If I Was the Only One Who Voted for the Emmys, Vol. 2
They might be the only Emmys we’ll have.
The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards are probably still going to happen, albeit remotely. But their fate is entirely removed from the fate of my own annual celebration of the year in television: If I Was the Only One Who Voted for the Emmys! That’s right, we’re back for the second year of one of my favorite, most fun things to write (and you can check out last year’s here. How has it been a year already?). This year, there’s also a few changes. For one, I’ve set the new cut-off date as officially the last day of June, June 30. Last year, I let Stranger Things and Big Little Lies slide in (that’s why they don’t appear in this piece), but there is now a hard limit enforced! That means Floor Is Lava can compete for this piece, but Into the Unknown: Making Frozen II and “Zac Efron Learns about Earth” will have to wait until Vol. 3. Additionally, I have combined the categories of specials and television movies into one because there were not enough entrants to justify having two categories. (There is also one new category you’ll hear about later.) Lastly, the categories for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Comedy Series will each feature eight nominees for the first time because the actual Emmys allowed for this, too! My anxiety about leaving shows out is very grateful for that. It was a great year for television and I’m excited to celebrate it here, even if the 2020–21 season is going to create quite the dearth. We needn’t worry about that now, though. For now, let’s just celebrate the year that was!
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series
“Adam Driver/Halsey” by Michael Che, Colin Jost, and Kent Sublette (Saturday Night Live)
“Eddie Murphy/Lizzo” by Michael Che, Colin Jost, and Kent Sublette (Saturday Night Live)
“Kristen Bell and Judd Apatow” by Nedaa Sweiss (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon)
“Timothee Chalamet and Cynthia Erivo” by Alex Baze (Late Night with Seth Meyers)
“Waterfront Wanted in Florida” by Natasha Leggero, Dan Levy, and John Mulaney (House Hunters: Comedians on Couches)
The Tonight Show pulled off an impressive Disney medley. Seth Meyers took to asking Karen Chee if she knew what dumb things from the ’80s and ’90s are. House Hunters embraced the remote entertainment concepts. Adam Driver delivered a killer, “Aw man, I’m all outta cash!” But there’s no denying that Eddie Murphy returning to SNL was the highlight of variety series this year. They said it couldn’t happen, but it did! And the return of characters like Gumby and Mr. Robinson managed to exceed expectations.
Last Year’s Winner: “Searching for Mr. Larson: A Love Letter from the Far Side” by Duffy Boudreau and Bill Hader (Documentary Now!)
Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special
“First Time in Saint Disgrace” by Andy Greenwald (Briarpatch)
John Mulaney and Marika Sawyer (John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch)
Michael Schur, Megan Amram, Dave King, Joe Mande, Aisha Muharrar, Matt Murray, and Jen Statsky (A Parks and Recreation Special)
“Run” by Vicky Jones (Run)
“When the Doorman Is Your Main Man” by John Carney (Modern Love)
It was hard to narrow down certain selections from Briarpatch and Run, both of which could have easily had two nominees in this list. (I just couldn’t leave out the return of Parks and an incredible special from Mulaney, though.) Ultimately, the honor goes to the first episode of Modern Love, which was far and away the best episode. Based on a “Modern Love” column that has always been one of my favorites, “When the Doorman Is Your Main Man” perfectly scratched the itch of thematic human connection and forging a bond with your doorman. Trust me — it’s a magical trope.
Last Year’s Winner: “The Bent-Neck Lady” by Meredith Averill (The Haunting of Hill House)
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
“Bad Choice Road” by Thomas Schnauz (Better Call Saul)
“Dundee” by Mary Laws (Succession)
“Episode 5” by Pamela Cederquist and Liz Hannah (Mindhunter)
“This Is Not for Tears” by Jesse Armstrong (Succession)
“Uptown” by E.T. Feigenbaum and Zoe Kravitz (High Fidelity)
I’m currently in the weeds on a massive television project (hence why Saoirse Ronan Deserves an Oscar has not been up to much lately), which involved rewatching “This Is Not for Tears” from Succession. All of the episodes here are remarkable, in both plotting and feeling, but Succession was a cut above. The second watch was even more riveting than the first, if that’s somehow possible. No show bridged unseen gaps like Succession managed to do, tying the various threads of the first two seasons into an explosive ending. Plus, it managed to have some laugh lines (“Sails out, nails out, bro”) and some heartbreaking scenes (Tom’s speech to Shiv is a big one).
