And the Emmy didn’t go to…

On Tuesday, the Television Academy signaled the end of the 2024-25 TV awards season with the Emmy nominations. Fans, critics, and stars alike now know who will vie for various wins at the 77th annual primetime ceremony scheduled for Sunday, September 14, on CBS.

Instead of jawing about the usual suspects and early frontrunners, I want to talk about the shows and performers that are painstakingly absent. The series that either don’t have enough eyes for a big enough marketing budget to warrant a spot on the list, despite critical acclaim.

Drama Series

The British import that secured a new primetime slot for its third season deserved to appear on this year’s list. Between the taut, tension-building writing from creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, to the superb performances from Marisa Abela and Ken Leung, HBO’s financial drama Industry solidified itself as an award contender last August. No other series preoccupied with the wealth and power of the 1% portrays it as honestly.

AMC has yet to receive any Emmy love since the peak days of The Walking Dead. It’s a shame the risk-taking arthouse network is being ignored, with two of TV’s best series producing their best content in its previous iterations.

The above GIF comes from Rolin Jones’ magnificent adaptation of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire. Pulling prose to life, the show boasts spectacular writing paired with wickedly monstrous acting from its cast. Jacob Anderson, Eric Bogosian, and Sam Reid continue to shine with season two newcomers Delainey Hayles, Assad Zaman, and Ben Daniels. It is a crime that this show has not been gifted the love it deserves. Perhaps an anticipated third season, now in production, will score the Immortal Universe some Emmy love next year.

Along for the ride of solitude is the crime noir, Dark Winds. Carried by Zahn McClarnon, the third season hit a creative peak with powerful performances and excellent writing. The series continues to honor the heritage and hardships of Indigenous populations pushed to the margins of their native lands. Based on the novels by Tony Hillerman, Dark Winds follows a trio of Navajo tribal officers in 1970s New Mexico. While fighting crime, they constantly fight for their humanity in a world that discarded them centuries ago. Season four has been greenlit.

While Disney+’s Andor received a stellar 14 nominations, including Drama Series, it garnered only one other outside of the technical field. Forest Whitaker scored the lone acting nomination for Guest Actor in a Drama Series.

Really, Academy? How in a galaxy not so far away, do you not honor the performances of Diego Luna, Genevieve O’Rielly, Stellan Skarsgard, and newcomer Elizabeth Dulau? Genre deserves to be represented as prestigious TV, especially when the material can be more difficult to bring to life.

Comedy Series

It warms my heart to see Quinta and the gang receive well-deserved noms each year. But what will it take for Chris to get his name on the list? He has delivered non-stop laughs since season one, with I think, season two being his best. Is the academy afraid of nominating a white actor from a “Black” show?

As a fan of television, I have thoroughly enjoyed FX on Hulu’s The Bear. It captures a very human and common experience, whether you’ve worked in a kitchen or not. We all have a dream we’ve chased or another goal to obtain.

HOWEVER comma: its continued success under the COMEDY category is hilarious. There are funny moments in the series, hell, so much so that it could be viewed as a white Atlanta. But the dramatic flares seem more prominent, especially in the latter seasons.

I have yet to begin season four, which people say is a return to form after the divisive third installment. Hopefully, I chuckle to tears.

Streamed: Prime Video’s Ballard a powerful successor in the Bosch legacy

Prime Video continued the crime drama universe of Bosch with the equally satisfying Ballard. Based on the character created by author Michael Connelly, Ballard follows former LAPD homicide detective Renee Ballard, leading a newly formed cold case division. Her team of retired officers and volunteers works diligently to bring elusive suspects to justice and solace to victims’ families.

When Ballard’s team is tasked with solving the murder of a councilman’s sister, they stumble upon an unnerving John Doe case involving a missing infant. As they investigate leads, they soon discover there’s more than meets the eye in both cases. Soon, a mere cold case uncovers multiple victims and possible criminal activity closer to home.

While the series produces weekly cases, season-long narratives help elevate the familiar procedural cop content. Maggie Q is great as the determined yet fractured Ballard, whose exceptional career was halted following the aftermath of an internal investigation. Half healing, and half working to prove herself, she places her job above all, even at her detriment.

Q is joined by a stellar supporting cast, including John Carroll Lynch, Michael Mosley, Rebecca Field, and Victoria Morales. The series boasts a standout performance from Abbott Elementary’s Courtney Taylor and a surprising role from Desperate Housewives’ Ricardo Chavira.

All 10 episodes of Ballard are available to stream now on Prime Video.

Previews

Luca Guadagnino’s next film, After the Hunt, is a psychological drama starring Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, and Ayo Edebiri. A college professor (Roberts) finds herself at a personal and professional crossroads when a star student (Edebiri) levels an accusation against one of her colleagues (Garfield), and a dark secret from her own past threatens to come into the light. Written by Nora Garrett and produced by Brian Glazer, After the Hunt releases on October 17.

The ‘90s kid in me rejoiced with the official first trailer for Warner Bros. Pictures’ sequel to the 2021 reboot of Mortal Kombat. While the first film built the world of the Netherealm, the second dives into the heart of the groundbreaking video game franchise: the tournament. Through the eyes of a washed-up 90s action star, Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage, we get a taste of actual Kombat. Joining the fight will be characters such as Baraka, Princess Kitanna, Jade, and the return of Shao Kahn.

Mortal Kombat 2 arrives in theaters on October 24.