Here we go ! After months of FYC campaigning – robust events before May Day, then a bit different (with writers obviously absent) after the WGA strike began – we now wait. Television Academy voters will hopefully consider everything they’ve watched over the past few months when making their selections, and when the nominations are announced on July 12, we’ll find out just how phase 1 of barnstorming was a success.
If this year’s Emmy ballots are any indication, the era of Peak TV may truly be over – something FX boss John Landgraf has of course been predicting for some time. There are 163 dramas, 95 comedies and 51 limited/anthology series that have been submitted – up from 171 dramas, 118 comedies and 61 limited/anthology series last year. That’s still a lot of TV, but with fewer contenders, more dark horses may come into their own.
Regular readers of this column have seen me cringe for some favorites over the years, including righting the injustice of “Better Call Saul” never winning an Emmy. But as you head to the virtual Emmy ballot box, there are a few other worthy entrants I think you should keep in mind.
Let’s start with the full selection of comedies that make you feel something, that really give you a sense of character and place. Not easy to do in this age of short episodic orders, yet HBO’s “Somebody Somewhere” does it well. Just like “Dave” from FX.
These are throwback shows that I already knew would transport me to a place and people I wanted to visit. Of the new shows, Netflix’s “Mo” was a pleasant surprise. Comedian Mohammed Amer stars as a fictionalized version of himself, a Palestinian refugee whose family now lives in Houston and struggles with the bureaucracy that comes with trying to gain asylum. In the meantime, Mo’s undocumented status limits his opportunities as he struggles to earn a living. It’s a story we haven’t been able to see on TV until recently, and it resonates.
I spoke with Amer (whose comedy has been renewed for a second and final season), and he said his inspiration came from “telling meaningful stories.” This one happens to be something I experienced first hand. I want to keep telling other really nuanced, important and different stories, preferably something that’s never been done before. I’m just trying to stick to my own experience.
This impulse is something you also see in “Reservation Dogs,” the FX series that won critical acclaim but deserves more Emmys attention. When people ask me for a TV recommendation, I often ask them if they’ve seen “Rez Dogs” — and prepare them for the trip they’ll be taking with this group of teens on a reservation in Oklahoma, crying losing their best friend and dreaming of completing his quest to get to California and the ocean. Creators Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi have crafted a story that anyone with family, friends or family friends can relate to – but through the lens of Indigenous children who are part of the culture but also of the children who eat a lot of Sonic.
Another series I often suggest is Apple TV+’s “For All Mankind,” whose alternate-history narration fires my imagination. What if the space race had continued, and what impact might that have had on society and technology? Each season, the show’s writers get more creative with what the world might have looked like. And among the actors who stood out for me this year, I can’t get enough of Josh Segarra, who has arguably the best smile on TV, via Max’s “The Other Two” and “The Big Door Prize” from ‘Apple TV+.
This is just a preview of what I think you should consider when marking your Emmy ballot before next Monday’s deadline. No pressure.