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NYT Syndicate
The Television Academy has announced the nominees for the 68th Emmy Awards. HBO once again had the most nominations of any platform, with 94 ” though that's down substantially from last year's 126. FX and Netflix made up the difference: FX had 56 nominations and Netflix had 54, up from 38 and 34 last year.
But while worthy series, like 'The Americans', finally received some Emmy recognition, there were also some inevitable disappointments. Our critics take a look at the field ” Mike Hale handles the drama and limited series categories, while Margaret Lyons tackles comedy.
DRAMA SERIES
Surprises: 'The Americans' ” Not actually a surprise, since the drumbeat for FX's domestic spy thriller had built throughout its fourth season. But it feels like a surprise, since the show, one of the very best dramas on television since its inception, had been inexplicably ignored before this.
Snubs: 'Happy Valley' ” There were no real snubs or surprises in the category, though fans of 'Orange Is the New Black', 'The Good Wife', 'Outlander' and 'UnREAL' will be disappointed. So we'll just mention that this taut, emotional British cop drama, carried by Netflix, is the best show no one's talking about (but a lot of people you know are watching).
LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Snubs: Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis ” The departures of Jon Hamm ('Mad Men') and Jeff Daniels ('The Newsroom') left spaces open in the category, and the two leads of Showtime's 'Billions' were among the favourites to grab them. Perhaps they split the vote, but more likely the tide was just too strong for 'Mr. Robot' and 'The Americans', giving the spots to Rami Malek and Matthew Rhys.
LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Surprises: Keri Russell ” 'The Americans' and Russell's co-star, Rhys, were expected to make the field, but she was less of a sure thing. She beat out a couple of frequent former nominees, Julianna Margulies of 'The Good Wife' and Michelle Dockery of 'Downton Abbey', neither of whom received nominations in their final seasons.
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Surprises: Kit Harington ” It's good to be Jon Snow. Harington is tremendously popular for his role as the resurrected hero on 'Game of Thrones', but he was considered a long-shot for a nomination in this category.
Snubs: Christian Slater ” In one of the bigger surprises, the tide that carried 'Mr. Robot' and its star, Rami Malek, to nominations wasn't strong enough to include Slater.
LIMITED SERIES
Surprises: 'The Night Manager' ” Again, not a true surprise, but this glossy thriller looks a little lightweight in a field that includes fare like 'American Crime', 'Roots and 'The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story'.
Snubs: 'Show Me a Hero' ” David Simon's ground-level-politics drama for HBO deserved a nod, but maybe there were already too many racially and politically charged historical dramas in the field.
LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES
Surprises: Cuba Gooding Jr ” His performance as OJ Simpson in 'The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story' received mixed reviews, but the show's success carried him into the field over other contenders like Oscar Isaac of 'Show Me a Hero' and Patrick Wilson of 'Fargo'.
Snubs: Anthony Hopkins and Ian McKellen ” Casting two lions of the British stage in a prestige project like 'The Dresser' seemed like a formula for at least one nomination. Maybe there were just too many Britons in the category, with Benedict Cumberbatch, Idris Elba and Tom Hiddleston getting nods.
COMEDY SERIES
Surprises: All together now: What in the world is 'Modern Family' still doing on this list? The Emmys' ongoing infatuation with the show is confounding. The pleasant surprise here is 'Master of None' ” not that it doesn't deserve to be nominated, but more that the Emmys don't always nominate worthy shows.
Snubs: 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' is fantastic, and seemed like it had a real shot. Alas. 'Catastrophe' was sadly ignored, too, as was the consistently brilliant 'Jane the Virgin'. 'Girls' had a marvelous season this year, and while it's tough to picture 'Broad City' winning an Emmy in this category, it's fun to dream.
LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Surprises: Freshman shows often don't make the cut for Emmy noms, so the biggest surprise here is Aziz Ansari for 'Master of None'. Thomas Middleditch represents the first performer nomination for 'Silicon Valley'.
Snubs:"Snub" is a little strong, but: Jim Parsons has won this category four times for his performance on 'The Big Bang Theory'; for the second year in a row, he's not even nominated.
LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Surprises: This is Tracee Ellis Ross' first Emmy nomination; her co-star Anthony Anderson was nominated last year (and again this year), but this is a big day for 'black-ish'. Laurie Metcalf has three Emmys for her work on 'Roseanne', but 'Going On' doesn't usually get much love or buzz.
Snubs: This is a packed category, but there are a several other performances worthy of at least a nomination: Rachel Bloom in 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' is perhaps the most glaring omission, but there's also Lena Dunham in 'Girls', Gina Rodriguez in 'Jane the Virgin', Michaela Watkins in 'Casual' and Constance Wu in 'Fresh Off the Boat'.
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Surprises: This is one of the most competitive categories, so it's a relief to see Louie Anderson's under-the-radar performance in 'Baskets' get the nod it deserves. His Christine (Zach Galifianakis' character's mother) was one of the most interesting characters and performances of the year.
Snubs: Jaime Camil should be getting more recognition for the depth he brings to his loopy Rogelio on 'Jane the Virgin'. In a less packed era, Kevin Dunn and Gary Cole from 'Veep' should be on there, plus Pete Gardner for 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'. TJ Miller's stoner bravado on 'Silicon Valley' is essential to the show's vibe, and Steve Zissis' work on 'Togetherness was the best thing about that show. (By a lot.)
