Will “The Pit”, which ranked 25th in nominations, aim for its second consecutive drama win? Is “Hacks,” which broke the record for most nominations in comedy history, a shoe-in? What happened to “Half Man”? How did Dancing with the Stars end a 10-year nomination drought? What can we expect from Emmy Awards host Mariska Hargitay?
These questions and many more will be discussed as the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast’s Michael Schneider, Emily Longeretta and Jazz Tankay join our roundtable to discuss the winners, detractors and surprises of this week’s Emmy nominations. Listen below!
The nominations were announced Wednesday morning by Emmy Award winners Riza Colon-Zayas (The Bear) and Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere), as well as TV Academy President Chris Abrego. Among the highlights, HBO Max’s hit medical series “The Pit” led all shows with a whopping 25 nominations, including outstanding drama and 13 acting nominations (star Noah Wyle was nominated for best actor).
And HBO Max’s other blockbuster hit, “The Hux,” earned 24 nominations in its fifth season, the most ever for a comedy. (“Hacks” beat the previous record-holders, “The Bear” and “The Studio,” with 23.) Star Jean Smart is on the brink of winning her fifth Emmy Award for the show and her eighth overall, which would put her in line with the most Emmy-winning actresses of all time.
The next top nominees were also first-year phenomena for Apple TV, with horror comedy “Widow’s Bay,” which garnered 19 nominations, garnering attention as the Emmy season ended. And twisted drama newcomer “Pluribus” earned 18 nominations. Meanwhile, Netflix’s “Beef” topped the list of limited/anthology series with 16 nominations.
But there were also some disappointments. “Honestly, I was really disappointed that Half Man didn’t get more love,” Longeretta says. “I would say one was a big deal for me. It was quite shocking for me that I didn’t recognize Jamie Bell, even though Richard Gadd was amazing. And I didn’t recognize the whole show because the script was so insane.”
Meanwhile, shows that premiere late in the Emmy cycle often have a hard time getting noticed, so the screening of “Widow’s Bay” was a pleasant surprise. “I know from talking to a lot of people for a long time, they felt like they didn’t have time for another show, but the buzz for ‘Widow’s Bay’ was so relentless that I think a lot of people checked it out and thought, ‘Oh, this is great,'” Schneider says.
The group also talks about the tough programming on TV (other than “Abbott Elementary,” there are very few nominations), but “Dancing with the Stars” returning to the reality competition field after a 10-year hiatus was a pleasant surprise (aside from the fact that it ousted Schneider’s beloved “The Amazing Race”).
Then there’s Mariska Hargitay, and she’s having quite the year. A Knicks win, her Broadway show, two Emmy nominations for her documentary My Mama Jane, SVU reaching its 600th episode this year, and now she’s hosting the Emmys (the first woman to do so in 15 years).
Despite the star power of Billy Bob Thornton and Michelle Pfeiffer, among other surprises, Taylor Sheridan’s World failed to make a name for itself with hits like “Landman” and “Madison.” “The Bear” still incorporates comedic elements, but star Jeremy Allen White is no longer present.
And Tankei has a personal favorite. “I loved having Sally Field on Remarkably Bright Creatures. I mean, Sally is just a legend. It was lovely to see her do that.”
Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast, hosted by Clayton Davis, Jazz Tunkay, Emily Longeretta and Michael Schneider, who also serves as a producer, is your one-stop destination for lively conversations about the best in film and television. Each episode’s “Awards Circuit” features interviews with top film and TV talents and creators, discussions and debates about the awards race and industry headlines. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you download your podcasts.