Last Year’s Winner: “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” by Bryan Cogman (Game of Thrones)
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
“Dillman” by Paul Welsh and Madeline Walter (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
“… had to be on my best behavior” by Matt Warburton (Never Have I Ever)
“On the Run” by Stefani Robinson (What We Do in the Shadows)
“There’s a Certain Slant of Light” by Hayes Davenport (Dickinson)
“Whenever You’re Ready” by Michael Schur (The Good Place)
Get ready to see a lot of The Good Place in this piece. Brooklyn maintained its streak of high-quality, high-concept installments, rather than procedural cases of the week. Never Have I Ever burst onto the scene with a slew of remarkable episodes that built to this emotional cacophony, pitting all characters against one another. Dickinson also bowed in this television season, bringing an intense pathos to the reclusive poet. Shadows took us to the depths of what you can do with vampires by introducing Jackie Daytona. But the finale of The Good Place not only managed to be funny, it managed to make people feel more at peace with death. How can an episode like that not win?
Last Year’s Winner: “Honeymoon” by Neil Campbell (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series
“Brad Pitt/Miley Cyrus” by Don Roy King (Saturday Night Live)
“The Disney Family Singalong” by Hamish Hamilton (The Disney Family Singalong Series)
“Parking Lot Wedding” by Ryan Polito (Middleditch and Schwartz)
“Paul Rudd Does a Historic Dab While Eating Spicy Wings” by Kai Streets (Hot Ones)
“Valentine’s Day” by Ryan McFaul (At Home with Amy Sedaris)
Middleditch and Schwartz, Hot Ones, and At Home all have episodes here that were directed pre-quarantine. The SNL and Disney additions, however, were all conducted remotely. And they had really high production quality! I was impressed with the direction from afar and how the seasoned veterans made the transition to directing over Zoom. SNL impressed me the most, though. The first remote episode featured Tom Hanks and Coldplay and it was solid, but stilted. The learning curve arced upwards for the second installment, though, which felt almost as normal as live episode. Kudos to King.
Last Year’s Winner: “Lin-Manuel Miranda and the Hamilton Cast, José Andrés, and Bad Bunny” by Dave Diomedi (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon)
Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special
“Episode 8” by Hettie Macdonald (Normal People)
Chris Howe (The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show)
“Kiss” by Kate Dennis (Run)
“Phyllis” by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (Mrs. America)
Paul Dugdale (Taylor Swift: City of Lover Concert)
This category was surprisingly hard to narrow down, but I’m happy where we settled. “Episode 8” from Normal People took viewers to Europe and “Kiss” from Run took us to the backwoods of vague middle America. “Phyllis” from Mrs. America took us to the early ERA movement and The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show took us to the musician-hosted television specials for the holidays of the 1960s. Ultimately, I was the most impressed with the concert short from Taylor Swift, based around the music from her 2019 album, Lover. The shots of Taylor are stunning and she is always framed in the most cinematic ways. For a star so massive, this concert was intimate and Dugdale’s flair reflected that.
Last Year’s Winner: “Two Storms” by Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House)
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
“Chapter 8: Redemption” by Taika Waititi (The Mandalorian)
“Episode 10” by David Fincher (Mindhunter)
“Fun Rob” by Chioke Nassor (High Fidelity)
“Something Unforgivable” by Peter Gould (Better Call Saul)
“This Is Not for Tears” by Mark Mylod (Succession)
The Mandalorian does have the advantage of being a flashier, more sci-fi-oriented series, so the directing will always be more noticeable on something like that than on High Fidelity. However, the season finale of The Mandalorian genuinely had impeccable direction, regardless of genre and spectacle. Part of this comes from Taika Waititi, who is one of the best filmmakers working today. The other part comes from the amount of pay-offs set up for the show as it wound to its first season conclusion. Mylod, Gould, Nassor, and Fincher (one of the best, too) all lived up to their talents, but Waititi stepped in and nailed it.
