The Emmy nominations are in, and while many shows and stars received recognition, so many more were overlooked.
It starts moments after Emmy nominations are announced: a whole lot of head-scratching and teeth-gnashing over forgotten shows and actors.
It’s no different this year, with snub-citing and second-guessing at fever pitch following Thursday’s announcements.
How could Emmy judges turn a blind eye toward the eye-popping Starz series « American Gods »?
How could TBS’ « Angie Tribeca, » which packs as many belly laughs into each episode as any show on the air, go sadly unrecognized for a second year?
And what about Oprah Winfrey, whose starring performance in the HBO film « The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks » got an Emmy cold shoulder, as did her OWN network’s drama « Queen Sugar, » for which she is an executive producer?
Granted, there were some pleasant surprises.
Bill Camp’s pitch-perfect performance as a world-weary detective in HBO’s « The Night Of » was recognized among this limited series’ 13 nods. So was Jackie Hoffman as the hilarious Mamacita in FX’s « Feud: Bette and Joan. »
Netflix’s haunting anthology « Black Mirror » deservedly wangled a nomination with an episode submitted as a television movie.
And fans of laceratingly funny topical humor were cheered by the slate of nominees for best variety talk alongside CBS’ just-for-fun « The Late Show with James Corden: TBS’ « Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, » ABC’s « Jimmy Kimmel Live, » HBO’s « Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, » HBO’s « Real Time with Bill Maher » and, most notably, CBS’ « The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, » which in its second season has soared on a political acid trip. (Odd guy out: NBC’s « The Tonight Show » starring maybe-too-nice Jimmy Fallon.)
It was some consolation to see Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys both nominated for a second year for their startlingly ambitious performances on FX’s cold-war drama « The Americans, » which has generally encountered a « nyet » policy from Emmy judges. And it was all the more delightful to see Rhys snag a second nomination for Comedy Series Guest Actor for his cunning portrayal on an episode of HBO’s « Girls. »
On the other hand, « Girls » and its creator Lena Dunham were overlooked in its final season. So was HBO’s eerie « The Leftovers, » which left the air after three seasons totally ignored by Emmy.
And what’s the deal with HBO’s « Divorce, » a penetrating comedy-drama starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church that seemed so out-of-sight, out-of-mind after its first season aired last fall that even Snubs lists snubbed it.
Of course, the day’s big winners, with 22 nominations apiece, were HBO’s worthy « Westworld » and — what?! — NBC’s « Saturday Night Live. »
It was hard to view « SNL’s » haul without eyebrows raised. In a year of spectacular performances on a bounty of comedies, many new or previously overlooked, « SNL » seized three of six nominations for best supporting actress (Vanessa Bayer, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon) . It grabbed three out of six of the comedy series « guest actor » nominations (for Dave Chappelle, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Tom Hanks, all guest hosts) . It landed two of six « guest actress » nods (for guest hosts Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy) . And it handed a « supporting actor » nomination to Alec Baldwin, a frequent drop-in impersonating President Donald Trump, while shutting out all of its male cast members.
Since Emmy judges love it this much, maybe « SNL » should be awarded its own category.
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