2013 Emmy Awards Nominations Announcement 2013 VIDEO 65th 'Primetime Emmy Awards' Nominations Announcement 2013 LOS ANGELES (AP) - Groundbreaking Internet series and movie actors could be the headliners in the upcoming Emmy Awards contest. 'House of Cards' and 'Arrested Development,' which Netflix delivered to viewers on the Internet, not on TV, may become the first online programs to receive top series and acting bids when the Emmy nominations are announced early Thursday.
A 6-year-old TV academy rules change allows online entries to compete with cable and broadcast programs, although so far Internet shows have popped up only in lower-profile categories. That could change with the 65th Primetime Emmys.
'It certainly is a marker of the new era. ... It will send shock waves through the industry,' said Tim Brooks, a TV historian and former network executive.
'House of Cards,' a tale of political intrigue, is aiming for a best drama series bid and nods for stars Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. 'Arrested Development,' the sitcom revived by Netflix after Fox canceled it, may get a best comedy series nod and nominations for cast members including Jason Bateman, Jeffrey Tambor and Jessica Walter.
Spacey and Wright also are part of a movement that keeps growing: prominent film actors finding good reason to work on the small screen.
With theaters dominated by blockbuster movies that are heavy.