Emmys panel rules ‘Glee,’ ‘Shameless,’ ‘Jane the Virgin’ are comedies

“Glee,” “Shameless” and “Jane the Virgin” can all pursue nominations in the comedy categories at this year’s Emmy Awards, according to the first ruling by the newly formed Television Academy Industry Panel.

According to rules issued by the Television Academy of Arts and Sciences in February, comedies are considered episodic series that run for 30 minutes. Hour-long series are dramas.

That rule change posed potential chaos for such hour-long series as “Orange Is the New Black,” which has hour-long episodes, but was nominated as a comedy at last year’s Emmy Awards.

But the first ruling by the industry panel, which requires a two-thirds majority by its nine-person membership, has determined that three other hour-long series can potentially compete as comedies in the comedy series category as well as the various comedy acting and writing categories at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards. The nominations will be announced July 16.

“Glee” has competed in various comedy categories every year since 2010. “Shameless” was nominated for various comedy acting Emmys last year but was nominated in drama acting categories in the years before.

While “Orange Is the New Black” was not part of the panel’s decision, producers can certainly breath a little easier, since chances now seem greater that it will likely be able to compete in the same category.

Though the rule change at first seemed like a move designed to prevent lighter hour-long series from competing in the comedy category, television academy chairman Bruce Rosenblum told The Times in February that producers can petition the academy case by case, thereby triggering the Industry Panel.

The panel consists of five members appointed by the academy chairman and four members appointed by the Board of Governors.

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