→ Customize what you receive from Ankler Media. You can keep what you need, skip what you don’t. My Year’s 30 Best Emmy Nominations, Ranked: Part 2Today: Shoutouts for Colman Domingo, Cristin Milioti & more. Plus: I’ve got big plans at TIFF next month
Before I jump back into Emmy season, hopefully you’ve seen the big news — Prestige Junkie and The Ankler are going to TIFF! Not only will I once again be hosting a live taping of the Prestige Junkie podcast onstage as part of the TIFF Industry Conference (look out for tickets on sale next week!) but Prestige Junkie will also have its first-ever interview studio, bringing some of the biggest names of the festival in for video interviews, portraits and the kinds of conversations only we can do. We’ll even be teaming up with our friends at Letterboxd for an exclusive festival party on Sept. 7; Ankler Media CEO Janice Min and Letterboxd CEO Matthew Buchanan will be sending out invitations soon (hope you get one!). It’s all happening! (For more information, write to TiffEvents@theankler.com) Obviously, you’ll be reading much more about our TIFF adventures here in the newsletter and hearing about it on the podcast, but before I get my passport ready, I’d love to know what’s on your radar at TIFF. Drop a line at katey@theankler.com and tell me who you’d like to hear from and what we should get into.
Thanks to everyone who shared their feedback on the first part of my list of the 30 best Emmy nominations of this year! As absurd as it feels to rank Emmy nominations, it’s been a surprisingly gratifying way to sort through all of this year’s nominees — and, for some of the publicists chugging away through the final days of Emmy season, the recognition is worthwhile, too! Today, I’ve got the second part of my list, #20-11, with another group of nominees who embody what TV can do at its best. As a reminder, I limited myself to one nominee per show, so though there are certainly some shows where I’d love to praise every single aspect, having a limit makes for a much more interesting list. One last thing before we get into the rankings: We’re going strong at Prestige Junkie After Party this week, and with fall festivals truly right around the corner, now is a great time to pay $5 a month and feel like you’re way, way ahead of the awards season curve. Yesterday, we released my onstage conversation with Alan Cumming and an all-star lineup of Traitors contestants, live from Televerse in Los Angeles. And tomorrow, Christopher Rosen and I will once again be hopping on Substack Live, where paid subscribers can join us as we catch up on the final days of Emmy voting, sort through the week’s biggest headlines, and, as always, share our hottest takes of the moment. The Substack Live will be accessible here this Friday at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT — bring your coffee. The replay will be available for paid subscribers shortly after. Join the party! Now, onto the list…
#20: Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Colman Domingo, The Four Seasons It’s still a little baffling that Colman Domingo landed the only nomination for Netflix’s The Four Seasons, the first show Tina Fey has created since The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (this time working alongside Tracey Wigfield and Lang Fisher). With a second season now in the works, there’s still time for Emmy voters to get on Fey’s current wavelength and her tribute to the joys and pains-in-the-ass of middle age, as experienced by a group of friends who vacation together four times a year. For now, though, the recognition for Domingo will have to be enough, particularly since The Four Seasons allowed the two-time Oscar nominee and Emmy winner for his guest actor work on Euphoria to show off his comedy chops finally. Holding his own alongside experienced comedians like Fey, Steve Carell and Will Forte, Domingo steals scenes. Better yet, he also gets to explore a surprisingly tender romance with Marco Calvani, Domingo’s onscreen husband and real-life friend. If they had to pick just one Four Seasons actor to nominate, Domingo was a great choice.
#19: Supporting Actor in a Limited Series: Owen Cooper, Adolescence Watching Adolescence often feels like seeing a miracle play out in real time, from the dazzling single-take camera work in each episode to the wrenching performances from veteran actors like Stephen Graham (who also co-created the show) and Erin Doherty. But none of it would be possible without the teenage discovery at the center of it all. Graham and all the other adults who worked on the show have been effusive in their praise for Owen Cooper, who auditioned for Adolescence when he was just 14 and thought he’d only ever pursue acting as a hobby. Instead, he plunged himself into one of the most ambitious TV shows ever made — about a young boy named Jamie who is accused of murdering his classmate. In his first week in front of the camera, Cooper pulled off the spectacular two-hander third episode, in which he and Doherty go toe-to-toe in a prison interrogation room. “One of the most remarkable things I’ve ever witnessed in my life is the journey between Owen on Monday and Owen on Friday of that first week,” series co-creator Jack Thorne told me earlier this year. “He came in and he was good, he was a really good actor. But by Friday, he was Jamie.”