Last Year’s Winner: “The Bells” by Miguel Sapochnik (Game of Thrones)
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
“Nouveau Theatre des Vampires” by Kyle Newacheck (What We Do in the Shadows)
“The Auditions” by Tamra Davis (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series)
“Outward Bound” by Anya Adams (GLOW)
“Whenever You’re Ready” by Michael Schur (The Good Place)
“Zoey’s Extraordinary Dad” by Adam Davidson and Jon Turteltaub (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist)
Maybe there’s something in the directing water of Disney Plooos. Both Mando and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series had remarkable direction throughout their initial season runs. (There were, like, three episodes of HSM that could’ve warranted consideration here.) I loved the intimate direction of GLOW’s camping episode and the stunning oners in Zoey’s and Shadows. Obviously, Schur created a number of iconic shots in his finale for The Good Place, too. But I’m still floored by the moment in HSM when Nini sings “Start of Something New” and transforms into a solo artist on the stage in Gabriella’s red dress. It was not just the start of something new; it was the start of something gorgeous.
Last Year’s Winner: “ronny/lily” by Bill Hader (Barry)
Outstanding Episode of Television
“Bad Choice Road” (Better Call Saul)
“Eddie Murphy/Lizzo” (Saturday Night Live)
“Episode 5” (Mindhunter)
“On the Run” (What We Do in the Shadows)
“Run” (Run)
“This Is Not for Tears” (Succession)
“The View from Halfway Down” (BoJack Horseman)
“What Would Walt Do?” (The Imagineering Story)
“When the Doorman Is Your Main Man” (Modern Love)
“Whenever You’re Ready” (The Good Place)
Wow. So many great episodes are here and from so many different genres. I watched them, in order, in April 2020, December 2019, September 2020, May 2020, April 2020, October 2019, February 2020, November 2019, November 2019, and January 2020. It wasn’t the best of years (the past couple months have been especially rough), but I have fond nostalgia for all the times in which I witnessed these towering works of television achievement. However, the series finale of The Good Place has to be the winner. It’s skyrocketed into the pantheon of all-time great television episodes, regardless of when they were aired. It’s one of the most perfect series finales of all-time. I could say more, but I don’t want to spoil anything. You should absolutely watch it, but only if you’ve seen all four seasons first.
Last Year’s Winner: “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” (Game of Thrones)
Lifetime Achievement Award
This is the one and only new category for the year! As I did with my own Oscars, I introduced a Lifetime Achievement to recognize the work of artists I absolutely adore and have a stunning track record. That went to Richard Curtis, who claims to be retiring and has put out myriad stellar rom-coms and some of my favorite films. On the television side, it has to go to Michael Schur, who has already been well-established to be a hero of mine. Schur has worked on SNL, The Office, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Master of None. He has also created Parks and Recreation and The Good Place. He’s one of the greatest in the history of television and I have so much reverence for him. I could watch anything he makes and I could listen to him talk forever. Schur claims to be taking more of a producer role than a creator, preferring to support others’ passion projects now that he’s had his fill. That is why I wanted to give him the achievement now. He may never create another show and if he does, it won’t be for a long time. After bringing back Parks for a tear-inducing reunion to support those most impacted by he pandemic and ending The Good Place in one of the best fashions imaginable, Schur is undoubtedly worthy. Ascend to television legend status, Michael Schur!
Outstanding Host for a Reality, Competition, or Talk Series
Dave Chang (Ugly Delicious)
Jimmy Fallon (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon)
Seth Meyers (Late Night with Seth Meyers)
Amy Sedaris (At Home with Amy Sedaris)
Alex Trebek (Jeopardy!)
All of these hosts are great (a shoutout is also due to David Spade, whose short-lived Lights Out was great in spurts), but the honor has to go to Alex Trebek. Any extenuating circumstances aside, Trebek has proven time and again how deft he is as the host of Jeopardy! He is playful, but knows when to cut off a bit from one of the contestants. He is focused on delivering the questions articulately and efficiently, but understands when to throw in a joke. He’s the consummate game show host and it was never more evident than when he anchored the genuinely electrifying Greatest of All-Time Tournament between Ken Jennings, James Holzhauer, and Brad Rutter. It might have been the best sport I’ve seen all year and Trebek was an excellent referee/commentator.
Last Year’s Winner: Seth Meyers (Late Night with Seth Meyers)
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance
Will Arnett as BoJack Horseman (BoJack Horseman)
H. Jon Benjamin as Bob Belcher (Bob’s Burgers)
Beck Bennett as Launchpad McQuack (DuckTales)
Alison Brie as Diane Nguyen (BoJack Horseman)
Mandy Moore as Rapunzel (Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure)
One of the only repeat winners here, but what else is to be expected? BoJack Horseman was so far and away the best animated series on television for each of the past six years, forget about just the 2019–20 season. A lot of that is due to Arnett’s perfect performance as the titular character. He brings the sarcastic, walls-up persona that is ripped straight from the emotionally confused Gob Bluth, but also delivers a level of pathos we may have never seen in animated characters before. Arnett brought the arc of BoJack to a close seamlessly, while also lending his voice to some other equine characters with pivotal soliloquies.
