Orange is the New Black can't compete as a comedy at the Emmys

Two stars at the show's second season premiere
(Image credit: Facebook.com/Orange Is The New Black)

Orange is the New Black competed in the Best Comedy category at the 2014 Emmy Awards. But the Netflix series won't get another chance to take on 2014 winner Modern Family; under new rules enacted earlier this year, the TV Academy has reclassified Orange is the New Black as a drama, putting it up against presumptive nominees like Mad Men, House of Cards, and Game of Thrones.

The Emmys have long struggled to categorize shows like Orange is the New Black, which are most accurately described with the unwieldy phrase "dramedy." The new rules call for all 30-minute shows to be treated as comedies, and all hour-long shows to be treated as dramas.

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Scott Meslow

Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.