidence that this slate of freshman series was going to deliver for you?
I think that you just look at the quality of the shows, you look at their originality, you look at the risks that they take in their storytelling, and you never know which show is going to be rewarded for that, but I am very confident, that’s what you do get rewarded for, right? It’s taking those risks with your storytelling and with your creativity. I knew that we had shows that were doing that, so I think that’s where you place your bet and sit back, and then allow the audience to discover the shows.
Let’s talk about Widow’s Bay. When was the moment you realized you had something that was going to deliver like this?
From the moment we read [showrunner] Katie [Dippold’s] first script, I think we had a sense that there was something special there. It was just so different than anything else that we’ve come across, so I think from the very beginning we were really excited about that show. You never really know until you put it out into the world. And then it starts with people coming into your office that have seen cuts and they’re like, “Hey, I just saw the show, I love it.” So that gives you a sense of excitement. And as people within Apple see it that starts to reverberate, and then it gets out to the audience, and they took to it immediately. You felt the swell right from the start, and it’s continued to this day.
But 19 nominations has to be more than you ever could have expected.
I never sat back and tried to set an expectation. The Studio last year definitely taught us that you can be surprised by how quickly an audience jumps on board a show, and makes it their favorite thing. So I didn’t have a number in mind, but I think we had a sense that this was something that once the audience found it, they were going to want to talk about it, they were going to want to tell people about it, and that it had a chance to break out.
The nominations this morning included three of your comedies and dramas among each slate. What does that mean to you? Is that part of your programming strategy to be able to go deep into series like that?
Yes, absolutely. I think that we really take a very deliberate approach with all of these shows to try and make them to find things that are different and stand out, and I think the fact that we got those six nominations is a testament to how those shows can stand out in what is still a really crowded environment. You have to own your own lane to be one of those nominees, and those shows were able to do so.
Was there anything that disappointed you this morning? Anything that you’d hoped that would get recognized that didn’t come through?
It sounds simplistic to say, but I really think that all of the shows are deserving of kudos for the work that everyone’s put in, so I don’t know that my disappointment was focused on any one place. I think I tend to try and focus my excitement on the things that were rewarded, and to see so many shows that are really also first season shows get those nominations. Sometimes it takes a while for things to be found. It was great for Margo to get its nominations. It was great to see Your Friends and Neighbors get its nomination in its second season. That was a show that I thought deserved it from the start. So there wasn’t any single show that I would point out didn’t get what it deserved. I think there were, frankly, more than one.
What surprised you the most?
I don’t sit down and prognosticate on the shows, I do think that the breadth of the nominations to be 15 different series nominated out of the 31 we made probably was the thing that, as I looked down the numbers, probably surprised me, and was probably most rewarding. Thirty one is not a lot in this day and age of streaming, and I think that it’s still something we spend a lot of time thinking about in terms of what we want to put out there, and for that many shows to get acknowledged is a great thing,
What do awards mean to you as a brand and as a studio? What’s the value proposition for you?
I think that they certainly can bring more audience to the show, which is, I think, an important thing. I think that they reward the talent for all the hard work that they do, and all the weeks and months and years that they put into the show. As we set our compass directionally as a service, it can tell us if we’re on the right track with the shows that we’re making, and the audience that we’re making it for.
You’ve been establishing a track record for awards on the series side. Do you think that helps you in this competitive climate that we exist in right now?
Yes, I think so. That track record is something that is earned, and I think that we’ve spent a lot of time and the talent that we work with has spent a lot of time, trying to make the best possible things, and so I think that, yeah, maybe the audience does lean into that a little bit more, and the voters lean into that a little more, but I think that is really a testament to the shows.
I would also imagine it also helps in terms of bringing talent to your doors. That’s a big part of this business, too.
I would hope that the talent feels like if they bring their passion projects to Apple, and the things that they are most excited about, that they are bringing them to a place that not only is going to find the best possible way to launch those shows and bring audience to those shows, but that they’ll also be able to get acknowledged for their work.
Given the 18 nominations for Pluribus, can you get Vince Gilligan to write Season 2 any faster?
Vince is one of one, his genius is one of one, and we’re sitting ready for Season 2. We’ve seen some, some of the early drafts, and it’s really exciting.
And what about The Studio? How’s Season 2 coming along?
Coming along great, I think that the audience is going to love it. I don’t think the show’s missed a beat in its second season, and we’re excited to roll that up next year. You always want the shows back as soon as you can get them, particularly when the fans and the audience is clamoring for it, but having a deep bench and knowing that while those shows are taking the time they need to get made that you have other great stuff for the audience. It definitely gives us some comfort while we’re waiting.
