Dive deeper into the Sleeper Hits of 2024

Peak TV may be over, but the television landscape is far from standing still. In fact, this Emmy season has produced the most eclectic list of nominees from the most diverse platforms in TV history. The lineup of contenders ranges from the spectacle of “Shōgun” to the slow burn of “Slow Horses” to the out-of-nowhere sleeper stalker story of the year, “Baby Reindeer.”

Regardless, the nominations for the 76th annual Emmy Awards, which were unveiled on July 17, were way off the beaten path.

And while 2024 marks the first time in Emmys history that two ceremonies will be held in the same calendar year, the September 15 show won’t be the same old song and dance. For the first time in 50 years, the top drama series category includes just one title that was a contender last year: Netflix’s “The Crown.” (The Emmy Awards for the 2022-2023 awards cycle were presented on January 15, delayed from their usual September timing due to last year’s writers and actors strikes.)

Just hours after the 2024 Emmy nominations were announced, Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast Roundtable dissected the news and gave their brief thoughts on how the competition is shaping up. Listen below!

The frontrunner this time is Netflix with 107 nominations, thanks in part to its longtime hit “The Crown,” which received 18 nods, and the late-debuting “Baby Reindeer,” which earned 11. FX came in
second with 93 nominations, a bumper crop largely made up of 25 nods to “Shōgun” and 23 to “The Bear.”

Other top shows for the network include “Reservation Dogs” and “What We Do in the Shadows” – two
which many predicted wouldn’t work out – and the star-studded ‘Feud: Capote vs. the Swans’. (Interestingly, Netflix’s 107 nominations included 35 programs that received recognition, while FX’s 93 highlighted only nine programs.)

Over the past twenty years, HBO/Max has held the top two spots (seventeen of them in first place). This year it dropped to third place, with 91 nods. HBO’s “True Detective: Night Country” was the fourth-most nominated series and the most nominated limited series, with 19 nods.

Apple TV+ had its best year ever, despite ‘Severance’ not being in the race, with 72 nominations, up from last year’s 54. Freshman comedy “Palm Royale,” dramas “The Morning Show” and “Slow Horses” and limited series “Lessons in Chemistry” were all responsible for the platform’s No. 4 ranking.

Broadcast networks returned to the top five for the first time in years, with ABC and CBS nodding 38 each, thanks largely to “Abbott Elementary” and “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.”

Here are some of the biggest takeaways from this year’s Emmy nominations.

Ramping up the drama
The drama category may be the most bizarre in years. “The Crown” was the only truly predictable nominee. Despite the 2021 category winner’s final episodes being poorly reviewed, the TV Academy loves it, so it was a shoo-in to get one final nod.

Originally announced as a limited series, “Shōgun” changed categories after FX announced it would be renewed, and immediately became a frontrunner. Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” which was also originally seen as a limited anthology series, was later renewed for a second season. While many wondered if ‘Fallout’ would go the anthology route and deviate from the video game storyline in future seasons, the cliffhanger finale vaulted it into the drama race.

Another slot went to Netflix’s “3 Body Problem,” which was recently renewed for two additional seasons, cementing its place as a drama and not a limited series. Meanwhile, “The Gilded Age” and “The Morning
Show” each earned their first-ever drama series nominations for their second and third seasons, respectively. The third season of Apple TV+’s drama “Slow Horses” also earned a coveted spot in the category (and eight other nods).

Has voting down the line changed?
Television Academy voters tend to be consistent when it comes to down-the-line voting. If they love a show, it could easily earn them recognition in any category. But this year, even though “The Bear” nabbed 10 acting nominations and “Shōgun” nabbed five, those numbers aren’t nearly as high as they were predicted.

That said, there is no down-the-line voting. A good example: in the guest actor categories: “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” earned a whopping five nominations for Michaela Coel, Sarah Paulson, Parker Posey,
Paul Dano and John Turturro.

Double problem
Maya Rudolph might be this year’s MVP, not only nabbing a lead actress nomination for “Loot” but also earning three awards: original music and lyrics (“Saturday Night Live”), guest star (“Saturday Night Live’) and voice actor. overperformance (“Big Mouth”).

As always, there were several double nominees this year, mostly from the same shows. Richard Gadd, Quinta Brunson and Donald Glover were each nominated for their performances and writing on “Baby Reindeer,” “Abbott Elementary” and “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” respectively. Meanwhile, Jodie Foster, Brie Larson and Andrew Scott received acting and production nominations for “True Detective,” “Lessons in Chemistry” and “Ripley.”

Others were nominated in different shows and even different genres. Jon Hamm was cast as a limited actor for his role in ‘Fargo’ and a supporting drama actor for his ‘Morning Show’ appearance; Paul Rudd is nominated for supporting comedy actor for “Only Murders in the Building” and best narrator for “Secrets of the Octopus”; Jonathan Pryce is nominated for supporting drama actor in “The Crown” and guest drama actor in “Slow Horses,” and Kristen Wiig received lead comedy actress nomination for “Palm Royale” and a comedy guest star nomination for “Saturday Night Live.” ”

The 76th Emmy Awards airs live from the LA Live Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, September 15, from 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM ET/5:00 PM to 8:00 PM PT on ABC. The broadcast can then be streamed on Hulu the next day. No host has been named yet.

Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast, hosted by Clayton Davis, Jazz Tangcay, Emily Longeretta, Jenelle Riley and Michael Schneider, who also produces, is your one-stop source for lively conversations about the best in film and television. Each episode features “Awards Circuit” interviews with top film and TV talent and creatives, discussions and debates on awards races and industry news, and more. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you get podcasts.