Listen, it’s just a reality of theTVlandscape that not every show can take home the awards it deserves. There are too many shows out there and too few awards to fight for. But even then,there have been some real snubs that simply cannot go unacknowledged.
How can we as a society exist in a world whereBetter Call Sauldoesn’t have a single majorEmmy? How can we go on knowing thatSteve Carellwas never awarded for his role as Michael Scott inThe Office? We simply can’t. From thosemajor misses to great shows that were ignored by the Emmys entirely(RIP,Hannibal), there’s a whole host of shows that deserve their flowers.
9’Community' (2009–2015)
Created by Dan Harmon
Greendale Community College is not for the weak — but it is for the deeply unhinged. Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) learns that the hard way when he’s forced to go back to school to actually get the law degree he claimed he had while, you know, practicing law. There,he joins a study group and meets the best friends he’ll ever have…whether he likes it or not.
Communityis easily one of the funniest, most snappily written comedies to ever grace the small screen. It made bona fide stars out of its stellar cast — which includedAlison BrieandDonald Glover, aka Childish Gambino — and was never, ever afraid to push the envelope. From a flawless bottle episode in which Annie slowly goes insane trying to find her missing pen, tothe infamous paintball episodes,Communitydid it all— and was never awarded for it. It’s a shame that Joel McHale’s incredibly sardonic, self-important monologues never managed to make an impact on Emmy voters, butthe true crime against humanity (and the Greendale Human Beings) has to be the Academy completely overlookingJim Rash’s brilliant, unhinged, gender-bending take on the school’s Dean, Craig Pelton. When it came toCommunity, the Emmys were streets behind. As usual.
A suspended lawyer is forced to enroll in a community college with an eccentric staff and student body.
8’House' (2004–2012)
Created by David Shore
Part genius, part disenchanted mischief-maker, Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) leads a diagnostic team at Princeton–Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey. There,he terrorizes patients and hospital administration alike, all with the goal of saving lives…and breaking a law or two, if the mood moves him. What’s a casual break and enter if it saves a life, you know?
Housecertainly brought home an Emmy or two, including Outstanding Writing and Directing for a Drama Series, but that’s where the accolades end.Shockingly, Laurie — who was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series six times during the show’s run — never won a single Emmyfor his incredible work as the show’s titular character.Laurie’s work to bring House’s grouchy, brilliant countenancegoing unacknowledged by the Academy a whopping six times is truly an insult to the dynamic actor. Dr. House would surely have some choice words about that one.
Using a crack team of doctors and his wits, an antisocial maverick doctor specializing in diagnostic medicine does whatever it takes to solve puzzling cases that come his way.
7’The Office' (2005–2013)
Created by Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, and Greg Daniels
Let’s be real:The Officewas no stranger to Emmy Awards. Over the course of its nine seasons,the show garnered a whopping 44 nominations, netting itself 5 — including one for Outstanding Comedy Series. So, how could it ever be consideredoverlooked?
Two words: Steve Carell.Somehow, despite Carell giving a career-defining performance as the iconic Michael Scott, the Emmys continually passed him over. Not when it came to nominations — Carell rightly earned six for the role — no, it was wins he was robbed of. Not once during his time as Michael Scott did Carell ever win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy, instead losing out to fellow nomineesRicky Gervais,Tony Shalhoub, and twice to bothAlec BaldwinandJim Parsonsfor their roles in30 RockandThe Big Bang Theory, respectively. All deserving, of course, butone has to wonder howCarell never earned a winfor the episode “Scott’s Tots” alone. It takes a particularly talented actor to make an entire audience cringe to this day over the merementionof an episode.
The Office
A mockumentary on a group of typical office workers, where the workday consists of ego clashes, inappropriate behavior, and tedium.
6’Better Call Saul' (2015–2022)
Created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould
No show’s awards luck epitomizes the phrase “always a bridesmaid, never a bride” quite likeBetter Call Saul. A spin-off (and prequel) of Emmy-darlingBreaking Bad,Better Call SaulstarsBob Odenkirkas the titular Saul Goodman,a crooked attorney whose descent into criminal misconduct and shady law practices is chronicled in the series.
Better Call Saulwas a critical and audience success during its six-season run onAMC. It only made sense that the show would net itself quite a few Emmy nominations — 53, to be exact. And yet.And yet!Despite the 50+ nominations across major and minor categories,Better Call Saulnever won a single Emmy. It’s almost impossible to believe. How could Odenkirk’s performance go unrewarded, or the show’s stellar writing unrecognized? We may never know the how’s or why’s behind the show’s continual snubs, but one thing is clear:Better Call Sauldefinitely deserved to win its case.
