BENJAMONSTER AWARDS 2021: Outstanding Technical Design of a Drama Series

Today's award is Outstanding Technical Design of a Drama Series!

Check out the nominees and winner from 2020!

This year's nominees are:

BRIDGERTON (Netflix)

THE CROWN (Netflix)

FOR ALL MANKIND (Apple TV+)

THE HANDMAID'S TALE (Hulu)

P-VALLEY (Starz)

PERRY MASON (HBO)

RATCHED (Netflix)

And the Winner Is...

P-VALLEY

Starz

This was a tough decision with a lot of deserving contenders but my vote goes to a show that most effectively captured the tone and setting through its technical elements. P-Valley was so intertwined with its setting of the Mississippi Delta, an area that doesn't get explored often in television. The "dirty south" feel to the show (and I don't mean that in a derogatory way) was captured in every design choice on the show. The club at the center of the story - The Pynk - was a character in and of itself. And then there were all sorts of other technical elements to consider - the costumes (especially for Nico Annan's character), the choreography, the music choices. This was a visually arresting show that was able to back it up with story and that made the visual elements all the more impressive.

Thoughts on the Rest of the Nominees:

There were a lot of strong nominees in this category. Both Bridgerton and The Crown were lavish period pieces that went big often with gorgeous costumes and settings and yet they were specific to their own styles when it comes to the technical elements (The Crown was appropriately more stuffy than the more freewheeling Bridgerton). For All Mankind, a repeat nominee in this category alongside The Crown, does some very impressive technical things in its space scenes. Perry Mason was gorgeously shot and meticulous to detail in re-creating the 1930s. The Handmaid's Tale has such a specific look and feel to it that assist with the storytelling and the fourth season had more great visual choices. Finally, the best part of Ratched was its technical elements. The candy-coated costumes and scenery were fitting for a Ryan Murphy show and for the campy approach it was trying to take.

Tomorrow: Outstanding Guest Actor or Actress in a Limited/Anthology Series!