If I Was the Only One Who Voted for the Emmys, Vol. 6

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Saoirse Ronan Deserves an Oscar

46 min readAug 8, 2024

“Before I say anything, I want to say some things.”

When working through the year in television like this, it’s obvious (but still worth mentioning) that what will be remembered is the “best.” The best shows, the best episodes, the best performances. That is the nature of something like the Emmys, which seeks solely to recognize what is great about the medium.

Now, I’m not a big believer in something like the Razzies. It’s why, during my Year in Review lists, you’ll never see me rank the worst of things. However, I wonder if that’s a mistake. In Emmys lists like this one, I only ever celebrate what I love and the rest becomes ostensibly forgotten as a result. There are some shows from previous years that require me to conduct extensive Googling just to make sure I can recall them correctly. I am curious if being forgotten is a fate worse than being derided. I’m not necessarily one to say. But I do want to give a shoutout to some shows now that will be forgotten if I don’t.

Wilderness, The Changeling, Beacon 23, Death and Other Details, 3 Body Problem, The Santa Clauses, Bodkin, Palm Royale, The Bob Gurr Show, Secret Invasion, The Continental, Bodies, The Regime, Constellation, Apples Never Fall, We Were the Lucky Ones, Franklin, Krapopolis, Untold: Swamp Kings, Beachfront Bargain Hunt, Stax: Soulsville U.S.A.

Yes, all of these are shows that aired new episodes in the June 2023 to May 2024 window. No, none of them will be seen at all in the rest of the article. However, people cared about them and put effort into them all the same. What are the Emmys for if not to celebrate effort? Let’s get into the sixth batch of nominees.

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series

“February 26” by Dan Amira — The Daily Show
“Helicopters” by John Mulaney, Anna Drezen, David Ferguson, Fran Gillespie, Langston Kerman, Alex Scordelis, Jeremy Levick, & Rajat Suresh — John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A.
“How to Watch the Game” by John Wilson, Michael Koman, & Allie Viti — How To with John Wilson
“Nate Bargatze/Foo Fighters” by Alison Gates, Streeter Seidell, & Kent Sublette — Saturday Night Live
“Prison Healthcare in the United States” by Tim Carvell & John Oliver — Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

If anything positive came out of the writer’s strike, it was that Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, and Jimmy Kimmel united for a podcast known as Strike Force Five. It encouraged me to more frequently check-in with the late night shows run by Oliver, Kimmel, and Colbert (I was already a devotee of the NBC duo). As such, I was mesmerized by how well-written Oliver’s HBO show is. Of course, he exists in the lineage of Jon Stewart’s political comedy monologues, which also made a return in 2024. One of the most enthralling surprises of the year has absolutely been the reemergence of Stewart when we needed him most. His work on the February 26 episode — which balanced both an Israel-Palestine discussion and a tribute to Dipper, Stewart’s late dog — is a testament to why we missed him for all these years and why it’s so great to have him back.

Previous Winners: “Searching for Mr. Larson: A Love Letter from the Far Side” by Duffy Boudreau & Bill Hader (Documentary Now!), “Eddie Murphy/Lizzo” by Michael Che, Colin Jost, & Kent Sublette (Saturday Night Live), “Night-Time!” by Tom Armstrong, Mark Samual Bonanno, Broden Kelly, Sam Lingham, Max Miller, & Zachary Ruane (Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun), “They Said That to Me at Dinner” by Patti Harrison, Zach Kanin, Tim Robinson, John Solomon, & Brooks Wheelan (I Think You Should Leave), “Cut To: We’re Chatting About This at Your Bachelor Party” by Tim Robinson, Zach Kanin, John Solomon, & Gary Richardson (I Think You Should Leave)

Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special

“Bisquik” by Noah Hawley — Fargo
Mike Birbiglia — Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool
“Part 1” by Issa López — True Detective
“The Raven” by Mike Flanagan & Kiele Sanchez — The Fall of the House of Usher
Wes Anderson — Poison

You’re going to see a push-and-pull between Fargo and The Fall of the House of Usher throughout these limited series categories. Both were just such incredible installments in their respective series (Fargo was Noah Hawley’s fifth season of the midwestern crime anthology; Usher was Mike Flanagan’s fifth horror series for Netflix). In this instance, I lean towards Fargo and Hawley’s writing for “Bisquik.” In the past, Fargo has often left me yearning for a more closure-focused ending (thanks to the Coens for that ache) and I feel that was never achieved more (in a thematic sense) than it was with “Bisquik.” The way this conclusion was written and the conversation that wraps the entire series was profound and simple in the best Fargo-y way.

Previous Winners: “The Bent-Neck Lady” by Meredith Averill (The Haunting of Hill House), “When the Doorman Is Your Main Man” by John Carney (Modern Love), “East/West” by Noah Hawley & Lee Edward Colston II (Fargo), “New Day” by Mike White (The White Lotus), John Mulaney (John Mulaney: Baby J)

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

“A Dream of a Dream” by Maegan Houang & Emily Yoshida — Shōgun
“Fishes” by Joanna Calo & Christopher Storer — The Bear
“Glorious Purpose” by Eric Martin — Loki
“Pasta” by Joanna Calo — The Bear
“The Second Coming” by Max Borenstein, Rodney Barnes, & Rebecca Bertuch — Winning Time

Any time you see a nomination for The Bear during this list, you must recall that it is in honor of the FX series’ second season. That is not because I want to diminish the third season (I’m only one episode in at the time of writing this), though. It’s simply to make sure I’m as clear as can be throughout the article because it’s been over a year since the second season of The Bear aired, and I don’t want it to be forgotten! In this case, I nominated two episodes from The Bear, which was my favorite show in all of television, circa 2023. But to be honest, since I saw “Fishes” for the first time, it was obvious it would win. I just knew it. It unlocked the show in a completely new way for me and depicted a high-energy, high-tension family Christmas that seemed so reminiscent of ones I grew up within (minus the generational trauma). It is an absolutely towering achievement in television creation.

Previous Winners: “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” by Bryan Cogman (Game of Thrones), “This Is Not for Tears” by Jesse Armstrong (Succession), “Gold Stick” by Peter Morgan (The Crown), “Good News About Hell” by Dan Erickson (Severance), “Church and State” by Jesse Armstrong (Succession)

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

“BUSSIN’” by Sterlin Harjo & Dallas Goldtooth — Reservation Dogs
“Fort Worth” by Dan Rubin — Girls5eva
“Green Queen” by Nathan Fielder & Benny Safdie — The Curse
“Risk E. Rat’s Pizza and Amusement Center” by Rob Rosell — It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
“…said goodbye” by Mindy Kaling & Lang Fisher — Never Have I Ever

As you can tell by my previous winners, I have a proclivity for selecting winners in this category that are as purely comedic as possible. That is definitely the case this year with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, a show that has had maybe one or two sincere moments in its entire record-breaking tenure on television. That pattern did not change here. The episode that takes place at Risk E. Rat’s is among the funniest the show has ever done (so funny that I don’t even want to diminish it by describing any of it textually) and a testament to how funny Sunny is capable of being, even sixteen seasons into its run.

