Emmy 2016 snubs and surprises in nominations

The TV Academy has recently released the annual Emmy nominations, and with that list came the usual surprises and snubs. Here’s who was disappointingly shut out, and happily included.

SNUBS: Stephen Colbert, The Daily Show, Samantha Bee

A massive shake-up in the variety talk category left veterans The Daily Show (with new host Trevor Noah) and Stephen Colbert shut out for the first time in over a decade (when Colbert’s The Colbert Report launched on Comedy Central). Both shows drew zero nomination. Voters clearly didn’t warm to Colbert’s take on The Late Show, which had been nominated in its final season with original host David Letterman last year. Daily Show veteran Samantha Bee was also expected to join the club for her host freshman series Full Frontal, but that programme did pick up a nomination for variety series writing.

SURPRISE: Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee, The Late Late Show With James Corden

Two beneficiaries of the turnover in the variety talk races: Jerry Seinfeld’s cult favourite Crackle interview series Comedians In Cars and breakout James Corden’s buzzy Late Late Show. CBS has to be thrilled for the man behind the Carpool Karaoke concept (which even scored a bonus nomination in the Variety Special category), but who expected he’d overshadow his lead-in, Colbert, at the Emmys?

SURPRISE: The Americans

After three seasons of shutouts, the FX drama finally broke through in a major way landing five nominations including the big drama series, actor (Matthew Rhys), and actress (Keri Russell) categories. The tide is turning, comrades.

SNUB: Orange Is The New Black

Things are looking bleak in Litchfield. The third season of Netflix’s acclaimed dramedy drew just a single nomination this year (for casting) after picking up four last year and 12 in season one. Perhaps the buzzier fourth season, which launched recently, can right the ship next year.

SNUB: Uzo Aduba

Orange Is The New Black standout Aduba, a two-time Emmy winner and heavy favourite heading into this year’s race, was among the most high-profile snubs.

SURPRISE: UnReal

In a first for Lifetime scripted series, critical darling UnReal landed nominations in both the writing and acting categories, with Constance Zimmer’s hard-edged reality producer singled out in the drama supporting actress category.

SNUB: Jane The Virgin, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

The CW critical favourites Jane The Virgin and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend have found success at the Golden Globes, but can’t seem to get any love from Emmy voters, either in the comedy or acting races. (Jane The Virgin did earn a repeat nomination for narrator, while Crazy Ex-Girlfriend picked up four nominations, almost all for its original music.)

SNUB: Jim Parsons and Julianna Margulies

Once Emmy darlings with a crate of trophies to their credit, both were shut out for the second year in a row. Perhaps it was a long shot that they would return to the fold, but nostalgia for The Good Wife‘s final season should have at least helped Margulies.

SURPRISE: A Very Murray Christmas

A star-studded but deeply silly old-fashioned variety special less than a hour long topped multiple serious contenders to land a TV movie nomination. That’s the power of Bill Murray.

SNUB: American Horror Story: Hotel

It’s hard to call a show that managed eight nominations a true snub, but last year’s Horror Story installment (Freak Show) racked up 19 nominations, so the decline is extreme. While supporting actresses Sarah Paulson and Kathy Bates landed repeat nominations, new leading lady (and Golden Globe winner) Lady Gaga proved no substitute for the series’ two-time Emmy winner Jessica Lange.

SNUB: Billions

Showtime’s financial drama seemed tailor-made for the Emmys, given its weighty themes and movie-star credentials in Paul Giamatti, not to mention Emmy winner Damian Lewis. But it landed zero nominations.

SURPRISE: Laurie Metcalf

Three nominations in a single year would be a great showing for anyone, but Emmy veteran Metcalf scored in every category she was entered: Guest actress in a drama for Horace And Pete, guest actress in a comedy for The Big Bang Theory, and (arguably most surprising) lead actress in a comedy for Getting On.

SNUB: Modern Family

How the mighty have fallen. After winning Emmy’s comedy series category a record-tying five times, the ABC powerhouse dropped to an all-time low of four nominations this year. And it’s the first time in Emmy history only one cast member (Ty Burrell) landed a nomination. – Reuters/Geoff Berkshire

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