Better Call Saul
5’The Good Place' (2016–2020)
Created by Michael Shur
Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) is dead. The good news? She’s gone to the heaven-like utopia ofThe Good Place! Hooray! The bad news? Well, she knows she doesn’t deserve to be there, and she’s pretty sure she’s going to end up in the Bad Place if anyone finds her out — especially the Good Place’s architect, Michael (Ted Danson). Guess she’s just going to have to fake her way through her afterlife. For all eternity. No biggie, right?
Despite the show’s critical and commercial success,The Good Placedefinitely suffered at the Emmys.Sure, the show was nominated 14 times (truly impressive), but did it take home a single statuette for its efforts? No, no it did not.What the fork is up with that, man? And while we’re at it — what the fork is up with the Emmys not awarding Ted Danson’s frankly incredible turn as Michael even once? Yeah, this isdefinitelythe Bad Place.
The Good Place
4’Hannibal' (2013–2015)
Created by Bryan Fuller
To callHannibala rare masterpiece of network television is, quite frankly, still underselling it. TheBryan Fulleradaptation sees FBI profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) fall under the spell of his psychiatrist, the endlessly charismatic and secretly cannibalistic Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen). The two form a bond that goes beyond that of a doctor and patient,eventually sending both men into a psychological spiral that may spell the end for them both.
Though the show is considered one of the best network shows of all time,NBCaxed the critical darling after only three seasons.Hannibalisn’t just good — it’s great. It bears none of the trappings of standard network fare, instead aiming for a look and feel that iseasily mistaken for that of prestige cableor streaming television. You’d assumeHannibal’s top-tier writing and stunning visuals make it an easy Emmy contender, and you’d be wrong.Despite the show’s critical success, it only earned one nominationfor Outstanding Visual Effects during its three-season run.
3’Ghosts' (2021–)
Created by Joe Port and Joe Wiseman
Based on the UK series of the same name,Ghostsfollows the lives (and afterlives) of the residents of Woodstone Mansion. Sam (Rose McIver) and Jay (UtkarshAmbudkar) get more than they bargained for whenthey attempt to turn their inherited mansion into a bed and breakfast — Woodstone isn’t just an old home, it’s ahauntedold home, and Sam and Jay now have eight new family members from throughout human history to keep them company.
The Emmys have consistently overlookedGhosts' eclectic, hilarious ensemble — and honestly, the Academy is missing out. Each actor brings something special to their respective character,from Brandon Scott Jones' Isaacand his camp dramatics,to Danielle Pinnock’s Albertabalancing her secretive (and sometimes heartbreaking) past with her present love of watching chaos unfold. It’s long past time the Emmys recognizedGhostsfor the absolute feast of character actors it is stuffed to the brim with.
Ghosts (US)
When a cash-strapped couple inherits a crumbling country estate, they soon discover it is inhabited by an eclectic group of spirits, leading to comedic encounters as they navigate cohabitation with their supernatural roommates.
2’Bates Motel' (2013–2017)
Created by Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin, and Anthony Cipriano
Long before Marion Crane (Rihanna—yes, really) stepped footin her room at the Bates Motel, proprietor Norma Bates (Vera Farmiga) and her son, Norman (Freddie Highmore), called it home. In the titular series, Norma and Norman make a go at a fresh start when they purchase the run-down motel and the accompanying iconic house on the hill,both running from their respective demons — and both ultimately falling victim to them.
Bates Motelis five glorious seasons of perfectly paced tragedy. Norma blossoms from a traumatized, damaged, and over-bearing mother to a woman who slowly begins to understand she is worthy of love, never losing the unhinged, controlling nature that defines her character to the core.The Emmys overlooking Farmiga’s powerhouse performance in particular is certainly a tragedyNorman himself would seek to rectify. But the show itself deserved recognition, too, and it’s truly a shame it never received it.
Bates Motel
A contemporary prequel to Psycho, giving a portrayal of how Norman Bates' psyche unravels through his teenage years, and how deeply intricate his relationship with his mother, Norma, truly is.
1’Parks and Recreation' (2009–2015)
Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur
Debuting in the wake ofThe Office’s success as a mockumentary-style sitcom,Parks and Recreation(quite literally) followsthe employees of Pawnee, Indiana’s Parks and Recreation Department.
For all its iconic lines, characters, and its lasting impact on pop culture alone (Galentine’s Day andTreat Yo Self come to mind),Parks and Recreationnever received an Emmy Award. The show rightfully garnered 16 nominations over the course of its run, including nods for Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series forAmy Poehler, but failed to bring home a single win. And while it’s easy to argue that it’s more important that the show brought joy to millions,it does still sting that it was never awarded for the excellent piece of comedy it is. To quote Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman): “[…] Awards are stupid. But they’d be less stupid if they went to the right people.” Amen, Ron.
Parks and Recreation
The absurd antics of an Indiana town’s public officials as they pursue sundry projects to make their city a better place.
NEXT:9 Great Sci-Fi and Fantasy Shows That Were Overlooked by the Emmys