Previous Winners: “Honeymoon” by Neil Campbell (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), “Whenever You’re Ready” by Michael Schur (The Good Place), “Alf Musik” by Lauren Gurganous & Michael Koman (Girls5eva), “Man City” by Jamie Lee (Ted Lasso), “Kyle Bradway Is Nitromancer” by John Enbom (Party Down)

Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series

“Dua Lipa & George Stephanopoulos” by Alex Vietmeier — Late Night with Seth Meyers
“How to Watch Birds” by John Wilson — How To with John Wilson
“Paranormal” by Joe DeMaio — John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A.
“Ryan Gosling/Chris Stapleton” by Liz Patrick — Saturday Night Live
“Travis Scott, Joe Keery, & Mario the Maker Magician by Rik Reinholdtsen — The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

This category was absolutely a two-horse race for me, and I came very close to selecting the Ryan Gosling-hosted episode of SNL. However, it did feel like the sequel to the “Papyrus” sketch was relegated to the Internet, rather than the actual episode. So, even though it was quite an achievement, it still felt like it was of a separate piece from the Liz Patrick of it all. Besides, I was deeply appreciative of what John Wilson experimented with throughout his third and final season of How To. As a nonfiction, pseudo-variety series, Wilson’s storytelling often unfolds in a point-of-view structure. In “How to Watch Birds,” though, Wilson subverts the very form he spent three seasons carefully cultivating. Through his direction, he begins to call into question multiple tenets of reality television and documentary filmmaking. It was impressive to behold how thoughtfully made the episode was.

Previous Winners: “Lin-Manuel Miranda and the Hamilton Cast, José Andrés, and Bad Bunny” by Dave Diomedi (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon), “Brad Pitt/Miley Cyrus” by Don Roy King (Saturday Night Live), “How to Put Up Scaffolding” by John Wilson (How To with John Wilson), “Jonathan Majors/Taylor Swift” by Don Roy King (Saturday Night Live), “Orange Juice, No Pulp” by Nathan Fielder (The Rehearsal)

Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special

“Comply Slowly” by Jim Field Smith — Hijack
“Part Seven” by Dee Rees — Masters of the Air
“The Raven” by Michael Fimognari — The Fall of the House of Usher
“The Tragedy of the Commons” by Noah Hawley — Fargo
Wes Anderson — The Swan

Like I said, this Usher-Fargo limited series battle is Joan Crawford v. Bette Davis all over again. Except this juxtaposition is harmless and not rooted in dangerous misogyny. Anyway, I actually really dig the way these nominees shook out. For example, I thought Masters of the Air went up a level when their directorial visions were revamped a bit (and especially when Rees entered the fray), so awarding it a nomination here feels deserved. And how fun is it to have an auteur like Wes Anderson in these categories? Hi, Wes! Still, though, it came down to the two you could expect. When I considered the purely directorial filmmaking at play, I sided with “The Raven.” As the finale of the Usher miniseries, “The Raven” tied together Flanagan’s own story with an impressive array and remix of Edgar Allan Poe’s greatest hits. That specific sequence that hearkens back to Poe’s most favorite poem is positively riveting.

Previous Winners: “Two Storms” by Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House), Paul Dugdale (Taylor Swift: City of Lover Concert), “Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience” by Matt Shakman (WandaVision), “Book V: Gospel” by Mike Flanagan (Midnight Mass), Michael Giacchino (Werewolf by Night)

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series

“1893” by Kasra Farahani — Loki
“The Bear” by Christopher Storer — The Bear
“Forks” by Christopher Storer — The Bear
“III Sommerso” by Steven Zaillian — Ripley
“Second Date” by Hiro Murai — Mr. & Mrs. Smith

In the words of someone doing a half-baked Mike Ditka impression, “Da bear.” It’s here again! Expect to see a lot of it. In this case, I thought Storer truly leveled up throughout season two (and especially by the finale). Amidst a litany of stellar filmmakers, Storer’s eye still stands out the most. I have to side with “Forks” this time around, though. So much of what is often undersung about directors’ contributions to television is evident throughout the audience’s emotional response to “Forks.” Over the course of one episode, one of the most frustrating characters on television suddenly becomes the vessel through which all love and rooting flows. Throw in the greatest Taylor Swift needle drop of all-time, and you’ve got one of the crowning achievements in the year of TV.

Previous Winners: “The Bells” by Miguel Sapochnik (Game of Thrones), “Chapter 8: Redemption” by Taika Waititi (The Mandalorian), “The Grey” by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan (For All Mankind), “Chapter One” by Kogonada (Pachinko), “Point and Shoot” by Vince Gilligan (Better Call Saul)

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series

“Frank Shoots Every Member of the Gang” by Richie Keen — It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
“Green Queen” by Nathan Fielder — The Curse
“Maximus” by Tazbah Chavez — Reservation Dogs
“Opening Night” by Jamie Babbit — Only Murders in the Building
“When Will Met Sylvia” by Nicholas Stoller — Platonic

I have to do it. I’m still so skeptical about saying too much about what is contained within the finale of “The Curse.” It rocketed through my brain the first time I saw it and I have never forgotten it and have also never understood it. Yet, we have to recognize it somewhere because there is nothing like it — ever — in the history of television. I think Outstanding Directing is the place to do that. Visually, “Green Queen” cannot be denied. From a storytelling perspective, it’s probably the wildest thing I’ve ever seen (and I still don’t know if that’s a positive or a negative). But visually, it is quite an achievement. The whole, you know, what happens in the episode is impressively done and actually manages to suspend disbelief within the viewer (even if it suspends little else). It has to be recognized for that feat of stunt work, too.

Previous Winners: “ronny/lily” by Bill Hader (Barry), “The Auditions” by Tamra Davis (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series), “Split the Lark” by Silas Howard (Dickinson), “starting now” by Bill Hader (Barry), “I Still Believe” by Sterlin Harjo (Reservation Dogs)

Outstanding Episode of Television

“1893” — Loki
“Bisquik” — Fargo
“Dig” — Reservation Dogs
“Fishes” — The Bear
“Forks” — The Bear
“Green Queen” — The Curse
“No Lessons Learned” — Curb Your Enthusiasm
“The Raven” — The Fall of the House of Usher
“Risk E. Rat’s Pizza and Amusement Center” — It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
“The Sign” — Bluey

What a great batch of episodes! I feel like I find myself saying that every year. I collect ten episodes from all categories and put them into one list and then I take a step back and gaze at it like it’s a painting in an art museum. And I just marvel and sigh contentedly at it. And I think to myself, Isn’t television just the best? It is! Sci-fi, period, magical realism, fable, coming-of-age, adventure, comedy, horror, improv, holiday, batshit insanity. All genres are represented here in a microcosm of what makes television such a euphoric medium! Ultimately, I did find myself having to decide between the two standout (and consecutive) episodes of The Bear from season two: “Fishes” and “Forks.” I came so close to selecting “Forks” here, but there’s no shame in being the second best episode of the year. “Forks” is astonishing, though, and such an immaculate construction of a character arc. I just lean “Fishes” by a slight margin. And that margin is probably the fact that it’s a Christmas episode, and I’m always down bad for Christmas. That moment when Sugar and Mikey get Carmy to come back inside on Christmas Eve while Darlene Love’s “Alone on Christmas” kicks in just lives rent-free in my mind. I adore and treasure it throughout the year.

