The2019 Emmy nominationshave finally landed in our laps and whew, there’s a lot to process. Among the leaders are HBO’sGame of ThronesandChernobylstanding out in categories including Outstanding Drama Series, Lead Actor in a Drama Series, and Lead Actress in a Drama Series.Barry, another beloved HBO show, stood out in the comedy categories with series starsBill HaderandHenry Winklerearning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series nominations, respectively.
In an era filled to the brim with top-notch television and standout performances aplenty, it was inevitable that many of our favorite shows and actors would get overlooked when it came time to make the nominations for the 2020 Emmys. While shows like NBC’sThe Good Placewere nominated, one big snub many noticed was series starD’Arcy Carden. Meanwhile, Netflix’sWhen They See Usproved to be a big surprise, nabbing lots of nominations across a number of categories.
Andrew Scott’s Hot Priest Gets Overlooked
AndrewScottplayed a character onFleabagseason 2 officially referred to as “The Priest” but affectionately referred to as “Hot Priest” by fans of the show. Scott was a perfect addition to theFleabagcast as a relaxed, foul-mouthed man of the cloth who really loved God and want to share those feelings (among many others) with the unnamed protagonist fan refer to as “Fleabag”, played byPhoebe Waller-Bridge. While Waller-Bridge and herFleabagcostarsSian CliffordandOlivia Colmanall earned Emmy nominations for their season 2 performances, Scott was left out in the cold. Not handing Scott a nomination for his sensitive, charming, at times raucous and others achingly vulnerable performance is a serious oversight, especially on a show where literally every character, including Scott, was given plenty of screentime to shine.
Eugene Levy’s Nomination For ‘Schitt’s Creek’
Schitt’s Creekhas had a noticeable spike in popularity in the last year or so, with its fanbase growing as new seasons have dropped onto Netflix. Because of this, viewers have been introduced to the truly brilliant performances from each of theSchitt’s Creekcast, led by veteran comedic actorEugene Levy. As the beleaguered Johnny Rose, a former one-percenter whose fall from grace includes ending up in a town he bought on a whim years ago, Levy shines. He’s frequently the straight man when sharing scenes with co-starsCatherine O’Hara,Annie Murphy, orDan Levy(yes, Levy’s actual son) but he does it so well, expressing Johnny’s frustration, ineptitude, selfishness, or any other potentially negative quality with such charm and ease it somehow endears you to him even more. Levy’s Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series is a good one, recognizing his efforts in season 4 and 5 but all the seasons which came before them.
Netflix’s ‘Black Mirror: Bandersnatch’ Gamble Pays Off
Netflix took a gamble with the “Choose Your Own Adventure”-style television movieBandersnatch, brought to you by the grim sci-fi anthology seriesBlack Mirror. It paid off, withBandersnatchearning an Emmy nomination in Outstanding Television Movie. Telling the story of Stefan (Dunkirk’sFionn Whitehead), a young video game programmer looking to adapt an unadaptable book about free will into a bestselling gaming experience,Bandersnatchallowed viewers to choose how Stefan’s story progressed. The interactive experience was unlike anything offered to viewers over the course of this Emmys year, so it’s both a surprise and not a surprise at allBandersnatchgot the right folks' attention.
Chuck Lorre’s Biggest Comedy Takes A Hit
ShowrunnerChuck Lorrehas often had success with his shows in the past but this year’s Emmys have ignored him in one noticeable way. The big Lorre snub this year goes toThe Big Bang Theory, which ended its run this spring with 12 seasons under its belt. Despite drawing in millions of viewers every week and dominating the ratings consistently, the series couldn’t quite stand out in the way other comedies could.
Three A-Listers Can’t Seem To Break Out
Julia Roberts,George Clooney, andEmma Stoneall made their way to streaming during this Emmys nomination year with an attempt to transition into hearty television fare. Roberts starred in Amazon’sHomecoming, adapted from the podcast of the same name and co-starringStephan JamesandBobby Cannavale. Meanwhile, Clooney appeared in Hulu’sCatch-22,adapted from the Joseph Heller novel of the same name and Stone starred alongsideJonah HillinCary Joji Fukunaga’s Netflix seriesManiac. Despite each respective actor bringing their respective A-game to their roles and warm critical reception for each of their series, they were all left out in the cold — an atypical occurrence when Roberts, Clooney, or Stone enter into an award show conversation.
Kumail Nanjiani
Kumail Nanjianiearned the nomination for his performance in the premiere episode of CBS All Access’The Twilight Zonereboot. In the episode, Nanjiani plays a stand-up comedian who soon discovers all of his jokes have a horrible way of coming true. Nanjiani is poised to make history in the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series category as the first Pakistani-American actor nominated in a category which has been active since the 1970s.
