The 2018 Emmys are nearly upon us, and with it, a list of more great series and performances than you can shake your Evolution of the Arm at. While the fall TV season of 2017 wasn't particularly inspiring, the programming we've gotten so far this year (or at least, until the end of the Emmy eligibility window) more than makes up for it. Also worth some optimism: the last few Primetime Emmy Award nominations have shown us an industry actually waking up and willing to include series that (gasp!) don't include the same old stories and performances we've seen year after year. Whether or not that continues this time around, I have a few wish list nominees in mind, from shows I've enjoyed, admired, and loved tuning into each week over the last year.
And yet! TV has gotten so incredibly interesting and innovative that it's hard to know where to start. As I've noted in the past, a bit of a disclaimer — this is my own personal list of who I think deserves to be recognized in the major categories, and not indicative of who I think actually will get nominated. There are also plenty of great shows I haven’t had a chance to watch from June 1, 2017 to May 31st of 2018, or others that are highly-lauded that maybe I just don’t like. Or in some cases, it's just that everyone is going to be talking about Game of Thrones' chances in a few days, but no one will be talking about The A Word -- so I am. From everything I have seen (which is an immense, almost insane amount of television), I’ve made my picks below. Since this is just a dream ballot, share your picks in the comments as well, and let’s see how many actually get a nod on Thursday:
Outstanding Comedy Series
Barry (HBO)
Atlanta (FX)
Downward Dog (ABC)
Baskets (FX)
Mozart in the Jungle (Amazon)
Legends of Tomorrow (The CW)
Better Things (FX)
Ok, yes, let’s address that I’ve already broken the rules by including Legends of Tomorrow, but really, "comedy" and "drama" categories are outdated. Legends is a wonderfully funny and extremely lighthearted show with smarts, and it deserves some kind of recognition. This category feels right. As for the rest, what a wonderful crop of series! From the innovative narratives of Atlanta Season 2 to the emotional resonance of Better Things, to the self-realization of Mozart in the Jungle to the rollercoaster of Barry, and the sweetness of Baskets and Downward Dog … there are some really wonderful and unique things happening in “comedy” right now, and we need it more than ever.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Donald Glover, Atlanta
Bill Hader, Barry
Louie Anderson, Baskets
Zach Galifianakis, Baskets
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
Ned, Downward Dog
Yes, I broke another rule and nominated a dog but honestly, he is truly the best dog. Moving on to the humans, though, I think Louie Anderson deserves to be considered a lead actor in Baskets, since this third season focused so specifically on his character of Christine and her story. Anthony Anderson is always fantastic, and Bill Hader was truly devastating in Barry, but I suppose no one can really compete with the maverick that is Donald Glover, most especially when you consider his turn as Teddy Perkins.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Alison Brie, GLOW
Shoshannah Stern, This Close
Alison Tolman, Downward Dog
Pamela Adlon, Better Things
Constance Wu, Fresh Off the Boat
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
Just because there are two actresses on my list named Alison does not mean I’m biased, it’s just that Alisons are doing some amazing work on TV right now (plus I’m a 2-L Allison — it’s completely different). I also want to highlight Pamela Adlon, who continues to deliver outstanding work on Better Things, and Ross, who gave a deeply dramatic turn on her series that shows network comedies can address intense real-world issues with thoughtful humor. There's also Shoshannah Stern, a wonderful actress who wrote and produced This Close on Sundance Now that was one of the year’s most affecting series.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Zach Woods, Silicon Valley
Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Brian Tyree Henry, Atlanta
Tony Hale, Arrested Development
Anthony Carrigan, Barry
Henry Winkler, Barry
Zach Woods is delivering one of the most memorable and increasingly bizarre comedic performances on TV, and I don’t think enough people are talking about it. I also have two entries here for Barry, because both Carrigan (as the super upbeat NoHo Hank) and Winkler (as a confident though washed-up actor) were outstanding in very different ways, which really sums up Barry’s wild shifts in tone (that somehow always work). Brian Tyree Henry did some of his best work this year on Atlanta, particular in the “Barbershop” episode as well as Paper Boi’s odyssey through the woods, while Hale and Burgess continue to be the best parts of their series.