Previous Winners: “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” (Game of Thrones), “Whenever You’re Ready” (The Good Place), “The Grey” (For All Mankind), “Carol of the Bells” (Ted Lasso), “Nippy” (Better Call Saul)

The Julia Louis-Dreyfus Lifetime Achievement Award

Mindy Kaling and Bob Odenkirk

The Lifetime Achievement Award is nebulous. Sometimes, it’s destined to be given to really old veterans and legends who should be celebrated while we can do that for them. Other times, it is given to honor a legend I personally adore who has delivered a remarkable body of work and has reached a milestone that suggests the honor is imminent. The latter is the case for Mindy Kaling. With Never Have I Ever (perhaps the best and most complete vision of any show in Kaling’s producing repertoire) concluding its final season last summer, now feels like the time to honor of one of my all-time favorite actors, writers, comedians, celebrities, people ever. I will always adore Kaling and her extensive contributions to comedy over the course of her (still-ongoing) career. Television-wise, she began as a writer/performer on The Office. As a member of that fledgling writing crew, she helped forge the identity of what would become my favorite show ever made. After departing The Office, Kaling added “producer” to her many titles and has since become one of the defining voices in the modern landscape of television. She created her first show, a network rom-com known as The Mindy Project, another beloved comedy in my all-time pantheon. In addition to these marquee series, she also co-created Champions, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Never Have I Ever, and The Sex Lives of College Girls. In recent years, she has also contributed voice work to television, via Monsters at Work and Velma. As one of the funniest and most intelligent writers to ever live, I always live in anticipation of the next Kaling project, but I mostly feel grateful that we have been on the planet at the same time as one another at all.

In my Emmys, Mindy Kaling was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (The Office) in 2009. She was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (The Mindy Project) in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017. She won in 2012 and 2014. She was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (The Morning Show) in 2019–20. She was nominated for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance (Monsters at Work) in 2021–22 (and Velma) in 2022–23. Shows she has created have been nominated a total of thirteen times.

As for Bob Odenkirk, I was actually going to honor him last year when Better Call Saul went off the air. But then, it felt like it would have been more for Lucky Hank, and that felt inappropriate. Fortunately, he had a dynamite guest spot in The Bear for its second season (which you’ll see some more of later), so I could honor him all over again! Odenkirk has truly been one of the best, most underrated talents television has had to offer over the past four decades. From his sketch work on alt-comedy series like Mr. Show and W/ Bob & David to his guest spots on beloved television stalwarts (he emerged as an upstart on The Larry Sanders Show and reclaimed the Michael Scott-esque role he was never cast for on The Office), Odenkirk is a fixture of the comedy landscape. You cannot tell the story of laughter on television without devoting huge swaths to Odenkirk. Fortunately, you can’t tell the story of television, as a whole, without him either. Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad, had the perfect eye for a whole other corridor of Odenkirk’s career that no one could have ever anticipated. In the second season of Breaking Bad, Odenkirk was cast as a comedic relief-esque character, Saul Goodman. As the sleazy lawyer who helped facilitate a meth empire, Odenkirk always helped to bring levity and tonal shifts to a pretty dour show. Eventually, the horrible idea of writing a prequel spin-off for Breaking Bad took the form of Better Call Saul. But somehow, Saul became a show that was even better than its predecessor? It could’ve never been counted on, but a big reason as to why is Odenkirk himself. He attained new levels of pathos in his acting stature and rocketed through the drama landscape with one of the last true anti-hero series. Throughout it all, he did it with nothing but mirth, hard-work, and a strong control over character nuances. He is among our very finest television legends.

In my Emmys, Bob Odenkirk was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Breaking Bad) in 2011 and 2013. He was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Better Call Saul) in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22, and 2022–23. He won in 2021–22. He was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (The Bear) in 2023–24.

Previous Winners: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Schur, Dick Van Dyke, Betty White & Michael K. Williams, Ron Howard, Penny Marshall, Cindy Williams, & Henry Winkler

Outstanding Host for a Reality, Competition, or Talk Series

Charles Barkley — Inside the NBA
Selena Gomez — Selena + Chef: Home for the Holidays
John Mulaney — John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A.
Jeff Probst — Survivor
Jon Stewart — The Daily Show

How exciting to finally have Jon Stewart back in the fold here? The Problem on Apple was good, but The Daily Show just feels like it’s exactly his proper element. He’s as funny and frustrated as he’s ever been (the two qualities seem to feed into one another), and he’s a deserving winner. Yes, Comedy Central fumbled the transition after Trevor Noah left the desk, but this was a great recovery on the parts of both parties. Hopefully, he’ll come back for more than just 2024; I love this capacity of his! I’m wishing the same for our other hosts here, too. I know Jeff Probst is mulling retirement in a couple years and Charles Barkley announced his. Hopefully, as long as they’re willing, they keep doing what they’re great at for years to come. Likewise, I hope Selena Gomez hosting holiday cooking and baking shows is not a one-off any more than I hope John Mulaney doing an experimental talk show for a truncated run is not a one-and-done either.

Previous Winners: Seth Meyers (Late Night with Seth Meyers), Alex Trebek (Jeopardy!), Amber Ruffin (The Amber Ruffin Show), Jimmy Fallon (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon), David Attenborough (Prehistoric Planet)

Outstanding Voice-Over Performance

Demi Adejuyigbe as Various Characters — Strange Planet
Devery Jacobs as Kahhori — What If…?
B.J. Novak as Six-Thirty — Lessons in Chemistry
Jason Ritter as Jonathan Fall — Captain Fall
Melanie Zanetti as Chilli Heeler — Bluey

Well, you’ll just never see a lineup like this again! My mind was completely re-altered when B.J. Novak popped up as the voice of the dog on Lessons in Chemistry. I was never prepared for anything that happened on that show, but least of all was Novak’s casting. I appreciate that he fits in with everyone listed here. Yes, everyone has varying degrees of acting and writing experience in Hollywood or the television industry, but no one here is an example of stunt casting. Everyone was carefully selected for the quality of the performance they would deliver. Yet, we return again to Bluey. Some of the best acting on Bluey is being done by the actors whose names we’ll never know, but the parents on the show are just as deft with the emotional heft. Here, Melanie Zanetti maintains a firm grip on the practical and playful nuances of Chilli, who had a ton of emotional territory in the most recent season of the show.

Previous Winners: Will Arnett as BoJack Horseman (BoJack Horseman), Will Arnett as BoJack Horseman (BoJack Horseman), Beck Bennett as Launchpad McQuack (DuckTales), H. Jon Benjamin as Bob Belcher (Bob’s Burgers), David McCormack as Bandit Heeler (Bluey)

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

Jon Bernthal as Mikey Berzatto — The Bear
John Malkovich as Reeves Minot — Ripley
Jason Mantzoukas as Dionysus — Percy Jackson and the Olympians
John Mulaney as Stevie — The Bear
Bob Odenkirk as Lee Lane — The Bear

It’s almost like season two of The Bear was five-percent designed with the Guest Acting Emmy categories in mind. I couldn’t even find room for Will Poulter here! The three representatives from The Bear, in this case, all stem from the Christmas episode, “Fishes.” Each one of these performers brought something riveting and alternative to the episode they were called in to assist on. Bernthal, who had appeared before, showed the side of Mikey that was just past any sort of recovery. It was tragic, but affecting. Odenkirk, on the other hand, brought a lot of the Berzatto family’s deep-seated antagonism to the surface as the combative, tolerated uncle. And Mulaney, who may seem like a bonkers pick for the actual winner (but hear me out), imbued the most realistic sense of all: the outsider who married in and is generally amused by the goings-on of the Christmas Eve dinner and invested in the drama. However, Mulaney brought it all home even deeper than that when he espoused the impossible mission of the family and articulated a core thesis of The Bear while saying grace. His role stuck with me the most since last summer.

