These shows and actors are all worthy of Emmy love, but are long-shot contenders
We have some bold suggestions for the Television Academy.
The Emmy nominations will be announced on Thursday (11: 30 a.m. ET/8: 30 PT) , and they’ re bound to be a mix of familiar shows (minus the ineligible Game of Thrones, thanks to its delayed start) and buzzy newcomers (Stranger Things) . Plenty of shows and performances are sure to be nominated, but many will be snubbed too, especially more obscure contenders that Emmy voters might not have even seen.
There’s so much TV now, series on less prestigious networks or those with superheroes or zombies might fly under the radar. But that doesn’ t mean they aren’ t award-worthy. Here are five series and performances that deserve Emmy love, even if they never get it.
Best supporting actor in a drama: Mahershala Ali, Luke Cage (Netflix)
Rooting for the guy who took home best supporting actor trophy at the Oscars this year doesn’ t sound too out-there, until you remember that his television performance was in a superhero show. Ali steals the Marvel series as the villainous Cottonmouth, a local crime boss with big dreams. The actor dominates the screen in every one of his scenes, using the same smile and soft-spoken eloquence made famous in Moonlight, only in a more sinister manner. When he’s absent, the often-great Cage noticeably suffers.
Best drama: iZombie (CW)
If you judge iZombie based on the word “zombie” alone, you’ re missing out on one of the most smartly written and surprising series on the air. Yes, it’s about a sentient zombie who eats brains, has visions and solves murders, but it’s also a relationship drama, a mythology-driven sci-fi show and — especially in its just-ended third season — a political allegory about fearing people we consider “others, ” making it seem more relevant than ever.
Best supporting actress in a limited series or TV movie: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Black Mirror: “San Junipero” (Netflix)
The standout episode of Netflix’s British anthology series Black Mirror is favored to grab a nomination in the TV-movie category, but Mbatha-Raw faces heavy competition from stars in shows including Big Little Lies and American Horror Story. It’s hard to explain what makes her performance so special without spoiling the episode’s twist, but the emotional weight rests almost entirely on Mbatha-Raw’s shoulders. She carries it gamely, all while charming and captivating everyone, on and off screen.
Best actor in a comedy: Randall Park, Fresh Off the Boat (ABC)
Fresh Off the Boat has no Emmy nominations, and if anyone could break through it would likely be Constance Wu, whose showy performance as Jessica, the forceful matriarch of the Huang family, is a fan favorite. But her co-star Park turns in consistently great work week after week as earnest dad Louis, making him hammy without being cartoonish, and sweet without being cloying. It’s a tricky balance, and Park always nails it, in addition to all of his jokes.
Best comedy: Fleabag (Amazon)
Fleabag, a British series available on Amazon Prime, is a darkly comic portrait of a self-destructive woman (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) reeling from the death of a loved one. Waller-Bridge, who adapted the series from her one-woman stage play, is a marvel, offering viewer asides that range from uproarious jokes to devastating glances without ever risking tonal whiplash. The series feels genuinely unique in a saturated television landscape. The moment after you think you know Waller-Bridge’s character, with her jokes about sex and her family, you realize you never knew her at all. It’s funny and sad and real, all at once.
