On the backheel of the Writer’s strike, the 75th annual Primetime Emmy Awards released its list of nominations with equally surprising names and infuriating subs. For instance, FX’s comedy Reservation Dogs saw no nominations from the jury, and neither did Harrison Ford for his critically-acclaimed performance in Apple TV+’s Shrinking.
Over the years, the award show has garnered a reputation for itself for cashing on the trend of serious shows with “serious people”, shafting on era-defining performances, which still remain relevant today. Here are five such examples of actors and TV shows that never got the love that they deserve.
ACTORS
Steve Carell, The Office
Image Credits – NBC
Yes, Steve Carell never won an Emmy for his portrayal of Michael Scott in the US version of The Office. While the show has earned an unsavoury reputation lately, mostly due to being overused as a personality trait on social media and dating apps, there’s no denying that the writing and particularly Carell’s performance has paved the way for many popular shows you see today.
Carell was able to introduce the genre of cringe comedy, mostly found on British television, to mainstream American audiences with ease. While the show did win Outstanding Comedy Series in 2006, Carell was time and again beaten out in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series category several times, mostly by Jim Parson of The Big Bang Theory fame.
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Image Credits – NBC
Greg Daniels might’ve left The Office after four seasons as the showrunner, but sadly his Emmy luck seemed to have followed onto his next project, Parks and Recreation. The workplace-inspired comedy series has many of its elements with The Office, including a sometimes endearing and sometimes annoying lead character in the form of Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope. Sadly though, despite doing the impossible task of making politicians likeable, Poehler never won an Emmy throughout her seven-season-long stint on the show.
Michael K. Williams, The Wire
Image Credits – HBO
The late Michael K. Williams’s portrayal of Omar Little will go down in history as of the most iconic characters put on television. Despite his limited screen time, Omar terrified gangsters, robbing them in broad daylight and doing so while being openly homosexual. The added layer of complexity played with nuance is what makes Michael K. Williams stand out amongst the greats. No wonder then it feels criminal that the actor never got the recognition he deserved.
SHOWS
The Wire
Image Credits – HBO
Speaking of criminal misses, HBO’s The Wire is considered to be the best TV series of all time. Often spoken with the same reverence as Citizen Kane. Why then, the show never won an Emmy through its five-season run remains a bigger mystery than Amelia Earhart. Yes, the drama series did have many shortcomings, particularly prevalent in the latter seasons. However, the impact it created by being both critically and commercially successful should’ve been awarded in an ideal world.
Peaky Blinders
Image Credits – BBC One/Netflix
Cillian Murphy and Oppenheimer seem to be the flavour of the month currently. While Nolan may have put Murphy into the mainstream spotlight, it is Peaky Blinders who put him on the map, through awe-inspiring art design and writing. Sadly though, the drama series, which still remains one of the biggest TV shows in the world, never won an award throughout its run.
New Girl
Image Credits – Fox
New Girl may not have been a cerebral experience as some of the other shows on the list, but it did its job well. The Zooey Deschanel and Jake Johnson starrer show proved that sitcoms can be formulaic and fun. It is tragic then, the show remains Emmy-less.