Previous Winners: Michael McKean as Chuck McGill (Better Call Saul), Damon Herriman as Charles Manson (Mindhunter), Timothy Olyphant as Cobb Vanth (The Mandalorian), Richard E. Grant as Classic Loki (Loki), Nick Offerman as Bill (The Last of Us)

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

Jodi Balfour as Ellen Waverly — For All Mankind
Michaela Coel as Bev — Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Olivia Colman as Chef Terry — The Bear
Jamie Lee Curtis as Donna Berzatto — The Bear
Gillian Jacobs as Tiff Jerimovich — The Bear

More from The Bear! Here, we have another three guest performers. However, only two of these women are from “Fishes.” Jamie Lee Curtis and Gillian Jacobs embody two completely opposite energies in the Christmas episode. Curtis, as the matriarch, is a woman on the brink and a Rosetta Stone for so much of why the Berzatto children act the way they do. Jacobs, as the soon-to-be-ex-wife of Richie, represents common hope and decency that the family seems to be frequently lacking. She is not always privy to the mind games the family plays with one another (it’s for the best) and, as such, she is often relegated to the upstairs bedroom where she can quell her pregnant nausea. Yet, based on the events of the evening, it seems more like she is rewarded with the solitude, rather than relegated to it. However, one of my favorite performances in the second season of The Bear comes from “Forks,” rather than “Fishes.” As Chef Terry, Olivia Colman brought pronounced gravitas to a culture that most of The Bear and its audience was reticent towards. She legitimized much of the grander mission of the second season and she did it with just one short and profound scene; that’s guest acting!

Previous Winners: Carice van Houten as Melisandre (Game of Thrones), Holly Hunter as Rhea Jarrell (Succession), Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II (The Crown), Mari Yamamoto as Hana (Pachinko), Carol Burnett as Marion (Better Call Saul)

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Matthew Broderick as Himself — Only Murders in the Building
Ryan Gosling as Host — Saturday Night Live
Ethan Hawke as Rick — Reservation Dogs
Richard Lewis as Himself — Curb Your Enthusiasm
Jerry Seinfeld as Himself — Curb Your Enthusiasm

I have to say, it was a rather weak year for guest acting in comedies. However, that is not applicable to our five nominees here! It’s just that, after these five, the list gets real slim, you know? Anyway, the clear pattern in this collection is that many of the best guest actors of the year were playing some versions of themselves. Lewis (R.I.P.), Seinfeld, and Broderick all took on that mantle on their respective spots; Gosling might as well have, as one of the standout SNL hosts from season forty-nine. Yet, the winner I ultimately gravitated towards is the one who didn’t play himself at all. As Elora’s estranged father, Ethan Hawke was a stunning casting choice, but one that was undeniably a match for the singular tone of Reservation Dogs. The episode he arrives in during the show’s final season is such a masterstroke and I wish the thought-provoking interactions Rick and Elora shared could have gone on much longer than they did.

Previous Winners: Adam Sandler as Host (Saturday Night Live), Jon Hamm as Himself (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Steve Burns as Steve (Blue’s Clues & You!), Sam Richardson as Edwin Akufo (Ted Lasso), Fred Armisen as Nestor (Barry)

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

Monique Coleman as Herself — High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
Minnie Driver as Anne Bonny — Our Flag Means Death
Mary Elizabeth Ellis as Waitress — It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Rachael Ray as Herself — The Curse
Kristen Wiig as Host — Saturday Night Live

This probably seems like a bananas outcome for this category, but look at our previous winners listed below. This one has always been a bit wonky! But I kind of like how it developed. Monique Coleman had the courage to do what Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale deigned not to: revisit her High School Musical tenure for the spin-off series’ final farewell. Kristen Wiig proved she can deliver SNL greatness in any era. Minnie Driver re-emerged for a surprisingly poignant role on a canceled HBO comedy. Mary Elizabeth Ellis remained one of the sneaky MVPs that Sunny can play at any time. And yet, in spite of all that, our winner is Rachael Ray. Granted, I do always have a soft spot for media personalities turning in great acting roles (Mike Francesa in Uncut Gems, for example). But I think the task Ray had in the finale of The Curse was actually a bit underrated. She had to blend in with the veneer of the show that satirizes reality television and undercuts the geniality of it with a sinister overtone. Ray actually nailed that vibe perfectly? On the surface, she’s just hosting her daytime show as she always would, but the utter indifference with which she treats Whitney and Asher (festooned with plastered smiles on an ignored screen in the background) takes serious skill that might call a lot of her genre into question. Worth it, though.

Previous Winners: Toks Olagundoye as Kemi Talbot (Veep), Zosia Mamet as Louisa May Alcott (Dickinson), Cordelia Blair as Nurse Cordelia (Master of None), Tracey Ullman as Irma Kostroski (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Shirley MacLaine as Rose Cooper (Only Murders in the Building)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Mark Hamill as Arthur Pym — The Fall of the House of Usher
Carl Lumbly as C. Auguste Dupin — The Fall of the House of Usher
Lamorne Morris as Witt Farr — Fargo
Sam Spruell as Ole Munch — Fargo
Dev Patel as Dr. Chatterjee & John Winston — The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

I turned this category over in my head for a long time. Morris or Spruell? I wondered and evaluated as I tried to think of which supporting Fargo turn was more crucial to understanding the show. But then, the more I thought about those two, the more my mind wandered back over to House of Usher. Only then, I was plagued with yet another debate: Hamill or Lumbly? The cast of the horror series was like a grand assemblage of all the actors in the Mike Flanagan mission, so the options were extensive. But much of what made the show remarkable came down to these two performances. Lumbly was an excellent moral center for the show, and he made for a game adversary to its reprehensible protagonists. However, while he was great, a lot of his role on the show was passive. Hamill, on the other hand, played the most active, coiling character in the entire series. As fixer Arthur Pym, Hamill managed to come across to the audience as both entirely trustworthy and grotesquely vile. A newcomer to the Flanagan universe, Hamill fit in just fine and provided some of the series’ most introspective moments.

Previous Winners: George Clooney as Lieutenant Scheisskopf (Catch-22), John Slattery as Fred Schlafly (Mrs. America), Ben Whishaw as Rabbi Milligan (Fargo), Ben Schwartz as Yasper (The Afterparty), Michael Imperioli as Dominic Di Grasso (The White Lotus)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Vritika Gupta as Reena Virk — Under the Bridge
Jennifer Jason Leigh as Lorraine Lyon — Fargo
T’Nia Miller as Victorine LaFourcade — The Fall of the House of Usher
Richa Moorjani as Indira Olmstead — Fargo
Kate Siegel as Camille L’Espanaye — The Fall of the House of Usher

I’m seeing lots of patterns across these categories. In this one, though, there was much less debate that I had to grapple with. To me, this award was always Moorjani’s to lose. I absolutely adored her character in Fargo. How amazing is it to see someone who kind of had less and less to do on her breakout show (Never Have I Ever) over time land a bigger role in a prestige series and then just completely nail it? I don’t have a long relationship with Moorjani as a performer, but I was so happy for her here. Her character was achingly realistic. In the original Fargo film, Frances McDormand’s law enforcement character was a testament to the possibility and inherent respect afforded to women in the police force. However, as we continue to progress into the modern era, it’s clear that the standards that were once expected and rooted for are not as easily attained. Moorjani embodies that regression, as well as the requisite revelations. If any character could come back for a sixth season of Fargo, I insist upon it being her!

