Question: I’m puzzled as to why Outlander isn’t getting any publicity. It’s the best show on TV. It doesn’t compare to Bridgerton! —Barbara M.
Matt Roush: It’s not that Outlander is hurting for publicity. Just wait for the onslaught when the show returns for its sixth season in early 2022. Outlander is to Starz what Game of Thrones was to HBO, but I suppose you’re reacting to Outlander‘s lack of presence at awards shows like the Emmys (but hardly limited to that). This has nothing to do with publicity as much as the TV industry’s narrow vision when it comes to fantasy/historical romances that aren’t (like Bridgerton) promoted heavily by a powerhouse like Netflix and produced by the high-profile likes of Shonda Rhimes. For whatever reason, Outlander never made much of an impression on Emmy voters early on, and it’s rare for a show to suddenly get discovered this late in its run. (Schitt’s Creek being an exception to the rule.) Even having the first four seasons available on Netflix hasn’t seemed to move the needle. I bet that if Bridgerton had aired on network TV or any other platform instead of Netflix, it wouldn’t have enjoyed that Emmy bump (12 nominations, one win for hairstyling). I’ll be curious if it exerts as heavy a hold on Emmy voters when shows like Succession or Better Call Saul are back in the mix.
To submit questions to TV Critic Matt Roush, go to: tvinsider.com
