Emmy's Clown Car Comedy Race
It's fresh series stars vs. returning champs in an unusually crowded field. Plus: The Academy's 'No Other Land' hedge backfires
Today I’m taking a closer look at the Emmy category that seems the most invested in giving Hollywood the opportunity to poke at — and also celebrate — itself. But before I get to all that, there’s yet another an update on the story that seems capable of making everyone in town too angry to laugh.
After the film Academy last Wednesday issued a carefully worded, more or less meaningless statement about Israel’s detainment of Oscar-winning No Other Land director Hamdan Billal, I predicted the org would do its best to avoid saying anything else about the matter, given its tendency to avoid controversy at all costs.
Then a group of more than 700 Academy members — including Mark Ruffalo, Riz Ahmed, Penelope Cruz, Andrew Garfield and Alfonso Cuarón — made that position untenable, signing an open letter saying “it is indefensible for an organization to recognize a film with an award in the first week of March, and then fail to defend its filmmakers just a few weeks later.”
The Academy then relented, apologizing for its previous statement with yet another statement. “On Wednesday, we sent a letter in response to reports of violence against Oscar winner Hamdan Ballal, co-director of No Other Land, connected to his artistic expression. We regret that we failed to directly acknowledge Mr. Ballal and the film by name,” read the statement, co-signed — like the first — by Academy CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang. “We sincerely apologize to Mr. Ballal and all artists who felt unsupported by our previous statement and want to make it clear that the Academy condemns violence of this kind anywhere in the world. We abhor the suppression of free speech under any circumstances.”
In its effort to avoid being part of this story, the Academy has instead found itself right at the center of the action. Ballal is now safe and, as the open letter made clear, under the close watch of his fellow filmmakers and artists; but as his co-director Yuval Abraham made clear on X Friday, the danger in Masafer Yatta, the West Bank settlement at the center of No Other Land, is far from over.
The Academy’s Board of Governors will have their annual meeting sometime this spring to discuss this year’s Oscars — still a huge success they can be proud of! — and maybe consider internal changes to avoid another revolt like this from its members. Meanwhile, over at the Television Academy, with Emmy season just beginning, any potential scandals or internal controversies are still in the hazy future. The drama of the awards race itself, though, is starting to become very clear.
WHAT TO WATCH
- Seth & Co.’s Surging Industry Sendup
The Studio, which premiered its first two episodes on Apple last Wednesday, knows it has good reason to flex. Ahead of the premiere Apple released a clip of series star and co-creator Seth Rogen rattling off a list of just some of the celebrities who play themselves on the show, followed by a title card with all the others he didn’t even mention:
With nearly unanimous critical acclaim and the attention of Hollywood, which loves nothing more than watching and obsessing about itself, The Studio has made a powerful entry into a best comedy series Emmy race that had seemed calcified around four returning shows with multiple wins under their belts: Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Hacks and Only Murders in the Building.
Apple proved it can dominate this category back in the Ted Lasso years, and though the Emmys have historically shown a propensity to reward the same shows over and over again, there’s been a notable shift toward freshness in recent years.
While congrats are in order to Seth & Co. for making such a big splash, the comedy race is looking incredibly competitive, with a lot of beloved shows (and no locked-in frontrunner), powerful showrunners and hungry streamers all looking for their moment of triumph. Today I’m breaking down the long, long list of potential contenders, what they have in common and the handful of names I suspect are already out front — at least, until someone even funnier comes along.
- 3 Made in L.A. vs. a Visitor from NYC
Even before Hacks pulled off its surprise series win at the 2024 Emmys, the comedy landscape felt ripe for transformation. The Bear had been the dominant frontrunner two years in a row but last summer offered a third season that was far less acclaimed. Debuting a fresh season while the previous one was in the Emmy race had worked brilliantly the first time around, when the show earned 13 Emmy nominations for its first season just as everyone was buzzing about its second. But the muted response to the third season may well have dampened the chances for its second — and while the third season is now actually Emmy-eligible, time hasn’t really dimmed critics’ or audiences’ disappointment in it.
The Hacks victory could have been a fluke, or the result of a super-tight vote. It was followed by a Golden Globes win in the same category, though given the Globes’ well-established affinity for a sure-thing winner, that was really no surprise. But Only Murders in the Building winning best comedy ensemble at the SAG Awards in February felt like the real indicator that change could be afoot. Selena Gomez, accepting the award on behalf of her cast, summed it up nicely: “Wait, we never win. This is so weird!”
That ensemble win, plus a lead actor win for Martin Short, would seem to indicate that Only Murders has finally broken through — possibly because its most recent fourth season was set largely in Hollywood instead of its usual New York City. Maybe it’s ironic then that Only Murders will face tough competition from three other shows that put Los Angeles front and center.
There’s The Studio, of course, set in the gorgeous Art Deco offices of a fictional studio and hearkening constantly to the golden, artist-driven Hollywood of old (if such ever existed, that is). Much has been made already of the show’s formal ambitions, particularly its stunning and painfully hilarious second episode. Like every episode of Netflix’s breakout limited series Adolescence, The Studio’s “The Oner” is done in a single shot — but it’s also about trying to capture a single shot, courtesy of a hilarious guest appearance from Sarah Polley. Yes it’s inside baseball, but when you’re trying to appeal to Emmy voters, that’s mostly an advantage.