Last Year’s Winner: Will Arnett as BoJack Horseman (BoJack Horseman)
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Giancarlo Esposito as Moff Gideon (The Mandalorian)
Robert Forster as Ed Galbraith (Better Call Saul)
Damon Herriman as Charles Manson (Mindhunter)
Lin-Manuel Miranda as Lee Scoresby (His Dark Materials)
Fisher Stevens as Hugo Baker (Succession)
Even though Bill Burr’s existence in The Mandalorian implies the existence of a Boston far, far away, I’m very happy with the nominees selected here. While it might have been the late Forster’s year (thanks to a turn in El Camino, as well), I had to give the nod to Herriman. Damon Herriman brought Manson to the screen in both Mindhunter and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood last summer and he was incredible in both performances. It’s a quick scene in Mindhunter, but Herriman not only nails the mannerisms and the voice of Manson, but he also puts the spotlight directly on the second season’s larger arcs. It’s a towering performance and one of the best guest spots of all-time.
Last Year’s Winner: Michael McKean as Chuck McGill (Better Call Saul)
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Laura Fraser as Lydia Rodarte-Quayle (Better Call Saul)
Holly Hunter as Rhea Jarrell (Succession)
Mindy Kaling as Audra (The Morning Show)
Parker Posey as Noreen Parker (High Fidelity)
Amy Sedaris as Peli Motto (The Mandalorian)
I never feel comfortable overlooking Mindy Kaling for an award, but as delightful as it was when she popped up in The Morning Show, the honor has to go to Holly Hunter’s turn on Succession. Hunter’s addition to the show was probably the best single-character addition to a series during the past year. She elevated the scheming elements of the series and squarely delivered the context upon which the various plots for succession rested. Rhea Jarrell was an absolute game-changer for Succession and her role in the show helped propel it as one of the best of the year.
Last Year’s Winner: Carice van Houten as Melisandre (Game of Thrones)
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Lucas Grabeel as Ryan Evans (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series)
Mark Hamill as Jim the Vampire (What We Do in the Shadows)
Jon Hamm as Himself (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
John Mulaney as Henry David Thoreau (Dickinson)
J.K. Simmons as Frank Dillman (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
Simmons was excellent for one of Brooklyn’s conceptual episodes. Hamill was unrecognizable on Shadows. Grabeel set the tear ducts flowing with his nostalgic reprisal of his famed High School Musical role. Ultimately, though, I went back and forth on Hamm and Mulaney. For one, Mulaney was delightful as the non-impressionistic, historically-accurate version of Thoreau, the author of Walden. I just ultimately had to give the nod to Hamm, in the end. As a Larry David clone, he was delightful and wholesome and always putting on a big smile. His appearance was teased all year until it finally happened in the eighth episode. It was well worth the wait.
Last Year’s Winner: Adam Sandler as Host (Saturday Night Live)
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Lake Bell as Cat Black (Medical Police)
Isla Fisher as Carol (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
Jessy Hodges as Moderator (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia)
Lisa Kudrow as Hypatia (The Good Place)
Zosia Mamet as Louisa May Alcott (Dickinson)
For this category, the winner had to be from Dickinson. The modern, anachronistic take on a well-known poet featured a revolving door of literary personas and none were as fun as Zosia Mamet portraying Alcott, the writer of Little Women. I love Hodges and Fisher and I loved how Bell and Kudrow committed to their silly roles. But Mamet was such a perfect choice for Alcott’s depiction on Dickinson. What other actor would be as perfect a fit for the dialogue prodding Nathaniel Hawthorne to eat a dick, after all?
Last Year’s Winner: Toks Olagundoye as Kemi Talbot (Veep)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Kingsley Ben-Adir as Grant (Love Life)
Alan Cumming as Clyde Brattle (Briarpatch)
Laurentiu Possa as Guzmin (Modern Love)
Timothy Simons as Candy Bar Bains (Briarpatch)
John Slattery as Fred Schlafly (Mrs. America)
Get ready for these limited series acting categories to be dominated by Mrs. America. (Seriously, James Marsden could have easily slipped in here.) For as charming as Ben-Adir and Possa were and as mischievous as Cumming and Simons were, Mrs. America was a showcase of powerhouse acting talent. John Slattery is one of the more underrated character actors we have and it is always a treat when he shows up. Even when it’s as a not-so-great man like Fred Schlafly.
