Guy Fieri is rolling out “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” into a new Emmys category.
Food Network has successfully petitioned the Television Academy to move the long-running food reality series back to the outstanding structured reality category, where it will compete against other popular series such as “Love is Blind,” “Queer Eye” and “Shark Tank.” It had previously been submitted for hosted nonfiction series or special since 2020.
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Hosted by Fieri since the show’s debut in 2007, the show had received six Emmy nominations — five for outstanding structured reality program from 2014-2019 and outstanding reality program in 2013, the last year before the category was separated into two for structured and unstructured programming.
In 2020, the Emmys changed the name of the outstanding information series or special category to outstanding hosted nonfiction. The TV Academy guided the Fieri show to move into the category where they felt it was better suited. However, for the past three years, the series has failed to secure another coveted nom, competing against hosted nonfiction winners such as A&E’s “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath” and CNN’s “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy.”
The network and creatives decided to formally petition the Academy to switch the show back to the category where it had received recognition for five consecutive years, citing the format and impact of the show in the marketplace among the reasons for the move.
Lovingly nicknamed “Triple D,” the show follows Fieri as he visits multiple restaurants in each episode within a single city and samples the food. Focusing on small, independent eateries featuring traditional comfort foods, the locals, the chefs and their food are the show’s stars.
In addition, even though the standard template of three segments per episode requires a host, a substantial part of the 22-minute episodes are devoted to detailing the dishes and how they’re prepared from the voices of the chefs and owners of the varying establishments. The patrons also have a heavy presence throughout.
Fieri’s show is the second reported series to move out of the hosted nonfiction race, after Apple failed to petition to keep “The Problem with Jon Stewart” in the category. Instead, “The Problem” will now compete for outstanding talk series. Separately, Apple successfully won its bid to move “Schmigadoon!” from comedy series to scripted variety, where it will face off against “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” and “Saturday Night Live.”
As the “Triple D” host for 36 seasons, Fieri will also seek consideration in the outstanding reality host category, alongside his Food Network counterparts Bobby Flay (“Bobby’s Triple Threat”), Ted Allen (“Chopped”) and Alex Guarnaschelli and Gabriele Bertaccini (“Ciao House”). The other three hosts’ respective shows will be submitted for outstanding reality competition consideration, in addition to “Tournament of Champions IV.”
Emmy submissions are due Tuesday, May 9.
