It’s Emmy nominations day, and that means it’s time for everyone’s favorite game: Who got snubbed? There are, as always, more deserving TV shows than get nominated, but there were several surprises in this year’s nominees, both in terms of what got in and what got left out.
Awards favorites like “Hacks” and “The Pitt” scored major nods as expected, but Apple hit “Widow’s Bay” had a surprisingly strong showing with 19 nominations overall and once-towering juggernauts had a shockingly small number of nominations. No, we’re not talking about “Stranger Things” — the final season was divisive, Netflix’s FYC campaigning for the show was relatively minimal and that show’s Emmy days have long been over.
Here’s TheWrap’s look at the biggest snubs and surprises from this year’s Emmy nominations:
Snub: “Task” for Best Drama Series
When HBO first announced “Task,” its crime thriller series from “Mare of Easttown” creator Brad Ingelsby, it was listed as a limited series, but the network changed track when the show debuted and indeed production on “Task” Season 2 is underway as the show’s acclaimed first season picked up six nominations on Wednesday – but not Best Drama Series. Most prognosticators had pegged the Mark Ruffalo/Tom Pelphrey cat-and-mouse thriller for a nomination in the big category, but alas it appears its slot was taken by “Your Friends & Neighbors” (more on that below). Better luck next season?
Surprise: All Those “Widow’s Bay” Nominations
“Widow’s Bay” was a late-breaking hit for Apple TV, but there was some concern that despite its critical acclaim and fervent word-of-mouth, Katie Dippold’s horror-comedy was simply released too late to notch enough Emmy nominations – its first episode premiered on April 29. Not so, it appears. The series scored a whopping 19 nominations including Best Comedy Series and acting noms for Matthew Rhys, Kate O’Flynn, Stephen Root, Dale Dickey, Betty Gilpin and Hamish Linklater. And that’s with several of its best episodes not even being eligible for the Emmys because they aired outside the window. All hail “Widow’s Bay.”
Snub: “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins”
NBC comedy “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins,” a mockumentary starring Tracy Morgan and Daniel Radcliffe, from “30 Rock” alums Robert Carlock and Sam Means, was penciled in by many as a major contender in the comedy categories. Alas, the show ended up with a big ol’ goose egg. Which is a shame, because it’s a comedy that is genuinely a comedy – in that “30 Rock” vein of several laugh-out-loud jokes per minute, and not one of those “dramedies that’s competing as a comedy” (we won’t name names). Consider this your notice to check it out if you haven’t.
Surprise: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II for “Wonder Man”
Marvel hasn’t had much Emmys success since its first Disney+ series, “WandaVision,” but Emmy-winner Yahya Abdul-Mateen II scored a surprise nomination on Wednesday for his lead comedy performance in “Wonder Man.” The positively reviewed show is superhero-lite, with Mateen II playing an aspiring actor with powers. This is his second nomination after he won Supporting Actor in 2020 for his performance in HBO’s “Watchmen.”
Snub: “The Bear” Acting Near-Shutout
Emmy voters’ love for “The Bear” fizzled as far as acting nominations go — which makes sense after a maudlin fourth season. Stars Jeremy Allen White and Ebon Moss-Bachrach lost out on nominations in the comedy lead actor and supporting actor categories, having previously won two. Ayo Edebiri, a frequent nominee, held on to her spot, while Jamie Lee Curtis and Rob Reiner scored noms in the guest actress and guest actor categories. Maybe the Bears can bounce back with Season 5, which is eligible for next year’s Emmys.
Surprise: “Dancing With the Stars”
One of the biggest surprises of nomination day came early in the morning, when the ABC series scored a nod for Outstanding Reality Competition Program for the first time since 2016. It makes sense the show beat out “Amazing Race” following a banner year of mainstream resurgence and impressive ratings growth. Armed with a likable cast of social media influencers, including Season 34 winner Robert Irwin, and Hollywood favorites like Andy Richter, “DWTS” waltzed back into the zeitgeist with a heart that proved linear television can still capture the elusive Gen Z audience. Can it bring top Emmy gold home, too?
Snub: “The Lowdown”
FX made a respectably big Emmys push for Sterlin Harjo’s critically acclaimed Tulsa noir “The Lowdown,” but unfortunately it appears the TV Academy voters are going to ignore this one until it’s too late, just like they did Harjo’s previous series “Reservation Dogs.” FX made the call to submit this one as a comedy despite the fact that it’s more of a dramedy, but it’s hard to blame them. Ethan Hawke is hilarious (if heartbreaking) as a self-described “truthstorian” stumbling over clues and uncovering corruption in the heart of the Oklahoma metropolis.
Surprise: “Summer House”
Season 10 of the Bravo series scored its first nomination in the Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program category, following a bigger spotlight in the outset of a relationship scandal involving cast matest Ciara Miller, Amanda Batula, West Wilson and Kyle Cooke that took over social media. All that attention paid off with Emmy voters.
Snub: Jamie Bell for “Half Man”
Expectations for Richard Gadd’s “Baby Reindeer” follow-up “Half Man” were high even before it landed on HBO. The result was a show that was just as harrowing, but perhaps too difficult to get through for some voters. That might explain why Gadd himself landed the limited series’ sole nomination while co-star Jamie Bell was left in the dust. Granted, Gadd transformed his body to play the toxic and chaotic Ruben. But Bell’s performance as Niall painted a visceral picture of the consequences of the two “brothers” roller coaster ride relationship through decades and the deadly consequences that followed. Bell deserved recognition for that work.
Surprise: “Your Friends & Neighbors” for Best Drama Series
The Jon Hamm-led Apple TV dramedy series “Your Friends & Neighbors” scored a single Emmy nomination this year, but it was a big one: Best Drama Series. The show picked up only one nod for its first season, for Best Main Title Design, so this was something of a shocker. Especially considering which shows it beat out. I guess all those Jon Hamm memes did something.
Snub: “The Madison”
Taylor Sheridan shows seem perennially off from the Emmy voters’ radar, but the absence of “The Madison” feels especially egregious. The six-episode drama series follows a grieving widow who finds solace and plans a new life for herself and her family in the Montana farm her husband loved. Anchored by a raw and layered performance from Michelle Pfeiffer, it marks the “Yellowstone” creator’s most grounded series yet. Maybe it’ll have better luck in Seasons 2 and 3, which are already greenlit. But it’s a bad day for Paramount+, which got three nominations: Outstanding Stunt Coordination for “Tulsa King,” Comedy Series Directing for Ms. Pat and Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming for Noah’s Arc: The Movie.