Last Year’s Winner: George Clooney as Lieutenant Scheisskopf (Catch-22)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Uzo Aduba as Shirley Chisholm (Mrs. America)
Rose Byrne as Gloria Steinem (Mrs. America)
Zoe Chao as Sara Yang (Love Life)
Rebecca Rittenhouse as Ainsley Howard (Four Weddings and a Funeral)
Tracey Ullman as Betty Friedan (Mrs. America)
Elizabeth Banks, Sarah Paulson, Margon Martindale, and more could’ve easily filled out this category from Mrs. America, but instead, I limited myself to Aduba, Byrne, and Ullman. The true scene-stealer of Mrs. America was Rose Byrne. (Does the number one billed supporting actor count as a scene-stealer? Regardless, she was the best part of Mrs. America.) I love Rose Byrne and she’s always been one of my favorite actors. It was not only reassuring to see her appear in something of this high quality, but it was also awesome to see her inhabit the cool passion of Gloria Steinem in every frame.
Last Year’s Winner: Aya Cash as Joan Simon (Fosse/Verdon)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Kieran Culkin as Roman Roy (Succession)
Tony Dalton as Lalo Salamanca (Better Call Saul)
Matthew Macfadyen as Tom Wambsgans (Succession)
Michael Mando as Nacho Varga (Better Call Saul)
Holt McCallany as Bill Tench (Mindhunter)
We heard about Lalo when Saul Goodman was first introduced on Breaking Bad. Who’d have thought that, all these years later, he would blaze his way into the crime series’ prequel and become the most gripping part of the fifth season of Better Call Saul? Lalo helped ratchet up the tension as one of the universe’s best villains ever created and he also bridged the gap between the legal jargon of Saul and the criminal thrills of Breaking Bad. The other actors were riveting, delightful, and fun to watch in equal measure. But they can’t compare to the great Tony Dalton.
Last Year’s Winner: Joe Keery as Steve “The Hair” Harrington (Stranger Things)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret (The Crown)
Gina Carano as Cara Dune (The Mandalorian)
Sierra McClain as Tanya Clifton (Mindhunter)
J. Smith-Cameron as Gerri Kellman (Succession)
Ruth Wilson as Marisa Coulter (His Dark Materials)
I was not super big on His Dark Materials and it mostly has play in these categories because I finally threw in the towel on Killing Eve and The Handmaid’s Tale. However, Ruth Wilson was genuinely awesome to watch on the BBC-HBO hybrid adaptation series. All of these actors turned in excellent performances, but Wilson proved that she is still one of the most underrated actors working today. We need her in more things!
Last Year’s Winner: Maisie Williams as Arya Stark (Game of Thrones)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher as Captain Raymond Holt (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
Manny Jacinto as Jason Mendoza (The Good Place)
William Jackson Harper as Chidi Anagonye (The Good Place)
Marc Maron as Sam Sylvia (GLOW)
J.B. Smoove as Leon Black (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
Remember when I talked about a Mrs. America juggernaut in the supporting categories? Well, by now it should be clear that The Good Place is a runaway freight train. At first, Jacinto seemed primed for the award over Harper, due to the fact that Chidi was sidelined for the sake of a sacrificial story line. However, when it comes time for Chidi to wake up, we dive further into his character than we experienced with anyone else on The Good Place. He carried that episode, “The Answer,” all on his own and then worked to save the entire human race. When Chidi’s character arc came to a conclusion, it was clear that Harper deserved the trophy.
Last Year’s Winner: Timothy Simons as Jonah Ryan (Veep)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
D’Arcy Carden as Janet (The Good Place)
Natasia Demetriou as Nadja (What We Do in the Shadows)
Betty Gilpin as Debbie Eagan (GLOW)
Jameela Jamil as Tahani Al-Jamil (The Good Place)
Kaitlin Olson as Dee Reynolds (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia)
As much as I loved both Jamil and Carden, this category is not The Good Place’s to win. Instead, that honor goes to What We Do in the Shadows, on the heels of a stellar second season and a stellar performance from Natasia Demetriou. Every vampire on Shadows has a valid claim for being the funniest actor working on television today. But Demetriou’s claim might just be the strongest. Every word out of Nadja’s mouth is hysterical and Demetriou inhabits her so perfectly. She’s the true unsung hero of Shadows. (Though, they’re all amazing.)