#18: Writing for a Drama Series: Will Smith, Slow Horses
Some shows draw your attention to their complex scripts, while others make it look easy. Nominated this year for its fourth season, the U.K.-based Apple TV+ series Slow Horses weaves together dense spy plots, moving character work and disarming humor in a way that would be even more impressive if it didn’t look so effortless. This year’s writing nomination is for its season finale, “Hello Goodbye,” which begins with a dramatic kidnapping, includes several major character revelations and ends on a moment of silence between stars Jack Lowden and Gary Oldman that speaks volumes. Maybe the biggest flex of the show’s Emmy-winning writer and creator, Will Smith, is that it moves so dang quickly — season 5 is coming just a few weeks after the Emmys in September.
#17: Directing for a Reality Program: Ben Archard, The Traitors
I’m obviously in the tank for The Traitors, but I promise it’s not just my bias talking: the directing on the premiere episode of season 3 of The Traitors, “Let the Battle Commence”, is truly spectacular. As I learned when I spoke to director Ben Archard and other members of the crew earlier this summer, they always try to go big with season premieres, and the challenge that required the contestants to row an enormous boat across a Scottish loch was about as big as it gets. Capturing it required a whole lot of hidden cameras, some improvisation when the winds weren’t favorable, and a whole lot of walkie-talkie communication with host Alan Cumming as he stood on the shore. The Traitors had its Emmy breakthrough last year with Emmy wins for Cumming and reality series, but I’m hoping the show’s exceptional craft has its moment this year, too.
#16: Lead Actor and Actress in a Comedy Series: Adam Brody and Kristen Bell, Nobody Wants This Yes, it’s absolutely cheating to include two actors in a single entry. But it also seems impossible to choose between the two stars of Netflix’s breakout rom-com. Their relationship is the key to the show’s success and they had such parallel careers getting to this point. Both Adam Brody (whom I spoke to recently) and Kristen Bell broke out with teen shows in the early 2000s and have worked together a handful of times in their career, building an easy chemistry that translates beautifully to the funny, comfortable romance at the heart of Nobody Wants This. It’s wild that it took this long for them to earn their first Emmy nominations, but also somehow appropriate that they’re doing it together.
#15: Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More): The Residence
Canceled before its time, and before Emmy voting was even over, Netflix’s quirky murder mystery The Residence still managed to score a well-deserved Emmy nomination for its star, Uzo Aduba. But I was even more relieved to see it recognized in the production design category, for the work that François Audouy, A. Todd Holland and Halina Siwolop did to recreate the East Wing of the White House down to the most baroque detail. A murder mystery that doubles as a tribute to the people who serve the family and guests at the White House, regardless of who’s in office, The Residence pulls off being apolitical while diving deep into the details of this world, with Aduba’s meticulous detective Cordelia Cupp as our guide. Aduba told me in awe what it was like to walk around that White House set after visiting the real thing, and even though her character won’t get to return, this feels like worthy recognition.
#14: Documentary or Nonfiction Special: Will & Harper Thanks to a recent rule change, streaming documentaries are allowed to campaign for an Oscar — provided the movies first meet the theatrical requirements, of course — but then submit for an Emmy as well, so long as the Oscars don’t nominate the project first. So even though Will & Harper, the charming travelogue featuring Will Ferrell and his longtime friend Harper Steele, played at film festivals and received a robust Oscar campaign, its surprising Oscar snub means the Emmys could make up for it, giving the film five nominations. It’s been a strange road to get here, for sure, but the story of Ferrell and Steele’s friendship, even after Steele transitioned in her 50s, feels even more poignant given how much worse the national conversation about trans rights has gotten in the past year. An Emmy for Will & Harper surely won’t fix it — but it can’t hurt, right?
#13: Lead Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie: Cristin Milioti, The Penguin Cristin Milioti is a Broadway veteran, which means she can do just about anything. But I’m not sure anyone realized just how much she would bring to the role of the damaged, dangerous Sofia Falcone on The Penguin, the crime drama set within the world of 2022’s The Batman, but focused on the show’s title gangster (played by Colin Farrell). Establishing Sofia as a fearsome presence before rewinding to reveal what got her there, Milioti digs deep into the kind of scenes she told me last year she loves the most: the ones where “no one is saying what’s actually happening.” Having played dream girls like The Girl in Broadway’s Once and The Mother on How I Met Your Mother, Milioti clearly relished the opportunity to go dark, with a performance that perfectly sums up The Penguin’s ambitions to be a whole lot more than a comic book story.
