With the end of the ongoing writers' strike nowhere in sight, and a SAG-AFTRA strike looming in the very near future (like, midnight tonight), the year ahead for television may look bleaker than what we’re used to. But with that said, this morning's Emmy nominations have reminded us that now is the time to celebrate this past year of incredible and groundbreaking TV! From our new favorite streaming binges to the network sitcoms we know and love, this year’s list of remarkable nominees shocked and satisfied us – here are some of the standout highlights!
Freshmen and Familiar Favorites Take Over in Comedy
"Ted Lasso" reigned supreme in the comedy category with 21 nominations while FX’s "The Bear" clawed its way into the race, trailing behind with 13 nominations for their landmark first season. HBO’s "Barry" picked up 11 nominations for its final season – 4 of which went to its co-creator and leading gentleman, Bill Hader. However, "The Bear" isn’t the only rookie series to rack up nods, as Netflix’s "Wednesday" killed it with nominations including Best Series, Direction for Tim Burton (his first-ever Emmy nom!), and, of course, Jenna Ortega in the Lead Actress category. "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" earned 14 nominations for the final season as Peacock's new original, "Poker Face", received 4 nominations -- one of them recognizing Natasha Lyonne's lead performance.
Back in Session: Abbott Elementary
The internet's favorite sitcom "Abbott Elementary" made a lasting impression with 8 nominations -- mainly for its incredible cast members Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Janelle James, and guest star Taraji P. Henson. Surprisingly, though, the show received zero nods in the writing categories.
The Verdict is In: "Jury Duty" is a Hit!
Perhaps the most surprising name called on nomination morning was the Best Comedy Series nomination for Amazon Freevee’s sleeper hit, "Jury Duty", a concoction of hidden-camera series, reality TV, and sketch comedy show, that garnered 3 additional nominations – including the supporting performance of the show's most recognizable face, James Marsden. It is certainly an interesting turn of events for a series that defies genre.
"Succession" and "The Last of Us" and "The White Lotus": Battle of the HBO Dramas
For its second season abroad in Sicily, "The White Lotus" picked up a staggering 24 nominations and, most notably, saw 5 of their stars – Jennifer Coolidge, Meghann Fahy, Aubrey Plaza, Sabrina Impacciatore, and Simona Tabasco – all honored in the Drama Supporting Actress category. The competition for "The White Lotus" is stiff, though, thanks to "The Last of Us", which garnered 24 nominations as well for its debut season, becoming the first ever live-action video game adaptation to receive major awards show recognition. Meanwhile, the mainstream juggernaut "Succession" leads the entire field with 27 total nominations for its fourth and final season, including noms for 3 of its lead actors (Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, and Kieran Culkin). And in a truly noteworthy feat, the category for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series is made up of ONLY actors from either "The White Lotus" or "Succession"! With all these nominations, HBO/Max leads the field for all platforms with 127 total nods; they certainly have an interesting few months of campaigning ahead of them! Meanwhile, the "Game of Thrones" spinoff series "House of the Dragon", expected to be HBO's next big flagship show, crashed and burned with only 2 total nominations... though one of them is, remarkably, in the Best Drama Series category.
Pedro's Hat Trick
And speaking of "The Last of Us". it's star Pedro Pascal earned a much-anticipated nod for his role as Joel Miller in the sci-fi thriller, but that isn't the only place his name appears in the lists this morning -- he was also nominated for his hosting stint on "Saturday Night Live" and for his narrating gig on the CNN series "Patagonia: Life on the Edge of the World". Sadly, no love for his work on "The Mandalorian" this year.
Melanie's Double-Hitter
Melanie Lynskey, who appeared in 2 of the biggest shows this year, was duly recognized for her always-stellar work, receiving nominations for both Lead Actress in a Drama Series for "Yellowjackets" and Guest Actress in a Drama Series for "The Last of Us".
Emmys! In! Space!
Speaking of Mando, the Star Wars universe made an impressive showing at this morning's nominations, with "The Mandalorian", "Obi-Wan Kenobi", and "Andor" all receiving nods. Although "The Mandalorian" was relegated to techinical categories (Costumes, Hair, Makeup, Cinematography), "Obi-Wan Kenobi" snuck in with a Best Limited Series nod as well as Best Sound Editing, while "Andor" earned a much-deserved nomination for Best Drama Series (and 4 other nods, including Directing, Writing, Cinematography, and Score). May the Force be with them at the Emmys this year!
A Non-Binary Actor Makes History
Pedro Pascal's co-star, Bella Ramsey, made history as the first non-binary actor to be nominated in the category of Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her work as Ellie in the hit zombie drama "The Last of Us". We love to see it!
Outstanding Limited Series: Netflix’s "Beef" or Netflix’s "Monster"?
In the Limited Series categories, both "Beef" and "Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" received 13 nominations across the board – while not a surprise considering both of the show's success, Emmy voters will, ultimately, be forced to choose between the dramedy about love, hate, and road rage, or Ryan Murphy’s spine-chilling exploration of one of the world’s most infamous serial killers.
"Daisy Jones" Hits a High Note and Hocus Pocus 2 Sneaks In
Also earning a nod for Outstanding Limited Series was Amazon’s adaptation of "Daisy Jones & the Six", which saw two of its stars, Riley Keough and Camila Morrone, honored in the Limited Series acting categories. Though the TV Movie category has become increasingly inconsequential over the years, Hocus Pocus 2 livened up the category alongside Hulu’s Prey and a Roku original, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.