Last Year’s Winner: D’Arcy Carden as Janet (The Good Place)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Jay R. Ferguson as Jake Spivey (Briarpatch)
Domhnall Gleeson as Billy Johnson (Run)
Paul Mescal as Connell Waldron (Normal People)
Dev Patel as Joshua (Modern Love)
Nikesh Patel as Kash (Four Weddings and a Funeral)
Yes, I was a big fan of Run. Paul Mescal probably brought the most heartbreak to his performance and Dev Patel, the most swagger. Nikesh Patel was the most modern performer and Jay R. Ferguson, the most anachronistic. Domhnall, though? He brought all of these at once en route to crafting the character of Billy, an utter schmuck who always feels the need to say the most arrogant thing possible. No one is better in romance stories than Gleeson and he flexed that talent to never-before-seen territory in Run.
Last Year’s Winner: Michiel Huisman as Steven Crain (The Haunting of Hill House)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Cate Blanchett as Phyllis Schlafly (Mrs. America)
Rosario Dawson as Allegra Dill (Briarpatch)
Anne Hathaway as Lexi Donohoe (Modern Love)
Anna Kendrick as Darby Carter (Love Life)
Merritt Wever as Ruby Richardson (Run)
Even better than Gleeson, though, was Wever. This category was also quite challenging to narrow down (I tried and failed to find room for Daisy Edgar-Jones), but that’s just for the nominees. The winner was clear. Hathaway was revelatory, Kendrick was perfectly cast, Dawson was delightful in her leading role, and Blanchett was undeniably great. But Wever embodied every emotion and feeling at the same time. Her acting talents are a perfect marriage with the creative sensibilities of Vicky Jones and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. I was endlessly in awe of Wever’s abilities. It might just be my favorite performance of the entire season.
Last Year’s Winner: Michelle Williams as Gwen Verdon (Fosse/Verdon)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Brian Cox as Logan Roy (Succession)
Jonathan Groff as Holden Ford (Mindhunter)
Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman (Better Call Saul)
Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin (The Mandalorian)
Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy (Succession)
In the real Emmys, Strong and Cox would probably split the vote and allow someone else to take the hardware home. In my ceremony, I’m the only one voting and I have to cast my ballot for Strong. Odenkirk is always phenomenal and it’s almost a given at this point. Pascal was tons of fun, even if he wasn’t always the one pulling off the stunts. And, obviously, Groff forever. But Strong just plays the railroaded fool perfectly throughout the Succession season, rapping and sobbing his way to Logan Roy’s trust. In the final moments of the season, Strong elevates his abilities to the Jon Hamm-Bryan Cranston-Michael K. Williams tier. The dude really be the O-G.
Last Year’s Winner: Kit Harington as Jon Snow (Game of Thrones)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II (The Crown)
Zoe Kravitz as Rob (High Fidelity)
Rhea Seehorn as Kim Wexler (Better Call Saul)
Sarah Snook as Shiv Roy (Succession)
Anna Torv as Dr. Wendy Carr (Mindhunter)
It was an interesting experiment when The Crown made a time jump to sub out Claire Foy for Olivia Colman. I’d never say no to more Foy, but I’d never say no to Colman either. Sarah Snook and Anna Torv both thrived in the expanded roles given to their respective characters. Zoe Kravitz proved how fun she is to hang out with in the occasionally directionless, but always worthwhile High Fidelity. However, the award belongs to Seehorn. (And so help me God if the real Emmys deny her once again, there will be a monologue yelled at Tony Dalton to pay.) Kim Wexler might low-key be the best character in the extended Breaking universe and it’s all because Seehorn is a genuine revelation. No one deserves an Emmy nod more than she does.
