Emmy Review: Comedy Series
Friday, September 11, 2020 at 4:30PM 
It's Schitt's Creek vs. Mrs Maisel for the gold.
We here at The Film Experience hope you've all enjoyed our category reviews. The Emmys begin in a few days on the 14th with the Creative Arts awards (i.e. below the line categories) before the big final awards night on September 20th.
Comedy series is the category where, by all visible indications, the winner is already set: Schitt’s Creek. While I don’t love the show, I harbor no ill will against it and am already prepared for it to win. Its two biggest hurdles seem surmountable to me. As far as I can tell, only two shows have won this award only for their final seasons: Barney Miller in 1982 and Fleabag last year. For the former, it was a nominee all eight seasons, and the latter wasn’t nominated in any category for the first of its two total seasons. This is only the second nomination for Schitt’s Creek. The other factor is that most of us – and the Internet – aren’t Emmy voters, and could it be possible that the collective enthusiasm around the show won’t materialize on Emmy night? If it doesn’t, what show wins instead?
I’ll try to avoid major plot details in my analysis – but if you’d like more spoiler-filled descriptions, click on the episode titles. Let’s consider each nominee…
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO, 4 nominations)
The show with the most irregular airing schedule is back for its ninth nomination in this category, for season ten. Its inclusion comes without a corresponding acting nomination for star Larry David, which has happened only twice before – in 2002 and 2008 – and without any other major nominations, including for any of the big names who guest-starred like Jon Hamm, Clive Owen, or Jane Krakowski. Larry is as wonderfully detestable as ever, and the selected submissions are very funny while being just as moderately offensive as usual. “Happy New Year” is a great season premiere to re-acclimate viewers after two years away, and “You're Not Going to Get Me to Say Anything Bad About Mickey” features a fantastic private plane trip. “Insufficient Praise,” “The Ugly Section,” “Elizabeth, Margaret, and Larry” and season finale “The Spite Store” encapsulate why this show and its protagonist exist, and all of them feature a slew of superb guest appearances. Winning without any other major nominations seems impossible, though, and I also suspect that this show’s next iteration is going to find Larry reacting to new coronavirus norms, which might just be comedy gold.
;)
Dead to Me (Netflix, 4 nominations)
I’m very glad that this dark comedy made the cut after earning just one nomination last year, for star Christina Applegate (Jen). For season two, it earns its first Best Comedy Series bid and adds citations for casting and star Linda Cardellini (Judy), who I named as my personal choice to win comedy actress. There are those who believe that this show’s premise is a bit far-fetched and that season two only stretched it further, but I found all of it to be gripping and very layered. Whether it’s actually a comedy is the better question since it does deal with extremely depressing ideas. I can’t understand why the best episode of the season, which is Cardellini’s submission, “If Only You Knew,” wasn’t chosen, but the installments that were selected are all worthwhile. The first two episodes of the season, “You Know What You Did” and “Where Have You Been” serve to transition to a new focus, “Between You and Me” and “You Don’t Have To” find the characters trying to escape destructive cycles, and “It's Not You, It's Me” and “Where Do We Go From Here,” the last two episodes of the season, bring things to a relative close before setting up the upcoming final third season. This show is probably the most necessary of all these nominees to watch in its entirety to keep up with what’s going on, and for that reason I don’t think it has a chance at winning.
The Good Place (NBC, 6 nominations)
Many, including me, believe this to be one of the best TV shows in recent memory, but you certainly wouldn’t know it looking at its Emmy haul. After zero nominations for season one and just two for season two, this show finally picked up a Best Comedy Series bid for season three. Now, for its fourth and final season, it added supporting players William Jackson Harper (Chidi) and D’Arcy Carden (Janet), joining Ted Danson (Michael) for his third nomination. This show is also narrative-dependent but each episode still feels like its own semi-independent experience. “Tinker, Tailor, Demon, Spy” is the only episode from the first half of the season and involves surprising developments related to the running experiment. “The Funerals to End All Funerals” kicks off a new thread, one that is sometimes heartwarming, like in “The Answer,” or enlightening, like in “Patty.” Nothing compares to the wonderful series finale, “Whenever You’re Ready,” which counts as two of the six episodes. This show seems, unfortunately, like too much of an underdog that still hasn’t won over Emmy voters, but I would be so ecstatic if somehow it managed to win.
