It’s Emmys nomination time again. The most prestigious awards in the television industry have long been known to snub and ignore shows and actors worthy of recognition. So it was a big surprise that this year they finally seemed to get some things right. Orphan Black’s Tatiana Maslany is nominated for her first ever Emmy, preempting everyone’s think pieces about why Tatiana Maslany has never been nominated from an Emmy. The more things change though, the more they stay the same and while the Emmys did good by some, they still ignored others. Here are some of the biggest snubs of the 2015 Emmy nominations.
Almost None for Jane the Virgin
I understand the healthy amount of skepticism surrounding Jane the Virgin. A CW drama about a pregnant virgin based on telenova doesn’t immediately scream quality. The simple fact is that nothing looks, sounds or acts just like Jane the Virgin. Comedies are hard and hour long comedies are even harder, but Jane the Virgin is an excellent one hour comedy. There is no hour of TV more charming, heart-warming and amusing than Jane the Virgin. The fact that it didn’t get nominated for an Emmy for Best Comedy Series is sad. The fact that Gina Rodriquez didn’t get nominated for Lead Actress is pretty damn close to a tragedy. The most Jane the Virgin got was a nomination for the superb narrator but it’s not close to being enough.
Missing Funny People
It’s fantastic that people like Amy Schumer are recognized in the category of Lead Actress in a Comedy Series but the Emmys left out one very important actress to that collection. Constance Wu on Fresh Off the Boat almost single-handedly carries her series. Wu is such a star that the series noticeably began to pivot away from her character’s son Eddie, to give her a bigger spotlight. A not inconsiderable move since an adult Eddie serves as the show’s narrator.
The comedy gods can be thanked that supporting players like Andre Braugher on Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Tituss Burgess on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt got their due. The fact that their leads of their respective series were left out is a real shame. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is really made by Ellie Kemper so it’s odd that the series itself was nominated but she herself received nothing. Emmys host Andy Samberg is just as vital to his series, Brookyn Nine-Nine. Jake Peralta is such an over-the-top character. Samberg is able to play him with such humility that the person underneath Jake’s extravagance is often seen and appreciated as a real human being.
Empty Handed Swan Songs
2015 saw a few major series come to the end and while some like Mad Men were recognized many were not. It’s great that Parks and Recreation got a series and lead actress nomination for Amy Poehler but Parks and Rec will end with Nick Offerman never winning an Emmy for being Ron Swanson. Maybe the final season of Justified wasn’t its best but Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins will officially have never won an Emmy for playing Raylan Givens and Boyd Crowder, respectively.
Assorted Disappointments
There’s a handful of other major snubs. Better Call Saul is better than it probably has any right to be and it earned its few nominations. It’s just a real shame that Michael McKean went unrecognized for playing Chuck McGill, perhaps the series most interesting and complicated character. The Americans, like the Jane the Virgin, almost received a complete shut-out despite being one of TV’s best dramas. Eva Green not being nominated for Penny Dreadful despite acting harder than any other actress on TV, is similarly upsetting.
But what do you think? Is there any Emmy snubs that upset you more than the ones listed above? Or are you too thrilled over Tatiana Maslany finally getting the nomination she has rightfully deserved for three years?
(images courtesy of The CW, ABC and FX)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Derek is a Philadelphia based writer and unabashed TV and comic book junkie. The time he doesn’t spend over analyzing all things nerdy he is working on his resume to be the liaison to the Justice League.
