In this era of Peak TV there is no way to make everyone happy. There are always going to be snubs when it comes to the Emmy nominations. There are always going to be deserving nominees who didn’t make the cut. The question this year was whether the Television Academy could continue their trend of rewarding those truly deserving of recognition as opposed to those shows they just love to watch every week. And, some might say that’s one and the same.
This year Emmy voters probably gave “House of Cards” and “Modern Family” too much love, but that adoration was significantly less than the year prior which is, um, progress, right? Many of the shows we expected to dominate the overall nominations did just that. “Veep,” “The Crown,” “Better Call Saul,” “Big Little Lies,” “Feud: Bette and Joan,” “The Night Of” and “Wizard of Lies” all performed as many would have expected. Beyond those contenders, there certainly was a ton of room for surprises.
Keeping that in mind, here’s a quick look at the Best and Worst of the 2017 Emmy nominations.
Best: Emmy voters didn’t forget “Atlanta”
There was some concern that the Television Academy might snub Donald Glover‘s landmark FX TV series because its Fall run might have been a little out of sight, out of mind. Thankfully, that didn’t occur. “Atlanta” earned six nominations including Best Comedy Series, Best Actor in a Comedy Series (Glover) as well as Directing (Glover) and two Writing nominations (Glover, Stephen Glover). Many are no doubt frustrated over the fact “Insecure” was overlooked (more on that later), but the fact Emmy voters recognized this groundbreaking show in such a big way is something to celebrate.
Best: “The Handmaid’s Tale” survives
If there was any major concern with Emmy voters this year it was whether Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” could break through a crowded Peak TV landscape and get the recognition it deserved. Praise be to the Television Academy as Bruce Miller’s adaptation earned 13 nominations, including Best Drama Series and two surprising Supporting Actress in a Drama Series nods for not only Ann Dowd, but Samira Wiley. Elizabeth Moss also was recognized (probably the safest bet for the show) along with Reed Morano who directed the first three episodes. Blessed are these fruits indeed.
Worst: “The Americans” and “Transparent” not in lead categories
You could argue this wasn’t “The Americans” most stellar season, but it was a shock to not see it among the six nominees in the Best Drama Series category. Jill Soloway’s “Transparent” had some ups and downs in its third go around, but it’s highs were transcendent so missing out on a Comedy Series nod was head-scratching (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” seemed to snag the slot instead). Considering both series earned four and seven nods respectively there is hope for a comeback next year, but…
Best: “Westworld” came from behind
If you were to talk to any Emmy pundit or publicist, the one contender they thought was dead on arrival was “Westworld.” HBO’s hit series had sort of faded from the public consciousness since its fall run and it didn’t perform as strongly at the year-end guild honors as “Stranger Things” or “The Crown.” Instead, the Sci-Fi tale shocked by earning 22 nominations (tied with “Saturday Night Live”). Not only did Evan Rachel Wood knock Mandy Moore from the Best Actress in a Drama mix, but Anthony Hopkins, Thandie Newton and Jeffrey Wright earned nods too. Is “Westworld” the odds-on favorite to take the top prize? We’ll see, but it’s a huge win for HBO who has Netflix nipping at its heels ready to snag its long-held Emmy nominations crown.
Best: Ann Dowd
Talent can rise to the top. Not only did Dowd earn a nomination for her guest role on “The Leftovers,” but she snagged a Supporting Actress in a Drama nomination for “The Handmaid’s Tale.” These are Dowd’s first Emmy nominations and they couldn’t have come at a better or more deserving time.
Best and Worst: The love for “Saturday Night Live”
Listen. Alec Baldwin, Kate McKinnon, Melissa McCarthy and the writers of “SNL” all deserve a ton of praise this year and their nominations are well deserved. That being said, did four different hosts (Dave Chappelle, Tom Hanks, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Kristen Wiig) need nominations too? Frankly, 22 seem a bit much. We’re happy for the “SNL” crew but even they have to think this is slightly overboard.
Worst: “Fleabag,” “Insecure,” “Underground” and “Legion” snubbed
There are a ton of great shows in this PeakTV era and it was disheartening to see absolutely no love for critical standouts such as “Fleabag,” “Insecure,” “Underground” and “Legion.” Three out of the four will return so there’s always next year (“Underground” was cancelled by WGN), but the idea that Issa Rae couldn’t snag a Best Actress in a Comedy Series nomination or that “Legion” was unable to earn Production Design, Cinematography, Sound or Visual Effects recognition, shows just how tough every Emmy category is these days.
Best: “This Is Us” makes history
It’s hard to believe, but the last time a network TV drama earned a nomination in the Outstanding Drama Series category was in 2011 (CBS’ “The Good Wife”). The last time NBC earned a nomination in this category was 10 years ago for – of all things – “Heroes.” “This Is Us” flipped the script earning 11 nominations including an unexpected nod for Milo Ventimiglia. Sadly, Moore was unable to crack the Best Actress in a Drama field, but overall it was a huge day for the biggest hit NBC’s had in years.