Insecure (HBO, 8 nominations)
This is a great year for this underrated comedy, which more than doubled the number of Emmy nominations it had ever received with its season four total. Star Issa Rae (Issa) earned her second acting bid and Yvonne Orji (Molly) is nominated for the first time. This show has been consistently good since it started, and it’s affirming to see it finally recognized the way it should be. The submitted episodes are from all over the season, starting with the premiere, “Lowkey Feelin’ Myself,” which really launches the block party plotline that dominates the first half of the season. “Lowkey Thankful” and “Lowkey Movin’ On” are crucial episodes that delve into the relationships and friendships on this show, and the final three installments – “Lowkey Happy,” “Lowkey Trying,” and “Lowkey Lost” – offer a memorable and effective blend of comedy and drama. I think Rae is likelier to win an Emmy than her show, but I would absolutely love if either of them – or Orji – did end up winning.
The Kominsky Method (Netflix, 3 nominations)
Last year, this show was unexpectedly left off the Best Comedy Series list after winning the Golden Globe. This year, for its second season, it made the cut, but still managed just three nominations, earning repeat bids for stars Michael Douglas (Sandy) and Alan Arkin (Norman). I really like this show and found season two to be consistent and entertaining. Interestingly, the first six episodes of the eight-episode season were submitted while the last two were not. “Chapter 9. An Actor Forgets” and “Chapter 10. An Old Flame, an Old Wick” feature trepidation from Sandy and Norman over moving on with their lives. “Chapter 11. An Odd Couple Occurs” and “Chapter 12. A Libido Sits in the Fridge” find them trying new things to varying degrees of effectiveness. “Chapter 13. A Shenckman Equivocates” and “Chapter 14. A Secret Leaks, a Teacher Speaks” see them coming to terms with their own realities. Season three has been announced as the conclusion to this show, and I think a career win for Douglas, Arkin, or both for that wrap-up is about as much as we can expect.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon, 20 nominations)
This period comedy series took home this award for its first season. It earned eight Emmys – the most of any show – for each of its first two seasons, and is now the comedy nominations leader for the second year in a row, with twenty bids. Its third season takes its fast-talking, gorgeously-decorated storytelling to new heights with business opportunities and relationship developments, and it’s just as wondrous as ever. “Strike Up the Band!” is a phenomenal season opener, and “Panty Pose” offers a nice survey of many facets of the ensemble who don’t always get a spotlight. “It’s Comedy or Cabbage” and “Kind of Bleau” are fun, Miami-set hours that feature memorable stand-up and musical performances interlaced with drama. “Marvelous Radio” and “A Jewish Girl Walks into the Apollo…” feature significant career ups and downs for Midge and the rest of the cast. Every episode of this show continues to feel like a mix between a movie and an episode of The West Wing, and another win for this show, which I incorrectly predicted to beat Fleabag last year, wouldn’t be a surprise at all.
Schitt’s Creek (Pop, 15 nominations)
Four seasons came and went for this show without any Emmy love, and last year it first appeared on the Emmy map with nominations in this category, costumes, and for stars Eugene Levy (Johnny) and Catherine O’Hara (Moira). This year, for its final season, it scored just about everywhere, even managing to crack the directing and writing races, both of which I think it will win. All four of its main players are nominated, and three of them are frontrunners to win. Though the six selected episodes don’t include either Levy or O’Hara’s submissions, they are good choices based on what the series has to offer. “The Premiere” and “Sunrise, Sunset” focus heavily on Moira’s acting career, which gives O’Hara plenty of material. “The Presidential Suite” and “Start Spreading the News” are important, entertaining spotlights on what the future could look like for these characters. “Moira Rosé” is an enjoyable episode because it pairs characters who don’t usually spend time together, and even someone like me who doesn’t love the show has a soft spot for the series finale, “Happy Ending.” I don’t see how this very strong nominations showing translates to anything but a win here for this show.
