An Emmy-favorite medical show is set to become a courtroom drama next year.
Don’t worry. That’s not a spoiler for the upcoming third season of the reigning Best Drama Series, The Pitt. It is, however, a preview of what’s in store for Warner Bros. Television, the studio behind The Pitt, after a panel of Los Angeles Superior Court judges ordered a trial for the suit brought by Michael Crichton’s estate over accusations that the show is an unauthorized reboot of ER.
Warner Bros. had sought to have the suit thrown out, primarily on the grounds that the original suit was filed before The Pitt‘s series premiere and couldn’t possibly claim knowledge of the show’s content. But the appeals court wasn’t having it, and ordered the suit to trial this summer.
Regardless of whether the trial actually takes place or a settlement is reached ahead of time, the suit could have profound effects on the credits of The Pitt, specifically the lineup of producers. And with back-to-back Emmys for Best Drama Series in its first two seasons, those credits could have major Emmys implications going forward.
But what about retroactively?
There is a world in which the credits for Seasons 1 and 2 of The Pitt are changed to reflect the outcome of a trial or potential settlement. If that were to happen, would that entitle the newly credited producers to Emmys they would have otherwise won?
The short answer from the Television Academy is “no.”
“The Television Academy doesn’t allow credits to be changed to enable eligibility,” the body said in a statement to Gold Derby. “And once the winners have been announced, the Television Academy doesn’t add new names to an entry. So, any retroactive change in credits made by a production would not result in that person getting an Emmy.”
So while the credits could change, the list of Emmy winners is set in stone. But with the trial (for now) still coming our way, the next batch of Best Drama Series nominations could look a little different.