Hacks also comes back home to Los Angeles for its fourth season (premiering April 10), following Jean Smart’s Deborah Vance as she launches her own late night show from the CBS studio lot. Hacks has always filmed almost entirely in L.A. — in an upcoming episode of the Prestige Junkie podcast, I talk to co-star Hannah Einbinder and co-creator Paul W. Downs about how the production endured January’s wildfires. But the new episodes are imbued with a particular affection for the business, from backlot tour guides to cameos from real L.A.-based reporters.
Finally there’s Nobody Wants This, a breakout hit for Netflix last fall, which holds as much space for L.A. neighborhoods as it does for carefully-calibrated elder millennial nostalgia. It’s not strictly a showbiz show, but with so much attention post-fires to bringing production back to the L.A. area, hometown hero Nobody Wants This could have a special pull with Emmy voters all the same.
- Two Underdogs That Are Overdue
So that’s five shows, two new and three returning, that seem basically guaranteed a slot in the eight-wide outstanding comedy series field. I’d also reserve a berth for Abbott Elementary, which is produced in L.A. and is keeping the old-fashioned spirit alive of what creator Quinta Brunson has proudly called “TV for everybody.”
Just two slots left to scrap over by my count — feeling the pinch yet?
Two beloved Emmy underdogs that aired their final seasons this past year will be angling for well-deserved swan song nominations. Somebody Somewhere, starring Bridget Everett, ended its three-season run on HBO back in October and has a small but passionate army of fans who will not rest if it doesn’t finally get some Emmy attention this go round. Then there’s What We Do in the Shadows, with its even bigger army of passionate fans and three previous Emmy nominations for outstanding comedy series. Can the Staten Island vampires get one last mention before they’re gone for good?
Returning for its second season this past fall, Apple’s Shrinking seems to have survived the bad vibes around Harrison Ford’s turn in Captain America: Brave New World, so it ought to return to the Emmy fold after scoring two nominations — for Jason Segel and Jessica Williams — for its first season. Poker Face is also returning for a sophomore run on Peacock on May 8, though since it scored only a single nomination for its first season, for star Natasha Lyonne, it will need some extra critical acclaim to build momentum and go further.
Wait, there’s still more — a ton of new shows, many of them with very powerful TV legends behind them. WIll & Grace creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, plus Ryan Murphy for extra oomph, debuted Mid-Century Modern on Hulu this past weekend. Tina Fey has The Four Seasons coming to Netflix on May 1. Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino return to Amazon, after the banner run of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, with the ballet-focused Étoile, launching April 25. Mike Schur reteamed with his The Good Place star Ted Danson for A Man on the Inside, which premiered in the fall and already has a second season order from Netflix. Peacock’s St. Denis Medical counts Superstore showrunner Justin Spitzer among its creators, while Netflix’s The Residence is backed by one of the most powerful names in television: Shonda Rhimes.
I have inevitably missed something and will be hearing from the representatives of whoever I left out. But do you see what I mean when I say the field has gotten pretty crowded this year?
But is Anybody Out Front?
Praise the Emmys all you want for their increased willingness to reward new shows in recent years, but they still have their favorites. Of all the returning champions this year, Jean Smart seems likeliest to hold firm in the best comedy actress category and snag her fourth trophy for Hacks. Quinta Brunson for Abbott Elementary and Ayo Edebiri for The Bear are both Emmy winners too, but only for years when they weren’t up against Smart.
Hannah Einbinder has often been overshadowed by Smart at awards shows, just as her character is by Deborah on Hacks, but it’s really looking like her year in the supporting actress category. Sure, she’s up against the likes of Meryl Streep (Only Murders), Catherine O’Hara (The Studio), reigning champ Liza Colon-Zayas (The Bear) and recent winner Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary). But Einbinder is truly a co-lead on Hacks, which gives her a pretty undeniable edge.
For the actors, meanwhile, it’s open season. Both Jeremy Allen White and Ebon Moss-Bachrach are fresh off back-to-back wins for The Bear but face strong competition in every possible direction, from scene-stealing comedians like Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live) and Ike Barinholtz (The Studio) to veteran thesps who are the emotional hearts of their shows (Harrison Ford, Ted Danson, Martin Short, Steve Martin . . . intimidated yet?)
It will be hard to know who’s competing in the guest actor categories until official submissions are made in June, but given the vast number of cameos on Hacks, The Studio and Only Murders, plus the Saturday Night Live hosts who usually get nominated, both male and female categories could easily be filled entirely with actors playing themselves.
Hollywood’s always been fond of (affectionate) industry sendups, but this year’s race may be so saturated in showbiz stories — right down to a hilarious and spot-on night at the Golden Globes for The Studio’s execs — that the comedy and drama series could start to look a whole lot like reality fare.
