Welcome to Emmy Season: What to Know and What to Watch |
The Oscars are over, and because awards season never sleeps, Emmy season has suddenly, chaotically gone into full effect. (Yes, this includes FYC events already sprouting around LA.) Fortunately, this happens to coincide with the chance to talk about a bunch of great new TV shows, and the possibility—hope?—that the Television Academy will look beyond the same old, same old to recognize some exciting, risky new work.
I’m David Canfield, and on this week’s Little Gold Men, I joined my cohost Rebecca Ford and our VF colleague Chris Murphy to break down six of our favorite new scripted shows that have premiered since last summer. That list includes The Pitt, Max’s superlative medical drama which seems to still be gaining buzz by the week (episode 11 of 15 aired on Thursday), and Adolescence, Netflix’s harrowing four-part limited series that just launched on the platform yesterday. Like Baby Reindeer, it’s a British production that’s less glossy than its movie-star-led peers on the platform—and frankly, far worthier.
Whether these new dramas and comedies can make a real awards dent remains to be seen, though. Two years ago, the likes of The Last of Us, Andor, The White Lotus, and Severance were up against the final season of Succession, and they inevitably came up short almost across the board. Now all of those dramas are back, without that Emmy favorite to compete with—and they are all gunning for their first best-drama win. The second seasons of The Last of Us and Andor have yet to premiere, but The White Lotus and Severance are more popular than ever. They feel like our de facto leading contenders right now.
Over in comedy, reigning champ Hacks has gone from plucky underdog to uneasy front-runner. Only Murders in the Building will give it a run for its money, coming off of its surprise dominance at the SAG Awards, while new comedies like the insider-y The Studio and the smash-hit Nobody Wants This are also well-positioned to make some noise. And what of The Bear, which is still feeling the pain of its divisive third season? That batch of episodes will technically compete for Emmys this cycle, but maybe season four—releasing in June—will boomerang sentiment back in the show’s favor.
We’re only just getting started, so take our catch-up guide, gear up for the next few months of endless premieres, and get bingeing. A new season is upon us. |