Last Year’s Winner: Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen (Game of Thrones)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Matt Berry as Laszlo (What We Do in the Shadows)
Ted Danson as Michael (The Good Place)
Larry David as Himself (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
Thomas Middleditch as Richard Hendricks (Silicon Valley)
Andy Samberg as Jake Peralta (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
This is a category of reliable players. These actors are solid in everything they do, but perhaps none are as truly solid as Ted Danson. One of the all-time television greats, Danson has truly carved out his place on the medium’s Mount Rushmore. The Good Place just pushed him over the top. Much of the philosophy and redemption from the show (that was not saved for Chidi and Eleanor, respectively) flowed through Michael and Danson was always chewing up the scenes whenever he was on screen. Dapper and always learning to be better, Danson just keeps adding to his resume. But it might not get better than his turn as Michael. Keep it sleazy.
Last Year’s Winner: Rob McElhenney as Mac (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Kristen Bell as Eleanor Shellstrop (The Good Place)
Jane Levy as Zoey Clarke (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist)
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi Vishwakumar (Never Have I Ever)
Olivia Rodrigo as Nini Salazar-Roberts (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series)
Hailee Steinfeld as Emily Dickinson (Dickinson)
And, of course. It had to be Bell. Like Schur, Kristen Bell claims that she will take a bit of a break from acting, but what a note to go out on for this phase of her career. As the lead of The Good Place, Bell subverted her sweetness into an Arizona trash bag who had to learn to claim that sweetness right back. Like Louis-Dreyfus last year, Bell is a beloved veteran who deserves this trophy on the series’ way out. But fear not. Every other nominee comes from a show in its first season. Levy was a perfect lead, Rodrigo was endlessly fun to root for, Steinfeld was literally flawless, and Ramakrishnan is the unknown find of the entire year. Bell and Louis-Dreyfus went out on top, but the future of this category (all of these shows have second seasons on the way) is in incredibly good hands.
Last Year’s Winner: Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer (Veep)
Outstanding Reality or Competition Program
Floor Is Lava
The Imagineering Story
Jeopardy!
Ugly Delicious
The Voice
I’m not entirely sure if a documentary series counts as a “reality” series, but does it get more reality than a true story? Perhaps not! Anyway, The Imagineering Story was one of my favorite television series of all-time so it runs away with this category. The Voice had Nick Jonas coaching Allegra Miles and Thunderstorm Artis and Jeopardy! had Ken Jennings winning an electrifying championship with insane clues, but the answer is clear. Any six-episode Disney Plooos series that takes us inside the Utilidors at the Magic Kingdom is the champion. If only it was eligible for more categories!
Last Year’s Winner: Crikey! It’s the Irwins!
Outstanding Variety Special/Television Movie
John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch
The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show
My Favorite Shapes by Julio Torres
A Parks and Recreation Special
Taylor Swift: City of Lover Concert
It was hard to exclude the stand-up specials of Seth Meyers and Jenny Slate from this batch, but it was honestly such a strong year! A Taylor Swift concert documentary! An inventive Julio Torres stand-up with Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, and Lin-Manuel Miranda! A Kacey Musgraves Christmas music special! A reunion of Parks and Recreation! I mean, really. Does it get better? Apparently it does because John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch was one of the best things Netflix (and Mulaney) has ever done. Mr. Music alone would win the trophy, but the entire special congealed incredibly.
Last Year’s Winner: Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh
Outstanding Limited Series
Briarpatch
Love Life
Mrs. America
Normal People
Run
I know some of these count as anthology series, but I think those are still limited? I don’t know. There are so many rules that change constantly in the world of television. I can hardly keep track of it all. If Briarpatch hadn’t been canceled, I’d be curious to see what the sequel Ross Thomas story would look like. For Love Life, I’m curious about the story we’ll see on HBO Max next. Mrs. America and Normal People were both distinctly limited and distinctly enrapturing. But the honor has to go to Run. I anticipated each episode so much and I was just delighted endlessly by the concept. I’ve written about it plenty, but this was the year of Run in this category. For me anyway.
Last Year’s Winner: The Haunting of Hill House
Outstanding Variety Series
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Middleditch and Schwartz
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Saturday Night Live
Some Good News
Every year, I rebuke the Emmys for overlooking such perennially fun talk shows as Late Night and The Tonight Show. And yet, here I am doing the same thing! Can I help it? Middleditch and Schwartz was three episodes of delightful, hilarious, satisfying improv comedy. And that’s a rare thing! Some Good News had some fun reunions of the Red Sox, The Office, and Hamilton, but I derived a great deal of pleasure from Middleditch and Schwartz over all. Hopefully, there will still be more to come from it.
Last Year’s Winner: Documentary Now!