#12: Contemporary Costumes for a Series: Hacks
One of the great benefits of a long-running TV show is that it gives you time to really appreciate the many elements that make it all sing. So though stars Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder and series creators Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky might have initially gotten the credit (and the Emmy attention) for making Hacks feel so fresh and funny, it’s high time to celebrate the craftspeople who really bring the world of Deborah Vance to life. (The show’s creators seem to agree, showcasing Hacks’ real craftspeople in a montage that starts episode 4.) So while I could highlight Deborah’s perfect wigs (thanks to hair department head and current nominee Aubrey Marie) or the immersive production design (courtesy of three-time nominee and 2025 contender Rob Tokarz), I’m choosing to celebrate costume designer Kathleen Felix-Hager and costume supervisor Keely Crum. Those two are nominated this year for the season finale, “Heaven”, but really crushed it in all the show’s episodes. From Deborah’s spangled jackets to the louche robe that symbolizes Dance Mom’s Hollywood transformation, every costume is perfectly realistic and speaks volumes about the characters who wear them.
#11: Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie: Jenny Slate, Dying for Sex If she had only nailed the line-by-line, hospital bedside performance of Clueless, that would be enough. If she had only riffled through her giant shoulder bag in a way that any easily frazzled person could immediately relate to, that would be enough. If she’d only had a surprisingly emotional romantic reunion while holding a box of dildos intended for someone else, that would be enough. But Jenny Slate did all of that and so much more on Dying for Sex, playing the best friend to a woman (Michelle Williams) who receives a terminal cancer diagnosis and goes on a journey of sexual discovery before it’s too late. The fact that Dying for Sex manages to be about sex and deep friendship in equal measure is its own miracle of writing from creators Kim Rosenstock and Liz Meriwether, and Williams’ lead performance may truly be the best of her remarkable career. But every time I’ve revisited Dying for Sex — and yes, I’ve rewatched it, I love it that much! — Slate feels like a revelation all over again.
Got a tip or story pitch? Email tips@theankler.com. ICYMI from The AnklerThe Wakeup Cable bundle melts more jobs, Apple TV+ hikes prices Don’t Fall Too Hard for Romcoms’ Return, There’s a Twist! Entertainment Strategy Guy analyzes the genre’s challenges, where love is winning onscreen and how to rebuild it for new audiences A Close Reading of the NYT Shari Redstone Tell-All We’re in deep trouble, writes Richard Rushfield Sony’s TV Chief Wants to Make the Show You’re Scared to Write SCOOP: Katherine Pope tells Lesley Goldberg three new overall deals, and how her indie (The Last of Us, The Boys) wins on risk: ‘No show ever succeeded on a business model’ Hollywood Syllabus: What to Read (and Watch) Before Opening Your Mouth Richard asks the industry’s best to share their essential curriculum for not embarrassing yourself Management Firm M&A, Old Media Urgency, Brand Plays: Q2 Deals Report Ashley Cullins on why rep firms are hot, what Hailey Bieber’s $1B Rhode sale signals, and dealmakers’ predictions on the next moves The TV Shows Netflix Wants to Buy Now Elaine Low gets fresh intel about the execs with greenlight power and what to bring them My Year’s 30 Best Emmy Nominations, Ranked: Part 1 Katey Rich counts down in a three-part series. Plus: What is Televerse, and why does it matter to the Television Academy? Prestige Junkie Studio + a Private Party: Find Us at the Toronto Film Festival! Katey leads The Ankler’s first-ever festival interview studio; Janice Min & Letterboxd CEO Matthew Buchanan to host an invite-only soiree 🎬 Sean & Chris: Is Netflix the Cure for the Summer Slump in Theaters? Summer ’24 vs. ’25 box office surprises — but not in a good way 🎧 Alan Cumming Knows He’s the ‘Castle Bitch’ on The Traitors Recorded live at Televerse, the Emmy winner and current nom tells all with Katey (plus: a Traitors reunion) 🎧 Walton Goggins On What The White Lotus Set Was Really Like For Him The Emmy nominee tells Katey how ‘emotionally hard’ playing Rick was — and relief when Sam Rockwell showed up: ‘Normalcy... like I’m not a f-ing freak’ More from Ankler Media
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