Did "American Horror Story" make a smart move by switching categories for this year's Prime Time Emmys? The horror-drama series got approval from Emmy head honchos to submit for consideration in the miniseries category, and it racked up a whopping 17 Emmy nominees in the process, tying "Mad Men" for the most nominations this year.
While "AHS" had a good case -- it's an anthology series that will return next season with new characters and a new location -- the competition in the Best Miniseries category is stiff. It's been a year of epic TV miniseries, so "AHS" will now have to face off against heavy hitters like "Hatfields & McCoys" and HBO's "Game Change."
Yet without the switch it's unlikely that some of the deserving noms would have heard their names called at the ungodly hour of 5:40AM PST. Case in point? In an already crowded Lead Actress category (in a drama series), "American Horror Story" star Connie Britton may have been overlooked, but in the miniseries category, she shines.
In a reverse switcheroo, PBS' "Downton Abbey" switched from miniseries to drama (netting 16 nominations), so that means it will go head to head against competition like "Boardwalk Empire" and longtime winner, "Mad Men."
In the end, the switched categories produced a ton of unexpected nominations -- and with all of these quick change acts, it could really change up the Emmy outcomes on September 23. Stay tuned!