Outstanding Animated Series
Bob’s Burgers
BoJack Horseman
DuckTales
Legend of the Three Caballeros
Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure
Maybe it’s for the best that I only started my own version of the Emmys this year. If I’d started it six years ago, BoJack would have won this category every single time. It was just so far and away the best animated series on television that it still blows me away. How could one show be so gutting and so silly? BoJack remained that way until the end. While Disney’s cartoons improve every day and Bob’s Burgers remains consistently great, we have to spend this year bidding farewell to one of the greats. BoJack has now wrapped up its series officially. And what a run it had. Rest now, BoJack Horseman. The victory lap is yours.
Last Year’s Winner: BoJack Horseman
Outstanding Drama Series
Better Call Saul
The Crown
High Fidelity
His Dark Materials
The Mandalorian
Mindhunter
The Morning Show
Succession
Now we’re here at the categories that finally allow for eight nominees. It makes for quite the batch right here! Each of these shows made for fun viewing experiences during the year, but ultimately it came down to Saul v. Succession. I was absolutely in awe of what the team behind Saul pulled off this year and, for the first time, I might genuinely believe it’s better than Breaking Bad. However, Succession could not be denied. The first season of Succession was fun enough, but the second season was just a juggernaut in every capacity. It’s vaulted up the list of my favorite series as a result of that arc and I am thrilled to see where it goes next. May we always grab a piece of Logan Roy’s chicken.
Last Year’s Winner: Game of Thrones
Outstanding Comedy Series
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Dickinson
The Good Place
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Never Have I Ever
What We Do in the Shadows
Expect anything different? I guess I’m just a sucker for shows in their final seasons, especially when they go out on the top of their game like The Good Place did. Each of these shows were funny and gorgeous and innovative in their own ways, but The Good Place just had to go out on top. One of the last bastions of network creativity, Michael Schur’s philosophical comedy-drama about the meaning of life remains one of the most complete and one of the best shows I’ve witnessed in my entire existence. From their spy thriller episode to the entire installment dedicated to Chidi to an astounding endgame, this season of The Good Place had all the fun and still managed to focus on thematic brilliance. Every episode left me stunned and enlightened in a way I’d never experienced before. That’s so rare. And rarity like that has to be awarded.
Last Year’s Winner: Veep
Those are my Emmy hopes that will never come to be. But what are yours, all two of you who read this thing?
Most Nominations
Succession (13)
The Good Place (11)
Better Call Saul (10)
Mindhunter (9)
Mrs. America, What We Do in the Shadows (7)
Briarpatch, The Mandalorian, Run (6)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Dickinson, High Fidelity, Modern Love, Saturday Night Live (5)
BoJack Horseman, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Love Life (4)
The Crown, GLOW, His Dark Materials, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Late Night with Seth Meyers, Never Have I Ever, Normal People, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (3)
At Home with Amy Sedaris, Bob’s Burgers, DuckTales, Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Imagineering Story, Jeopardy!, John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch, The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show, Middleditch and Schwartz, The Morning Show, A Parks and Recreation Special, Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure, Taylor Swift: City of Lover Concert, Ugly Delicious, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (2)
The Disney Family Sing Along Series, Floor Is Lava, Hot Ones, House Hunters: Comedians on Couches, Legend of the Three Caballeros, Medical Police, My Favorite Shapes by Julio Torres, Silicon Valley, Some Good News, The Voice (1)
Most Wins
The Good Place (6)
Succession (4)
Run (3)
Better Call Saul, BoJack Horseman, Mrs. America, Saturday Night Live (2)
Curb Your Enthusiasm, Dickinson, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, His Dark Materials, The Imagineering Story, Jeopardy!, John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch, The Mandalorian, Middleditch and Schwartz, Mindhunter, Modern Love, Taylor Swift: City of Lover Concert, What We Do in the Shadows (1)
Nominations by Network
NBC (32)
Netflix (30)
HBO (29)
Hulu (17)
Disney+ (14)
AMC (10)
FX (10)
Amazon (7)
Apple TV+ (7)
USA (6)
ABC (5)
Disney Channel (5)
HBO Max (4)
FOX (2)
TruTV (2)
YouTube (2)
HGTV (1)
Wins by Network
HBO (9)
NBC (8)
Netflix (5)
Disney+ (3)
ABC (2)
AMC (2)
Hulu (2)
Amazon (1)
Apple TV+ (1)
FX (1)
