Television producer Kurt Sutter, whose critically acclaimed biker drama Sons of Anarchy was one of many outstanding shows overlooked by the Emmy Awards, has described his reaction as one of "emotional and spiritual depletion."
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The series, along with other brilliant dramas such as Ray Donovan, The Good Wife, The Blacklist and The Walking Dead, was kept out of the night's major categories for drama series, writing and direction.
In a piece written for the trade news website NikkiFinke.com, Sutter said he had even been comfortable that the show's counter-culture nature meant it might lose audience if it was nominated.
"My bombastic outlaw-asshole reputation would be tarnished. Or rather, untarnished," he wrote. "I’d be just another smiling douchebag in a new suit, pretending to give a shit on the red carpet."
Sutter's frustration - that the show was overlooked while "other f-cking shows that ran out of story three seasons ago still get tagged to step up to the show" - echoes the general reaction to this year's Emmy nominations.
While "snubs" are always present, this year they have dominated the conversation, particularly as shows such as Sons of Anarchy, The Good Wife and The Walking Dead have this year delivered their best seasons to date.
The nominated programs in the outstanding drama category are: Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, Mad Men and one newcomer, True Detective.
While all of those shows have had excellent seasons, the prevailing reaction seems to suggest that many viewers think some are past their due date.
Displaying good humour, Sutter referred to exclusion of Sons of Anarchy as "the Lucci factor", a reference to actress Susan Lucci who was nominated as outstanding actress in a drama at the Daytime Emmys for 18 years before she finally won in 1999.
"There’s a certain cache that comes with being snubbed in all major categories, repeatedly," Sutter said.
"You gain more fame, respect and admiration the more your efforts are ignored. If you win gracefully, you’re famous. If you lose loudly, you’re infamous. I, unfortunately, fall into the later category."
Sutter concluded with a gracious footnote, wishing "abundance and success" on the nominated programs.
"God bless them all. They deserve all the love and praise the universe gives them," he said. "I’ll be saying that affirmation a lot today. It’ll keep me from killing puppies with a tack hammer."