Previous Winners: Aya Cash as Joan Simon (Fosse/Verdon), Rose Byrne as Gloria Steinem (Mrs. America), T’Nia Miller as Hannah Grose (The Haunting of Bly Manor), Alexandra Daddario as Rachel Patton (The White Lotus), Beatrice Grannò as Mia (The White Lotus)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Lionel Boyce as Marcus Brooks — The Bear
Adrien Brody as Pat Riley — Winning Time
Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Richie Jerimovich — The Bear
Oliver Platt as Cicero Kalinowski — The Bear
Owen Wilson as Mobius M. Mobius — Loki

Of the shows nominated here, only The Bear will be returning next year! Because of this, it felt important to mention that Brody and Wilson were always great in their two-season runs as their respective characters, and we wish them well as they enter into television eternity. Now, back to The Bear, which is very clearly dominating and living up to the ranking I held for it at the end of 2023. In season two, more was asked of Lionel Boyce and Oliver Platt as they elevated from recurring characters to part of the fabric of the entire show. Yet, I am going to name Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the winner here. The way he executed Richie’s character arc over the course of the season makes good on all that promise he showed back when he was one of Marnie’s beaus on Girls. I loved watching every shade of Richie’s characterization and Ebon, with his skillful work, has just created one of the best figures in the recent memory of television. Bravo to everyone involved. This is a highly deserving victory.

Previous Winners: Joe Keery as Steve Harrington (Stranger Things), Tony Dalton as Lalo Salamanca (Better Call Saul), Michael Dorman as Gordo Stevens (For All Mankind), Kieran Culkin as Roman Roy (Succession), Alan Ruck as Connor Roy (Succession)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Liza Colón-Zayas as Tina Marrero — The Bear
Sophia Di Martino as Sylvie — Loki
Abby Elliott as Sugar Berzatto — The Bear
Molly Gordon as Claire Dunlap — The Bear
Krys Marshall as Danielle Poole — For All Mankind

More categories, more love for The Bear. Such is the way of things. Every second counts? More like every nomination counts, am I right? Anyway, one of the things I’ve committed to in my life the past couple years has been being online less. It’s been awesome. Highly recommended to anyone considering trying it. Consequentially, I only recently learned that large swaths of fans of The Bear actually don’t really like the Claire parts of the show’s second season? Totally news to me because I mightily disagree! Some of my favorite sequences of the second season revolve around Claire. Her presence in the season finale, her more intimate moments with Carmy, her compelling introduction into the show (“Because you’re The Bear and I remember you” still gives me chills). I thought she was a remarkable addition to the series. Molly Gordon absolutely delivered in the role (Theater Camp and Winning Time added to her dynamite 2023) and is one of the better examples of new actors being added to a show midway during its run.

Previous Winners: Maisie Williams as Arya Stark (Game of Thrones), Ruth Wilson as Marisa Coulter (His Dark Materials), Emma Corrin as Princess Diana (The Crown), Sarah Snook as Shiv Roy (Succession), Milly Alcock as Rhaenyra Targaryen (House of the Dragon)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Darren Barnet as Paxton Hall-Yoshida — Never Have I Ever
Lane Factor as Cheese Williams — Reservation Dogs
Paul Rudd as Ben Glenroy — Only Murders in the Building
Benny Safdie as Dougie Schecter — The Curse
Kenan Thompson as Various Characters — Saturday Night Live

I’m really glad to be able to get Darren Barnet a nomination here. He’s deserved it for a while, but there was just not enough space until this year. The amount of nuance he brought to who could have been a pretty archetypal character is very appreciated. Someone who has had to wait a lot longer for a nomination, but is no less deserving: Kenan Thompson! A sketch comedy legend if there ever was one. Ultimately, though, I side with Paul Rudd as the winner here. When he appeared during the second season finale of Only Murders in the Building, I had no idea his role on the show would be more than a cameo. And what could’ve been flashback-justifying stunt casting was actually a moving turn that provided introspection and depth of character, as Only Murders always has. No one is ever exactly what they seem to be when appearing initially; Rudd can always manage proper pathos like that.

Previous Winners: Timothy Simons as Jonah Ryan (Veep), William Jackson Harper as Chidi Anagonye (The Good Place), Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent (Ted Lasso), Phil Dunster as Jamie Tartt (Ted Lasso), Lakeith Stanfield as Darius (Atlanta)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Susie Essman as Susie Greene — Curb Your Enthusiasm
Renée Elise Goldsberry as Wickie Roy — Girls5eva
Paula Pell as Gloria McManus — Girls5eva
Sheryl Lee Ralph as Barbara Howard — Abbott Elementary
Meryl Streep as Loretta Durkin — Only Murders in the Building

In the past couple categories, you’ve seen the results of a growing trend among acclaimed prestige series. Many supporting performances are being given by actors who are enlisted for only a limited run on their respective shows. Molly Gordon may return to The Bear, for example, but it’s clear that season two was her time to shimmer. Additionally, Paul Rudd was on Only Murders for a good time, even if not a long time (as long as being murdered counts as a good time — fictionally, of course). While I have obviously given some approval to those performers, I am also partial to when television acts like how it used to be and just embraces its ongoing nature. In this category, you see all different types of that. Essman, for example, has been doing bits on Curb for twelve seasons. Goldsberry and Pell are some of the closest people we have to be emblematic of the heyday of NBC’s ongoing comedies. Even Streep entered in as limited time casting to Only Murders, but will actually be sticking around for season three. And Sheryl Lee Ralph might just be the most prominent of all the examples. She’s the revered performer on a network sitcom that aims to air twenty-two episodes per season. She is superb through all of them. They don’t make them like this anymore!

Previous Winners: D’Arcy Carden as Janet (The Good Place), Natasia Demetriou as Nadja (What We Do in the Shadows), Renée Elise Goldsberry as Wickie Roy (Girls5eva), Sarah Goldberg as Sally Reed (Barry), Hannah Waddingham as Rebecca Welton (Ted Lasso)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Austin Butler as Buck Cleven — Masters of the Air
Idris Elba as Sam Nelson — Hijack
Bruce Greenwood as Roderick Usher — The Fall of the House of Usher
Jon Hamm as Roy Tillman — Fargo
Ewan McGregor as Alexander Rostov — A Gentleman in Moscow

If you want some honesty and a peek behind the curtain, I genuinely had Jon Hamm as the winner here until I actually started writing the blurb. Hamm is always excellent, but it was such a refreshing experience to watch him back in a role that contained so much depth and vitriol. He is undeniably deserving of this award, whether it’s made up or made up but accompanied with a golden statue. I may even regret my last second switch! But when I considered all that was asked of Bruce Greenwood, it just felt like it had to be him. Not only is he the one character who is tasked with anchoring all the various subsets and character dynamics of the show, but he was also brought in as a cast member when the show was already deep into production. He entered in a frenzy and with minimal rehearsal time and just delivered in every single scene. It was such a stunning performance that I can’t even imagine how the show would have unfolded with someone else in the Roderick Usher role. Hamm was great, but Greenwood had the benefit of circumstance, too.

