AFT Awards: Best Directing for a Drama Series

This is the thirteenth category of the 6th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2011-2012 season. For the directing and writing categories, I’ve included only honorable mentions rather than semi-finalists and finalists. Nominees are listed in alphabetical order.

Best Directing for a Drama Series

Last year’s nominees: Boardwalk Empire (Nights in Ballygran), Game of Thrones (Fire and Blood), Mad Men (The Beautiful Girls), Sons of Anarchy (Bainne), The Walking Dead (Pilot)

Emmy nominees: To The Lost (Boardwalk Empire), Face Off (Breaking Bad), Episode 7 (Downton Abbey), Pilot (Homeland), The Other Woman (Mad Men)

Semi-finalists: Alphas (Pilot), Boardwalk Empire (To the Lost), Boardwalk Empire (Georgia Peaches), Boss (Remembered), Boss (Stasis), Breaking Bad (Crawl Space), Breaking Bad (End Times), Breaking Bad (Face Off) Breaking Bad (Salud), Damages (Failure is Lonely), Damages (There's Only One Way to Try a Case), Damages (The War Will Go On Forever), Hell on Wheels (Timshel), Homeland (Blind Spot), Homeland (The Vest), Homeland (The Weekend), Justified (The Devil You Know), Justified (Guy Walks into a Bar), Justified (Slaughterhouse), Luck (Episode 9), Mad Men (At the Codfish Ball), Mad Men (Faraway Places), Mad Men (A Little Kiss), Mad Men (Mystery Date), Mad Men (The Phantom), Outcasts (Episode 7), Outcasts (Episode 8), Sons of Anarchy (Burnt and Purged Away), Sons of Anarchy (Call of Duty), Sons of Anarchy (Hands), Sons of Anarchy (To Be, Act 1)

Finalists: Outcasts (Pilot), Breaking Bad (Salud), Dexter (A Horse of a Different Color), Homeland (Marine One), The Walking Dead (Beside the Dying Fire)

The nominees:

Homeland (Pilot)
Terra Nova (Pilot)
Game of Thrones (Blackwater)
Justified (The Gunfighter)


Though the shows diverged in different directions after episode one, the pilots of the best new show of the year and one of the most disappointing of the year were absolutely awesome from start to finish. The standout installment of the regal fantasy drama featured excellent visuals and a highly exciting plot. The season premiere of FX’s crime series was moody and a stunning introduction to a whole new season of Kentucky villainy.

The winner:

Alcatraz (Pilot) kicked off a fascinating saga with a gloriously filmed and showcased story filled with intrigue and suspense.

Next up: Best Writing for a Drama Series