Tuesday’s Emmy nominations included some surprises and slights.
GOODBYE, “THIS IS US”
This may bring “This Is Us” fans to tears: The show will enter television’s twilight without ever having won an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series.
The tear-jerking NBC production has earned Emmy Awards for actors Gerald McRaney, Sterling K. Brown and Ron Cephas Jones, but has never been crowned best drama. Last season was its sixth and final season and this time it earned just one nomination, for best original music and lyrics.
“This Is Us” tells the story of the Pearson family through several generations through flashbacks, present and future moments. Starring Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley and Brown, it premiered on NBC in 2016.
While some complained that the series was manipulative and too soap-opera-like, it did tackle real issues like the loss of a parent, struggles with pregnancy, depression, drug addiction, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity , coming out of the closet and interracial adoption.
It was nominated several times for best drama (2021, 2019, 2018 and 2017), but lost to series like “Game of Thrones”, “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “The Crown”.
NOT JUST A GAME
“Squid Game,” Netflix’s brutal survival drama about desperate adults who compete in deadly children’s games for a chance to escape debt, won in its bid to become the first non-English-language production to be nominated for best series. dramatic.
The grim and disturbing series from South Korea features hundreds of men and women on the brink of financial ruin competing in a deadly battle for approximately $38 million in cash. Each game is a traditional Korean children’s game like “red light, green light”, but the consequence of losing is death. The winner is the person who beats all opponents.
It remains the most popular series on Netflix, becoming its first to cross the 1 billion hour mark, and in its first year it received 14 Emmy nominations. Its cultural impact was almost immediate: people dressed up in pink jumpsuits as the guards from “Squid Game” on Halloween, TikTok challenges were launched, and memes flooded social media.
The success of “Squid Game” comes three years after South Korean film “Parasite” won the best picture Oscar, overcoming what its director Bong Joon-ho called the “one-inch subtitle barrier.” ”.
LASSO REMAINS STABLE
A slump after last year’s success was perfectly understandable, but “Ted Lasso,” the most-nominated comedy series debut in history, held its own among Emmy voters.
The Jason Sudeikis-starring comedy earned 20 nominations, the same number as its debut last year, and is on pace to win seven trophies, including best comedy series and best actor.
“Ted Lasso” follows an American football manager who takes charge of an elite soccer team in England despite having little knowledge of the game. Sudeikis’s Lasso may be a fish out of water, but he is relentlessly optimistic and kind, armed with homespun wisdom in the face of hostility.
If the first season set the tone and characters, the second tried to dig deeper and explore what the creators had already built on, with many supporting characters finding their voices. The dedication to developing the characters meant that the second season largely abandoned the overarching plot of the club’s success. A third, and final, season is anticipated.
The success of the series may be due in part to the world reeling from the devastating effects of COVID-19, and Lasso’s homespun catchphrases and kindness in the face of adversity seemed to strike a chord.
NATHAN LANE’S WINNING STREAK
Nathan Lane has made history as the most Emmy-nominated comedy guest actor.
The three-time Tony Award winner surpassed the late Fred Willard for the most nominations in the category for his work on “Only Murders in the Building,” with six nominations to Willard’s five.
Lane has yet to win a Primetime Emmy, though she has received two Daytime Emmys for her voice work on “Timon and Pumbaa” and “Teacher’s Pet.” He has been nominated for Best Comedy Guest Actor six times and Best Drama Guest Actor once. His previous comedy nominations have been for his work on “Frasier,” “Mad About You” and “Modern Family.”
In “Only Murders in the Building,” Martin Short, Steve Martin and Selena Gomez play true crime podcast fans who solve a murder in their apartment building. Lane plays a deli chain owner and podcast sponsor who hides his own dark secrets.
Lane has won Tony Awards for the Broadway shows “Angels in America,” “The Producers,” and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” He also has a SAG Award from the Screen Actors Guild for his work in “The Birdcage.”
AN ELEMENTARY OPTION
Mainstream television is dead, isn’t it? “Abbott Elementary” proves once again that she is not.
The hilarious documentary parody became the first ABC sitcom to quadruple its ratings since its premiere and earned seven Emmy nominations. “Abbott Elementary” follows a documentary crew as they film the lives of teachers and students at a struggling and underfunded Philadelphia school.
She was nominated for Best Comedy Series, Comedy Writing, Cast and Performance for the work of Tyler James Williams, Janelle James and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
It was created and written by comedian Quinta Brunson, who also plays Janine Teagues and was nominated for an actress Tuesday. Brunson previously appeared on “A Black Lady Sketch Show” and “Big Mouth,” and is currently working on the script for the second season of “Abbott Elementary.” The series airs on ABC and Hulu.
“Abbott Elementary” is a workplace comedy in the vein of “The Office” or “Superstore” and achieved ABC’s highest ratings since the end of “Modern Family.” At one point, it was the most talked about TV sitcom on Twitter of the year.