Previous Winners: Michiel Huisman as Steven Crain (The Haunting of Hill House), Domhnall Gleeson as Billy Johnson (Run), Colman Domingo as Ali (Euphoria: Trouble Don’t Last Always), Murray Bartlett as Armond (The White Lotus), Steven Yeun as Danny Cho (Beef)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Jodie Foster as Liz Danvers — True Detective
Lily Gladstone as Cam Bentland — Under the Bridge
Carla Gugino as Verna — The Fall of the House of Usher
Riley Keough as Rebecca Godfrey — Under the Bridge
Juno Temple as Dorothy Lyon — Fargo

Fargo nearly pulled off a feat that has only been achieved in the Lead Actor/Actress categories four times: the dual leads of a show both winning in the same year. (This happened for Run, The Good Place, Game of Thrones, and Lovecraft Country.) However, Juno Temple is still very much a deserving winner. She occupied the central narrative of Fargo’s fifth season exceptionally well, balancing the facade of Dorothy Lyon with the woodsy know-how and survival instincts of Nadine Tillman, as Jon Hamm’s character once knew her to be. The complexities of her character were revealed more and more with each passing episode, but Temple always maintained a strong handle on the exact shades required of her status as the show’s leading thespian. After three expert seasons of Ted Lasso, Temple reminded viewers of just how varied her acting background is. Dot Lyon is yet another gem of a character in her illustrious career.

Previous Winners: Michelle Williams as Gwen Verdon (Fosse/Verdon), Merritt Wever as Ruby Richardson (Run), Kate Winslet as Mare Sheehan (Mare of Easttown), Kate Siegel as Erin Greene (Midnight Mass), Riley Keough as Daisy Jones (Daisy Jones and the Six)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Colin Farrell as John Sugar — Sugar
Donald Glover as Michael — Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Tom Hiddleston as Loki — Loki
Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley — Ripley
Jeremy Allen White as Carmy Berzatto — The Bear

I’m sure everyone could see this coming by now, but yes. It’s Jeremy Allen White. I mean, he very nearly won this award last year and season two was even better than season one for The Bear! Probably a foregone conclusion of sorts. I do regret a little bit that I never got the chance to award Tom Hiddleston for playing Loki (he did a phenomenal job), but as Don Draper would say, “That’s what the money is for!” And with every other nominee here, I don’t think money is an object at the moment. Still, White had to be anointed here. He is more than deserving of a spot in the echelons of television history and I’m glad to be able to award him here now. Every line delivery, every ounce of body language, every flickered away piece of eye contact. All of them contribute to such a lived-in performance as Carmy that White alone makes The Bear a worthwhile endeavor.

Previous Winners: Kit Harington as Jon Snow (Game of Thrones), Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy (Succession), Jonathan Majors as Atticus Freeman (Lovecraft Country), Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill (Better Call Saul), Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy (Succession)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Ayo Edebiri as Sydney Adamu — The Bear
Maya Erskine as Alana — Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Ella Purnell as Lucy MacLean — Fallout
Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko — Shōgun
Wrenn Schmidt as Margo Madison — For All Mankind

What a fun category of some beloved veterans and promising newcomers! That is the magic of the Emmys. Yes, we can watch our favorite performers grow into roles over time and develop stronger cases for their characters and their acting. But we can also have utter upstarts make a name for themselves and force people like me to wonder how we ever had a television landscape without them. I mean, I didn’t even know who Ella Purnell and Anna Sawai were at this time last year, but when I was sorting through my nominees for this category, they were two that I put an “L” next to for “lock.” They’re two who had to be here! It’s just so exciting to never be able to predict what a category will look like in any given year. That being said, the biggest “L” was put next to the actor who earns the biggest “W” here. Ayo Edebiri has been a performer I’ve loved rooting for because I’ve known her since the days of Letterboxd and Blank Check. Now, she’s one of the biggest “rookies” in the industry and has such a promising career in front of her. This year, I loved watching her performance as Sydney become even more natural as she grew into the role. She is, of course, deserving of the win, just as all her co-stars are.

Previous Winners: Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen (Game of Thrones), Rhea Seehorn as Kim Wexler (Better Call Saul), Jurnee Smollett as Leti Lewis (Lovecraft Country), Kim Min-ha as Kim Sunja (Pachinko), Rhea Seehorn as Kim Wexler (Better Call Saul)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Nathan Fielder as Asher Siegel — The Curse
Steve Martin as Charles-Haden Savage — Only Murders in the Building
Seth Rogen as Will — Platonic
Martin Short as Oliver Putnam — Only Murders in the Building
D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai as Bear Smallhill — Reservation Dogs

Nathan Fielder! Just like the season finale of The Curse, I am still parsing through what exactly Fielder’s performance was meant to be in this show. Was it satirical? Was it dramatic? Just how layered did his acting decisions become? No matter what, the more Fielder’s turn as Asher unfolded, the more transfixed I became by the pseudo-reality host and his pivot into narrative, serialized storytelling. Obviously, Nathan for You always contained a stellar Fielder performance (though, it is hard to tell where his comedic persona and public persona blend and if any of it speaks to the true Fielder), but The Curse brought a lot out of him in an admirable manner. On a related side note, I am glad to have finally found room for Martin Short in this category after three seasons. He’s another performer whose blend of personas and showbiz gravitas can make him hard to penetrate as a vulnerable actor. But in this case, Fielder will take the trophy! Who knows when he’ll get the chance again, now that he’s off to cinema?

Previous Winners: Rob McElhenney as Mac (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Ted Danson as Michael (The Good Place), Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso (Ted Lasso), Bill Hader as Barry Berkman (Barry), Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso (Ted Lasso)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Rose Byrne as Sylvia — Platonic
Selena Gomez as Mabel Mora — Only Murders in the Building
Devery Jacobs as Elora Danan Postoak — Reservation Dogs
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi Vishawkumar — Never Have I Ever
Emma Stone as Whitney Siegel — The Curse

For some reason, this might just be my favorite category to look back on the history of. Everyone is just so deserving, but there has also been such overturn in it and such a vastness when it comes to both the type of performance and the type of performer that are named victorious. Obviously, the winners have been skewing younger and younger with each passing year, but the youth vote will maintain its control for another year. In spite of the welcomed arrival of movie stars to the television landscape (in the case of Byrne and Stone) and the continued brilliance of established performers (Gomez and last year’s winner, Ramakrishnan), one role stood out among them all. We had Ethan Hawke as a winner earlier, but the episode he appeared in would not have been nearly as impactful without Devery Jacobs at the heart of it. Granted, she has always been at the heart of Reservation Dogs from the very beginning, but she unlocked a new level of excellence during the show’s final arc. I loved watching Reservation Dogs’ graduation from a quality show to an iconic one, especially since it achieved this status right alongside Jacobs’ gradual growth into the same.

