Who should have got an Emmy?

CONSTANTINOS PSILLIDES looks at six Emmy snubs that really beggar belief

The 75^th Primetime Emmy Awards wrapped up this week, the third major award ceremony after Golden Globes and the Critics Choice. For some, it was a great night (Succession) and for others it was a confusing, like The Bear which won an award for season 1 just one week after season 2 got an award at the Golden Globes. Not everything was glitz and glamour though. Sometimes the Emmys take a walk on the ‘are you kidding me’ side and fail to recognise series and actors in snubs that make zero sense.

Here are some of the most egregious of those snubs.

Steve Carell, The Office

The Office is a legendary series. The first to establish the work mockumentary format, it is iconic and instantly recognisable. Long after the series wrapped up it is still played in syndication and still scores high viewership. It’s the go to series for a lot of people and it owes a lot to the iconic Michael Scott, the bumbling, useless but deep-down kind-hearted boss of the office, played by Steve Carell. Despite six nominations and a series that was hugely successful and largely depended on him, Carell never won a comedic Emmy. If impeccable comedic timing and masterclass performance can’t get an award, what can?

The Wire

It’s safe to say that The Sopranos and The Wire changed the face of television forever. It went from a place where actors go to cash a paycheck in low-budget productions to producing high budget mega-spectacles that dwarf films. While the New Jersey gang had its time in the spotlight, the gritty Baltimore drama about a never-ending drug war was largely overlooked by the Emmys voters. With top-tier performances from Idris Elba and Michael K Williams, the unconventional series was just too ahead of its time.

Bojack Horseman

Honestly, when I saw this I couldn’t believe it. How on Earth could Bojack Horseman not receive an Emmy? It is simply inconceivable! Bojack Horseman tells the story of washed-up actor Bojack who wants to make a TV comeback. He is self-destructive, cynical and self-centered but like the rest of us tries to find his place in the world. The episode Free Churro is an entire monologue and the series should get an award simply for making that work!

Another episode, The View from Down Under is inspired by a poem and is a masterclass in writing.

A deep examination into the human psyche, with irreverent humor thrown in, it is borderline offensive that Bojack never got the recognition it deserved. In case you are wondering, Rick and Morty kept winning the Best Animated Series but there should be room for our favourite horse actor too.

Hugh Laurie, House

Our favourite curmudgeon doctor, Dr House, did not have the best bedside manner but that’s no excuse to deprive Hugh Laurie of an Emmy! Laurie was nominated six times for an award but failed to secure one every time, despite masterful performances. While widely celebrated by audiences and critics, Hugh Laurie didn’t manage to convince the Emmy voters.

Kerri Russel: The Americans, The Diplomat

At this point, Kerri Russel must believe that the Emmy voters just don’t like her. The Americans, one of the most underrated series of all time, saw amazing performances by Russel and she was nominated three times, but didn’t get to win an award. With The Diplomat, she proved that she could be consistent and netted another nomination but failed again.

Better Call Saul

This snub is so egregious, so unthinkable that the Emmy people should apologise to the whole crew and cast. This award ceremony was the last chance Better Call Saul, a spin-off series about the lawyer from Breaking Bad, had to get an Emmy award and once again it was snubbed.

Better Call Saul has amassed a staggering 53 Emmy nominations during its runtime across various categories, yet it has not secured a victory in any of them. Despite being regarded as superior to Breaking Bad, which bagged 16 Emmys, Better Call Saul remains without a single one.

Actors Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, and producer/writer/director Vince Gilligan have every right to be furious as their show was a colossal success but was shunned by the Emmys.