Why ‘Mr. Robot’ Getting Emmys Recognition Is Very Good News for the Emmys, And Televisyen 

USA Network\'s challenging hacker drama, nominated for six Primetime Emmys this morning, continues to be game-changing.

TV’s biggest awards show has never had a reputation for embracing the new, but after today, we might have to revise that. This morning’s announcement of the 2016 Emmy nominations contained (as always) good and bad news — but the folks at USA Network are likely thrilled that “Mr. Robot,” its complex and captivating hacker drama, was included in the Best Drama category.

READ MORE: Emmys 2016 Nominations: ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘Mr. Robot,’ ‘The Americans’ Get Major Nods

In addition, the series was nominated for Outstanding Casting, Music Composition, Sound Mixing, Writing and Lead Actor. It’s a set of nominations that cements “Mr. Robot” as that rarest of things — groundbreaking, challenging

popular. The fact that Rami Malek was able to break into the Actor in a Drama category despite a tough field and an unconventional performance is especially something to celebrate. It’s a moment that’s reminiscent of how “The West Wing” and “Mad Men” also shot to the pinnacle of Emmys success in their first seasons (and stuck around for seasons beyond).

But it’s also real proof that as television has evolved, the Emmys have finally caught up. “Mr. Robot” stood out in 2015 as truly representative of the new aesthetic for television — we often referred to it as “cinematic,” but really what we were referring to is the fact that in film, directors pay careful attention to a film’s look, striving to find something that makes it individualistic and special. “Mr. Robot” was deliberately unlike anything else on TV, enabled by its creator’s background as an independent filmmaker. And it also symbolized the fact that what television looks like is no longer easily defined, that it’s now truly a place for independent voices to be recognized as such.

READ MORE: Emmys Continue to Snub The CW in Top Categories

Earlier this year, the Golden Globes — much more eager to consider new shows over old — nominated “Mr. Robot” for three awards, handing out wins for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama (congrats, Christian Slater) and Best Drama Series. The latter category was surprisingly fresh in comparison to years past, with fellow nominees “Empire,” “Narcos” and “Outlander” also being recognized for their first seasons.

Rami Malek and Christian Slater in “Mr. Robot.”

By comparison, “Mr. Robot” is the only freshman drama series recognized by the Emmys this year (though “The Americans” finally got some love for its fourth season) and easily the most unconventional.

The series’ success this morning shows that USA Network has truly shed its lingering legacy as a “light” network (Tony Shalhoub won all those Best Actor awards for “Monk,” but remember, it was a “comedy”), while proving that the Academy no longer fears change. The things “Mr. Robot” was attempting to do in its first season weren’t necessarily the easiest thing to understand. It’s not an easily digested show, thanks to its challenging premise and even more challenging execution. But somehow it hacked the system — perhaps for good.

READ MORE: Review: ‘Mr. Robot’ Season 2 Premiere, ‘Unm4Sk.tc,’ Finds New Ways to fsociety

This Article is related to: Awards, News and tagged Emmys, Emmys 2016, Mr. Robot

2016 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series

2016 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Limited Series

2016 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Variety Talk Series

Emmys 2016 Trivia: Amy Poehler & Tina Fey Shared A Nod & 20 Other Wild Things About This Year’s Nominations

Why ‘Mr. Robot’ Getting Emmys Recognition Is Very Good News for the Emmys, And Television

IndieWire Turns 20: An Oral History of Supporting Filmmakers and Partying at Sundance From Those Who Lived It

‘Daily Show’ Blow: Variety Talk Show Emmys Category Sees Changing of the Guard

Cyberpunk Classics and Kinky Sex Fables: 5 Must-See Japanese Films At Japan Cuts 2016

Emmys 2016: The 31 Wildest Snubs & Surprises

Get the latest IndieWire alerts and newsletters delivered directly to your inbox

Emmys Dream Ballot: The Most Deserving Drama Nominees

Emmy voters need to take note of "The Leftovers" and "The Americans" this year.

Emmy Dream Ballots: The Most Deserving Limited Series & Movie Nominees

Johnny Depp\'s turn as Donald Trump deserves some serious Emmys attention.

Emmy Dream Ballots: The Most Deserving Comedy Nominees

Aya Cash\'s amazing work on "You\'re The Worst" tops our Emmys dream comedy ballot.

Movie Podcast – Episode #102: Why ‘Finding Dory’ is a Pixar Success

Plus: The latest updates to the 2016 awards race.

The year\'s best shows have covered politics, film, TV and plenty of places in between.

Movie Podcast – Episode #101: The Best Movies of 2016 So Far

We debate the best movies released in 2016 so far.

Learn the secrets of shooting an indie period drama.

How I Sold My Web Series to Netflix’: The Director of ‘EastSiders’ Explains His Secret

This filmmaker took his web series to Netflix. Here\'s how you can, too.

Kartemquin Turns 50: How the Production Company’s Homemade Camera Shaped the History of Documentaries

The documentary visionaries celebrate 50 years of some of the best non-fiction cinema ever made.

Animation Scoop Movie Crazy with Leonard Maltin