“Mrs. Davis” is perhaps one of the most surprising and unconventional new series of the spring – and now it’s also taking a surprising and unconventional step in the Emmy race. As the Television Academy’s category submission deadline ends today, Peacock decided to make a last-minute change and move the series into the limited/anthology series categories.
Betty Gilpin stars in “Mrs. Davis” as Simone, a sometimes nun who takes her nemesis, the artificial intelligence known only as “Mrs. Davis,” and strikes a deal with the algorithm – which promises to stop if Simone finds and destroys the Holy Grail.This exploration of faith and technology comes from executive producers Tara Hernandez (“The Big Bang Theory”) and Damon Lindelof (“The Leftovers”).
“Mrs. Davis” ends its eight-episode series with the finale “The Final Intercut: So I’m Your Horse,” on May 18. . Davis” has moved to limited. As of now, there is no of plans on the books for a second season of “Mrs. Davis,” but it’s believed the series would return, if needed, with new stories and characters.
Limited’s touching “Ms. Davis” also absolves the show of questioning whether it’s more suited to dramatic or comedic runs. While a dramatic story filled with existential questions, “Mrs. Davis” is also filled with absurdity and plenty of comedy – hence the debate from the start about where the show should compete.
Of course, the limited run is also not as competitive with the high-end titles as the dramatic competition – perhaps giving “Mrs. Davis” a better chance of attracting attention at certain awards. The show garnered critical praise, including a positive nod from Variety Alison Herman, who noted that “’Mrs. Davis has a playful tone that helps counter his metaphysical reach. The show is currently “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes, with a score of 90%.
As part of the move to limited/anthology, Gilpin will now compete as a lead actress in a limited series. The supporting cast in a limited series are Jake McDorman, Andy McQueen, Chris Diamantopoulos, Tom Wlaschiha, David Arquette, and Ben Chaplin. In supporting actress in a limited series will be Elizabeth Marvel, Katja Herbers, Margo Martindale and Mathilde Ollivier.
Warner Bros. TV is the studio behind the Peacock series. Besides executive producers Hernandez and Lindelof, others include executive producer/director Owen Harris (“Black Mirror: San Junipero”) and executive producer/director Alethea Jones (“Evil”).
In limited/anthology, “Mrs. Davis” will now face competitors such as Netflix’s “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”, Apple TV+’s “Black Bird”, Prime Video’s “Daisy Jones and the Six”, HBO’s White House Plumbers and Netflix’s ‘Beef’ – another show that could have gone into drama or comedy before settling on limited.