Previous Winners: Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer (Veep), Kristen Bell as Eleanor Shellstrop (The Good Place), Naomi Ackie as Alicia (Master of None), Hailee Steinfeld as Emily Dickinson (Dickinson), Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi Vishwakumar (Never Have I Ever)

Outstanding Live Television Event

2023 NFL Regular Season, September 10: New England Patriots v. Philadelphia Eagles — CBS
2024 NBA Eastern Conference Finals, Game One: Boston Celtics v. Indiana Pacers — ESPN
66th Annual Grammy Awards — CBS
96th Academy Awards — ABC
Christmas at Graceland — NBC
Eurovision Song Contest 2023 — Peacock
Tom Brady: The Greatest Roast of All-Time — Netflix

This category will forever encapsulate the vastness of my interests. I don’t mean this in, like, an “I’m so cool and different” kind of way. I just mean that television gives us access to so much. And in categories like this, I can share my love of music, movies, Christmas, sports, comedy, and more. In this case, Tom Brady is recognized twice (for his retirement ceremony in Foxborough, Massachusetts and for him saying about Peyton Manning, “When I heard a white Bronco was coming down the 405, I thought we’d get to see a real football legend”). The championship Celtics are honored again (and will be next year, too, I expect). The legacies of Elvis Presley and ABBA and Taylor Swift were embraced. But it comes down to the Oscars, for me. While I loved Steven Soderbergh’s deranged interpretation of what the Oscars could be a couple years ago, this was clearly a ceremony that aimed to both right the ship and make the Oscars accessible and fun again. After all, it had Ryan Gosling performing “I’m Just Ken” live in a rendition that could not have been further from the cringe some anticipated. It was glorious and absolutely my live television “moment of the year.” The rest of the ceremony was just a bonus.

Previous Winners: NFC Wild Card Round: Chicago Bears v. New Orleans Saints (Nickelodeon), MLB Baseball, June 25: Boston Red Sox v. New York Yankees (NESN), Super Bowl LVII (Fox)

Outstanding Reality, Competition, or Documentary Program

Behind the Attraction — Disney+
Dinner Time Live — Netflix
The Dynasty: New England Patriots — Apple
The History of the Minnesota Vikings — YouTube
Planet Earth III — BBC
Shark Week — Discovery Channel
Survivor — CBS

In this category, no series was a particular standout among the rest, even though all of them were undeniably strong. It’s a category of solid B+ and A- series without any clear, home run, A+ shows. That’s okay! Ultimately, I ended up deciding between the two football documentary series. And at the end of it, I just couldn’t quite look past the obvious Robert Kraft elements that underscored the Apple series about the Patriots. I know I’m a Patriots fan, but the documentary (while it had some genuinely compelling highlights) was ultimately commissioned by Kraft to make himself seem more palatable to the public after he dismissed Bill Belichick. I presume. Jon Bois, on the other hand, is one of our finest sports filmmakers. The stories he crafts and the style with which he does it are like the evolved next step of ESPN’s old 30 for 30 series that they ran with Bill Simmons. I may not be a Vikings fan, but the documentary Bois chronicled was one of television’s finest informative installments this year.

Previous Winners: Crikey! It’s the Irwins (Animal Planet), The Imagineering Story (Disney+), Down to Earth with Zac Efron (Netflix), The Beatles: Get Back (Disney+), The Last Movie Stars (HBO Max)

Outstanding Variety Special or Television Movie

The 100th: Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden — CBS
Good One: A Show About Jokes — Peacock
I Ate at Every Margaritaville in the Country — YouTube
Jenny Slate: Seasoned Professional — Amazon
Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool — Netflix
Once Upon a Studio — Disney+
Poison — Netflix

YouTube may have only received two nominations this year, but they turned those two nominations into two wins! Granted, YouTube had little to do with Jon Bois or Eddy Burback, but we are still grateful they allowed them to have a platform anyway. This category speaks to how varied the current landscape of television is. Yes, a video edited by a comedian that details how he traveled to all the Margaritavilles in the country can count as television. Television can be so many different things! It can be a vehicle for Mike Birbiglia to process his ambitions. It can be a way to share in the concert of a legend. It can be stand-up comedy. It can be Wes Anderson’s take on Roald Dahl. It can be a tribute to the history of Disney Animation. And it can be two friends learning about what it means to live like Jimmy Buffett. Of all the specials I watched on television this year, Eddy Burback’s journey through themed restaurants was my favorite.

Previous Winners: Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh (Netflix), John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch (Netflix), Euphoria: Trouble Don’t Last Always (HBO), Muppets Haunted Mansion (Disney+), John Mulaney: Baby J (Netflix)

Outstanding Variety Series

The Daily Show — Comedy Central
How To with John Wilson — HBO
Jimmy Kimmel Live! — ABC
John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A. — Netflix
Late Night with Seth Meyers — NBC
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon — NBC
Whose Line Is It Anyway? — The CW

Based on the preceding categories, it is probably a bit unexpected to see The Daily Show not claim the victory here. However, while it has been great, the sum of the parts of John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A. just coalesced as an overall series for me more. You have all the requisite perennial contenders here (with Jimmy Kimmel Live! jumping into the mix for the first time, again courtesy of Strike Force Five) again. Plus, Whose Line makes a return to commemorate it for its final season. However, every year seems to bring a new, sparkly variety show with a personality I’m invested in at the helm. This year, it was Mulaney’s vision that was executed. In another universe (or maybe even thirty years ago), John Mulaney would’ve been a talk show host and he would’ve been the best at it. Instead, we just have a little taste about what that would have been like. I loved it. His vision and comedic mindset are just so aligned with what I love that I was always going to ride for this. Do another! Make it annual! Or keep letting Mulaney do what he wants. It never disappoints.

Previous Winners: Documentary Now! (IFC), Middleditch and Schwartz (Netflix), How To with John Wilson (HBO), I Think You Should Leave (Netflix), Jury Duty (Amazon)

Outstanding Animated Series

Bluey — Disney+
Bob’s Burgers — Fox
Frog and Toad — Apple
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off — Netflix
Strange Planet — Apple
The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse — Disney+
X-Men ’97 — Disney+

For the first time since BoJack Horseman, we have a repeat winner! Bluey remains far and away the best animated show on television without there even really being a close second. Yes, Mickey Mouse is always funny, but it ended this year. Sure, Bob’s Burgers is reliable. Frog and Toad is cute. Starry new shows made their splashes, too. However, it’s just Bluey and it feels like it will continue to be Bluey for as long as we have Bluey. It’s just such an emotionally intelligent endeavor and it already belongs on the Mount Rushmore of seminal children’s television. Of course, my fiancée and I do not have children, but we anticipate new episodes of Bluey just as much as we do for shows like The Bear or Survivor. It is an astonishing accomplishment and I have no qualms about recognizing it as much as I am afforded to by the brilliant creators of it.

