We’re in the middle of Emmy voting, which means the major studios are pulling out all the stops to nab the biggest, brightest nominees—and you still have a few days before you stop hearing about things like Bear, General, And Baby reindeer (for now anyway). This week Little Golden Boys, However, we’ll dive into the intricacies of the nomination ballot and which shows and names we hope will come out on top come nomination day on July 17—even as the stakes escalate. they are a little steeper.
Listen below or read on to hear the Awards Insider team’s personal picks for underdog shows, with a special focus on comedy series that are genuinely funny and great performances that deserve awards Emmy this season. Voting ends on Monday, so stay tuned, Academy members!
I am Virgo (comedy)
Nothing in the past television season was as imaginative, as wickedly polemical or as strangely sweet as this one. Riley boots bartending. The Sorry to bother you The director helmed all seven episodes of this Prime Video comedy, and his quirky vision shines through in this portrait of a 19-year-old, 13-foot tall man who decides to live as his true self in contemporary Oakland. grand. Perhaps too strange and edgy for an algorithm, VirgoThe show’s quiet summer premiere hasn’t stopped it from finding its place in this year’s Emmy conversation. Jharrel Jerome could have won a best actor Emmy for his heartbreaking role in When They See Us, but he was equally expressive Virgogentle giant. And I challenge any constituent in the steering branch to fully participate Virgostunning, handcrafted design and a deft combination of tones that don’t put Riley on their ballot. —David Canfield
Rebecca Ferguson, Silos (lead actress in a television series)
The current queen of sci-fi Rebecca Ferguson-the sand dunes The scariest space wizard in movies—has also been doing great things in the genre on the small screen. On Apple TV+ Silo, Ferguson plays a reluctant sheriff trying to navigate post-apocalyptic life in the vertical tunnel of the film’s title. She’s a great character in the role, both tough and vulnerable, bringing gravitas to what could have been just a fun Saturday night serial flashback movie. Between Silo, Dune, Sleep Doctor, and Mission Impossible franchise, Ferguson has shown a surprisingly great command of the genre, whether she’s solving a hidden crime or stalking across America as an ageless evil entity. . But these kinds of projects often don’t get awards attention, and so one of the most interesting actors working today has been left out of those conversations. What better way to honor a career full of ups and downs than to give Ferguson an Emmy nomination for the role? Silo, a popular series that she anchors and enhances so captivatingly? At least it will satisfy us Fergufans (there must be a better name) until the Oscars come along and give Jessica Atreides some love. —Richard Lawson
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City (unstructured reality show)
With Top chef And Project runway, Emmy voters have long acknowledged Bravo’s expertise in reality competition, but it’s taken much longer for the network’s unstructured shows to gain recognition. That has changed in recent years—first with Below the table, then with last year’s astute recognition of Vanderpump Rules during the Scandoval period caused a stir in public opinion. But like Vanderpump faltering in its 11th season, a new prominent rose with RHOSLC. An already strong season, starting with a setback from the old cast Jen Shahfederal racketeering conviction, which ended in shocking fashion. People looking for receipts, proof, and first-time support timelines RHOSLC Just look at the last 10 minutes of season four, in which the new housewife Monica Garcia was revealed to be one of the personalities behind Reality Von Tease—an Instagram account dedicated to spreading rumors about her co-stars. Dramas with the most scripts wish they had that kind of confusing ending. —Savannah Walsh
Girls5eva (comedy)
After two brilliant but little-watched seasons on Peacock, Meredith ScardinoThe 10-minute one-minute comedy about the members of an outdated girl group trying to fight their way back into the zeitgeist has had a major breakthrough. For season three, the show will move to Netflix, where Girls5eva production operator Tina Fey And Robert Carlock‘S Kimmy Schmidt is unbreakable has thrived for four seasons and one movie. The show’s third season premiered on the platform in March, to a fair amount of fanfare and media coverage, and then… not much happened. Girls5eva failed to make it to the top of Netflix’s most-watched list; A fourth season now seems like a distant dream. Of course, that’s a farce, because Scardino’s comedy is the funniest thing currently streaming: a feast of silliness and sharp references fueled by worthy performances. with an Emmy from Sara Bareilles, Paula Pell, Busy Philipps, and special Hamilton alum Renée Elise Goldsberry. Maybe we’d get more time with the Girls if the Television Academy gave them some well-deserved love. —Hillary Busis