What We Do in the Shadows (FX, 8 nominations)
This show’s inclusion caught me completely off-guard. I watched the pilot when it premiered and thought it was entertaining enough, not that I believed the TV landscape needed a vampire mockumentary. After earning two bids, for cinematography and sound editing, last year, this series showed up in a bigger way this year. I’ll admit that it’s not a complete energy drain watching this show, and I find Kayvan Novak particularly endearing as Nandor. This show managed to earn three nominations for writing, and all three of those episodes are submitted on behalf of this series. “Ghosts” and “The Curse” poke fun at these vampires’ complete lack of comprehension of modernity. “Colin’s Promotion,” “On the Run,” and “Collaboration” see them exploring new possibilities, while the season finale, “Nouveau Théâtre des Vampires” was my least favorite episode, stretching its plot a bit too thin. I think this show’s strong performance this year is a sign of future Emmy favor, and its actors may be in contention next year.
Personal Ranking:
-
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
-
The Good Place
-
Insecure
-
Dead to Me
-
Curb Your Enthusiasm
-
The Kominsky Method
-
Schitt’s Creek
-
What We Do in the Shadows
Predicted Winner: Schitt’s Creek
Potential Spoiler: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Who are you rooting for?
DRAMA
Series | Actress | Actor | Supp Actress | Supp Actor | Guest Actress | Guest Actor
COMEDY
Series | Actress | Actor | Supp. Actress | Supp Actor | Guest Actress | Guest Actor
LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Limited Series | Movie | Actress | Actor | Supp Actor | Supp Actress
MISC
Costumes, Fantasy | Costumes, Period | Animated Program
Reader Comments (7)
I’m glad to see someone else who really likes “The Good Place”. It never sat well with me that the Emmy prognosticators seemed to give all the final season comedy attention to “Schitt’s Creek”. I do like SC, but I personally felt TGP was just as good as a show. At least Will and D’Arcy finally got nominated this year.
I’m rooting for the The Good Place even though I know Schitt’s Creek is going to take it. I wish The Great and Sex Education were here.
I would love to see Insecure pull out a win here. Compared to most other shows, not only were the individual episodes good, but the season was cohesive. Maisel, which I adore, had a rocky season even though individual moments and episodes worked well. It’s just not as good as it once was, even though the production and acting are top tier. Being not as great as it used to will hurt it when it comes to the win.
Schitt’s Creek is a show I don’t love, but will make a fine winner. I think the Good Place has a solid shot at spoiling, with Insecure having an outside shot.
I'm Team Schitt and will be happy to see it win, both for the season itself and for the way the little-show-that-could went from deep basic cable footnote to beloved, widespread favorite. It's the closest thing to an old fashioned sit com from the 60s, 70s, or 80s (really the 60s), and I think the nostalgia factor for something that seems like it comes from a simpler time will get it over the edge. It's also, let me just say, really subtle and smart in ways that often go over looked. Have you ever listened to the characters' speech patterns, particularly David and Alexis? They sound so much like close relations, the way only people do who have known each other their whole lives, that it's absolutely perfect. The only real variation is that David clearly has some anxiety, as someone raised queer in a heteronormative world would, while Alexis seems more like someone who's never really worried about anything in her entire life. Otherwise, they're all but male/female versions of each other.
Personal Ranking:
What We Do in the Shadows
Insecure
The Good Place
Dead to Me
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Curb Your Enthusiasm
The Kominsky Method
(no episodes seen yet)
Schitt’s Creek
Predicted Winner: Insecure
Potential Spoiler: Schitt’s Creek
But I'd be thrilled to see any of my top four win. And I wouldn't cry if the two after that won, either.
What We Do in the Shadows is Geniously HILARIOUS.
It deserves a spot on this list and a higher rank than most of the other nominees, but it still won’t win imo
I don't know the Emmy statistics, but it certainly feels like shows later in the run are more likely to win than previous winners are to return to the winner's stage. I think that, then, makes it a perfect storm for Schitt's Creek.