Previous Winners: BoJack Horseman (Netflix), BoJack Horseman (Netflix), DuckTales (Disney Channel), Bob’s Burgers (Fox), Bluey (Disney+)

Outstanding Limited Series

The Fall of the House of Usher — Netflix
Fargo — FX
Hijack — Apple
Manhunt — Apple
Masters of the Air — Apple
True Detective — HBO
Under the Bridge — Hulu

The great battle comes to an end here. Idris Elba may know his way around a plane (but not nearly as much as Austin Butler does). Jodie Foster may have a rough-and-tumble approach to solving a crime (but don’t even dare compare her to Riley Keough). And Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. That just remains true, unfortunately. However, this was always going to be a showdown between Fall and Fargo. Horror and crime. Netflix and FX. Flanagan and Hawley. Ultimately, both seasons of these shows were so impeccable and I was thoroughly entertained this fall. No problems there! Both made for awesome television. But I’ll be completely honest with you about why I chose Usher at the end. Hawley mentioned that Fargo will have a sixth season; it will simply be a little while before he is able to create it. Flanagan, on the other hand, has made it very clear that this Usher limited series will bring his terrifically horrific run at Netflix to an end. Therefore, I may have an attempt to honor Fargo again in the future (and have in the past), but this is my last chance for Flanagan on Netflix (who has also been honored here in the past). When both shows are as close to equally good as it gets, that is how I make the decision!

Previous Winners: The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix), Run (HBO), WandaVision (Disney+), The White Lotus (HBO), The White Lotus (HBO)

Outstanding Drama Series

The Bear — FX
For All Mankind — Apple
Loki — Disney+
Mr. & Mrs. Smith — Amazon
Ripley — Netflix
Shōgun — FX
Winning Time — HBO

Should be obvious, I hope. Yes? This was always going to be The Bear. I know the real Emmys have it as a shoe-in for Best Comedy, but we all know that The Bear is a drama. Unless it features one of the Faks. Aside from that, though, it is a drama and it should not be ashamed of that. It is the best drama on television and the best overall show on television, too! No show moved me more or has stayed with me more from this past year than The Bear. I do believe it has already leapt into my all-time TV pantheon, too. I am so excited for the fact that I now get to include it in my list of winners on my spreadsheet because it just absolutely belongs there. Aside from The Bear, though, I am heartened by the representation seen on this list. Six different networks are represented here for seven different series, so that is a promising sign for spreading the wealth. Additionally, Loki and Winning Time will be going off the air, but the rest of the shows nominated here all have second seasons on the way, so we should have quality dramas hanging around for a long time. Television feels strong, thanks to shows like these! But The Bear is, of course, the strongest.

Previous Winners: Game of Thrones (HBO), Succession (HBO), For All Mankind (Apple), Pachinko (Apple), Better Call Saul (AMC)

Outstanding Comedy Series

Curb Your Enthusiasm — HBO
The Curse — Paramount+
Girls5eva — Netflix
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia — FX
Only Murders in the Building — Hulu
Platonic — Apple
Reservation Dogs — FX

For the first time since I’ve been doing these on Medium, FX is the winner of both Drama and Comedy! And boy, it sure is deserved. (They came close in Limited, too.) For a long time, as I tracked the shows throughout the Emmys calendar window, I wasn’t sure what my comedy winner would be. I knew The Bear had drama sewn up, but with Ted Lasso off the air, there was a definite void in comedy; it felt like all of these shows had a good chance at one point or another. Only Murders is so consistent and sophisticated. Platonic spoke to me. Sunny remains as funny as it always has been — if not funnier. Curb came to an end with another banger season. Girls5eva almost seemed to elevate itself when moving from Peacock to Netflix. The Curse is still the most thought-provoking show of 2023. Yet, when it came time to award a winner, it was Reservation Dogs that filled me with the warmest memories and allowed me to reflect positively on the final season it aired almost a year ago. It is the comedy that has resonated with me the longest, finding that euphoric balance that not every show can achieve. When it can be searingly funny and profoundly moving — often in the span of the same episode. We’re going to miss Reservation Dogs and all that Sterlin Harjo created with it. Who could’ve seen this coming when it first debuted on FX, after all? But in a final season that provided dignity to its protagonists while honoring a thematic legacy the show richly explored, it was one of television’s finest, and it deserves to be honored as such.

Previous Winners: Veep (HBO), The Good Place (NBC), Ted Lasso (Apple), Ted Lasso (Apple), Ted Lasso (Apple)

Shows We Bid Farewell to This Year:

The Crown: 3 wins, 18 nominations
Curb Your Enthusiasm: 4 wins, 23 nominations
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series: 1 win, 6 nominations
How To with John Wilson: 4 wins, 6 nominations
Loki: 1 win, 10 nominations
Never Have I Ever: 1 win, 9 nominations
Our Flag Means Death: 0 wins, 2 nominations
Reservation Dogs: 3 wins, 11 nominations
Whose Line Is It Anyway?: 0 wins, 3 nominations
Winning Time: 0 wins, 7 nominations
The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse: 1 win, 6 nominations

Statistics here reflect all-time data, not solely the 2023–24 year.

Most Nominations

21 — The Bear*

10 — The Fall of the House of Usher, Fargo

8 — The Curse, Only Murders in the Building, Reservation Dogs

7 — Loki

5 — Curb Your Enthusiasm, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Saturday Night Live

4 — For All Mankind, Girls5eva, John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A., Platonic, Ripley, Under the Bridge

3 — Bluey, The Daily Show, Hijack, How To with John Wilson, Masters of the Air, Never Have I Ever, Shōgun, True Detective, Winning Time

2 — Late Night with Seth Meyers, Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool, Poison, Strange Planet, Survivor, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

1 — The 100th: Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden, Abbott Elementary, Academy Awards, Behind the Attraction, Bob’s Burgers, Captain Fall, Christmas at Graceland, Dinner Time Live, The Dynasty: New England Patriots, Eurovision Song Contest, Fallout, Frog & Toad, A Gentleman in Moscow, Good One: A Show About Jokes, The Grammys, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, The History of the Minnesota Vikings, I Ate at Every Margaritaville in the Country, Inside the NBA, Jenny Slate: Seasoned Professional, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Lessons in Chemistry, Manhunt, NBA Eastern Conference Finals, NFL Regular Season, Once Upon a Studio, Our Flag Means Death, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Planet Earth III, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Selena + Chef: Home for the Holidays, Shark Week, Sugar, The Swan, Tom Brady: The Greatest Roast of All-Time, What If…?, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse, X-Men ‘97

*=ties the record set by Game of Thrones in 2019

Most Wins

10 — The Bear*

4 — The Fall of the House of Usher

3 — The Curse, Fargo, Reservation Dogs

2 — Bluey, The Daily Show

1 — Abbott Elementary, Academy Awards, The History of the Minnesota Vikings, How To with John Wilson, I Ate at Every Margaritaville in the Country, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A., Only Murders in the Building

*=breaks the record of (8) set by Game of Thrones in 2019.

Nominations by Network

47 — FX

35 — Netflix

21 — Apple

17 — Disney Plooos

15— HBO

12 — Hulu

10 — NBC

9 — Paramount+

7 — Amazon

5 — CBS

3 — ABC, Comedy Central

2 — Max, Peacock, YouTube

1 — BBC, The CW, Discovery Channel, ESPN, Fox, TNT

Wins by Network

17— FX*

5 — Netflix

3 — Paramount+

2 — ABC, Comedy Central, Disney Plooos, YouTube

1 — HBO, Hulu

*=breaks the record of (13) set by HBO in 2019.

Thanks for reading one of my favorite pieces to write every year!

If I Was the Only One Who Voted for the Emmys, Vol. 6

Written by Dave Wheelroute