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Whether working fervidly in the development phase or creating boundary pushing visuals to serve a projects narratives, Sony Pictures Television's storytellers and artisans consistently find new ways to engage audiences and set the gold standard of crating impactful television.

With its roster of diverse series and multifaceted talent, the award-winning television production and distribution studio aims to dominate across categories during the 2023 Emmy race. The growing Sony Pictures Television universe features standout performances across genres, offering a glimpse into different cultural experiences and drawing inspiration from everything from the most beloved comic books to real-life spy stories. 

“Across the studio’s slate, viewers have every type of story at their fingertips and can anticipate each series being crafted at the highest level of quality by the best artisans working in television today,” says Katherine Pope, president of Sony Pictures Television Studios.

“Accused” — Representation by an Icon

When Marlee Matlin considered directing the episode “Ava’s Story” for the series “Accused,” the deaf advocate wanted to make an impact with a specific point of view.

“In this particular case, there are two main characters who are deaf,” says the actor. The casting team made sure to assemble a diverse cast to ensure the representation of many different communities.

“What better opportunity for me to have to be able to present this opportunity through deaf eyes?” Matlin affirms.

Showrunner and executive producer Howard Gordon, who took a fearless approach to writing the show, also wanted to be sure “Accused” had something important to say. “The show is more than a declaration of innocence or guilt,” says Gordon. “It is animated by compassion for each character and how vulnerable we all are.”

“Better Call Saul” — A Once-Small Character Goes Big

When audiences first met Saul Goodman on “Breaking Bad,” they had no idea what was underneath his glib, unscrupulous exterior — and fans couldn’t take their eyes off him. Now, thanks to the award-winning masterminds of the “Better Call Saul” directing and writing teams, Bob Odenkirk’s morally ambiguous character is garnering more attention.

“Sometimes, [Saul] is more motivated by anger than better angels of his nature,” says Odenkirk.

“Bob played the superficial version of Saul so beautifully that we started realizing there was more to him there,” says co-creator and executive producer Peter Gould. “You can feel that he’s going in a direction of moral grayness.”

Saul’s evolution is also evident through the cinematography as the mixing and matching of extreme close-ups and wide shots allow viewers to take in the full state of Saul’s state of being.

“Cobra Kai” — Stunts Designed with Actors in Mind

For a show focused on martial arts, not only is a skilled stunt coordinator essential, but also actors who are willing to learn how to perform choreographed movements. “Cobra Kai” has both and has accumulated a dedicated fan base that enjoys every fight.

“I was nervous,” says actor Mary Mouser. “I had done hardly any martial arts up to that point. I wasn’t sure what I’d be able to do.”

Stunt coordinator Don Lee focused on getting the cast ready through extensive training and practice, so by the time the actors were in front of the camera, they’d be ready. “The stunts encompass story-driven action told through physical fighting, as well as stunt choreography that helps define our actors’ styles and their dojos,” says Lee.

Star Ralph Macchio adds: “There’s an incredible amount to shoot in a short time. The entire stunt team was just incredible. My job was standing on the sidelines, saying, ‘Give them all you got!’”

“The Boys” — Every Superhero Needs a Suit

Inspired by the original comic book series, the artisans of “The Boys” took chances with innovation in mind. “A lot of the time when you’re doing a comic book show, you scale back from what the comic book is,” says costume designer Michael Ground. “We scaled up.”

Ground and his crew reinvented classic 1950s-style superhero suits and created military-style costumes for the modern day by collaborating with the visual effects and electrical departments to design remarkable scenes.

“We built special light vests,” says VFX supervisor Stephan Fleet about the costume worn by supervillain character Soldier Boy. “I worked with our electrical department, our DP and our super suits department to create these strips of LEDs that we could remote control and light up. It’s worth it for me to CG back in his chest but have that real lighting.”

Along with costuming, stunts are another crucial element for the action series. “Our goal is to never compromise when it comes to an important [emotional] beat or storytelling moment,” says stunt coordinator John Koyama.

“A Spy Among Friends” — Eyewitness to Reality

Damian Lewis applauds the writers behind the espionage thriller “A Spy Among Friends” for crafting dialogue that is detailed and authentic to the true story of a British spy for the Soviet Union.

“Alex Cary has this brilliant way of writing histories,” the actor says of the show’s writer and creator. “They read like capers and thrillers. We have photographic evidence of what these people looked like. We want to be true to who they are without doing impersonations.”

Guy Pearce was taken in by the way relationships are shaped when a spy is in your circle.

“Essentially, [the story] focuses on friendship and the betrayal of friendship,” Pearce says. “The story in and of itself is so human and sensitive. It was fantastic to dip in and out of the book just as a reminder that this was actually real.”

Director Nick Murphy wanted to approach the 1960s-set miniseries in the style of an “eyewitness to reality.”

“We graded the different locations in a slightly different way,” says Murphy of working with the production design, cinematography and editing departments. The teams worked with colorist Vince Narduzzo and used OFX plugins to allow the appearance of different film stock to give each city its own unique look and feel. 

“The Night Agent” — A Tour de Force Across the Board

Lauded for its nonstop action, keen writing and riveting direction as well as its intricate stunts and cinematography, “The Night Agent” rarely has a slow moment. Audiences are left on the edge of their seats while watching an FBI agent become entwined in a conspiracy fueled by a White House mole — and the thriller’s production design, sound editing and mixing teams are to thank.

“I think what excited me was Shawn [Ryan]’s vision for the show, which was very grounded,” says actor Gabriel Basso, who portrays FBI agent Peter Sutherland.

Inspired by the book of the same name, Ryan set out to write the script and recalled how the studio gave him creative freedom to achieve his goal.

“I was so excited about it that I went to Sony, who’s my employer, and said, ‘I don’t even want to pitch this. I just want to write the script. Get out of my way for a month and let me write the script.’ And that’s what I did,” says the series’ showrunner and creator.

“The Crown” — History in the Making

A previous Emmy® winner for costumes, production design, casting and cinematography, as well as other categories, “The Crown” is a fictional dramatization that focuses on the reign of Queen Elizabeth II with a decisively modern storytelling style. Elements such as the production design and other below-the-line crafts meticulously illustrate the traditions she was destined to uphold, while the story itself shows the audience the notably contemporary problems — infidelity, divorce, divisions within family — that she had to manage.

“The Last of Us” — Endings Become Beginnings

When a pandemic caused by a mass fungal infection collapses society, the audience is taken on a post-apocalyptic journey through their worst fears. The series has already received an Emmy® nomination for its cinematography, and the production design also succeeds in illustrating the dark themes of this story by showing us a hollowed-out world where great cities once stood.

“At Sony Pictures Television, the art of storytelling is a deeply collaborative process based on the imaginative work and expertise of many individuals,” says Pope. “In ‘A Spy Among Friends,’ ‘Better Call Saul,’ ‘Cobra Kai,’ ‘The Boys,’ ‘The Crown,’ and other titles across the SPT slate, the attention to detail and creativity connects audiences to the worlds created on screen.”

Credit: Karen Idelson, Variety, 6 June 2023