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Zazie Beetz, Atlanta
Megan Mullally, Will & Grace
Jessica Walter, Arrested Development
Betty Gilpin, GLOW
Sarah Goldberg, Barry
Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Downward Dog
I debated whether Betty Gilpin would be in the lead actress category, and perhaps she should have been, but suffice it to say that she deserves all of the recognition possible for her emotional and mesmerizing turn in GLOW. Kirby Howell-Baptiste didn’t have a huge role in Downward Dog, but I wanted to recognize the fact that she’s been in three of my favorite series from this Emmy eligibility period, including Barry and Killing Eve, and is always a delight. As for Megan Mullally, who stepped back into her role as Karen Walker after so many years away from it — well, she hasn’t missed a beat.
Outstanding Drama Series
The Crown (Netflix)
The A Word (SundanceTV)
Killing Eve (BBC America)
The Americans (FX)
Counterpart (Starz)
Mindhunter (Netflix)
Outlander (Starz)
I could have easily doubled this list for best dramas, but we’ll have to leave it at seven. What all of these series have in common is that they are absolutely stocked with amazing casts, contain affecting and potent drama, and each one does something that nothing else on television is doing — at least not quite like this. There’s time travel, split realities, the monarchy of a world power, Cold War secrets, and the hunt for caseloads of killers, but there’s also one very quiet and incredibly emotional family drama in SundanceTV’s The A Word, which should not get lost in the shuffle. Each of these series were absolutely fantastic, so consider this a guide to catch up if you haven’t yet.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Deuce
Keri Russell, The Americans
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
Krysten Ritter, Jessica Jones
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
Caitriona Balfe, Outlander
Ok, I cheated a little here and added an additional slot, but I could not choose between Oh and Comer for Killing Eve (because they are truly fantastic), so they’re both here alongside some of the most hypnotizing, strongest, most badass women on television. The Outlander episode where Claire washes up on an island alone is a miniature Castaway, and an acting showcase for Balfe. Ritter single-handedly holds Jessica Jones together, making it the most dynamic of Marvel’s Netflix series. Gyllenhaal is powerful, wry, and heartbreaking in The Deuce, while Elisabeth Moss needs some kind of special award for emotional endurance after all of the torture June sustains on The Handmaid’s Tale. As for Keri Russell, I mean, have you seen The Americans? This powerhouse needs no introduction.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
J.K. Simmons, Counterpart
Matthew Rhys, The Americans
Jonathan Groff, Mindhunter
Michael K. Williams, Hap and Leonard
James Purefoy, Hap and Leonard
Jeffrey Wright, Westworld
Both Simmons and Wright play multiple versions of themselves, and both do so with aplomb. Wright has to keep the differences and nuances of the Bernards through time clear enough to make those iterations distinct for us, while Simmons plays opposite himself in two versions of his character that start to take on the traits of the other. It’s mind-boggling and exceptional work. Rhys, Williams, and Purefoy all delivered emotional final arcs for their characters (gone too soon), and Jonathan Groff went from a plucky hero to an arrogant anti-hero with so much inherent charm that it’s a little staggering when you realize what’s happened.
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Paula Malcolmson, Ray Donovan
Vanessa Kirby, The Crown
Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid’s Tale
Thandie Newton, Westworld
Lena Headey, Game of Thrones
Ann Dowd, The Handmaid’s Tale
There are a lot of thankless “love to hate them” performances on this list, including Dowd, Strahovski, and Headey’s characters. While it’s easy to want to reward acting for characters we love, sometimes the best performances come for characters that we despise. Strahovski has done amazing work in Handmaid this season, putting in an enormously complex performance. On the spectrum of characters to like, though, Paula Malcolmson’s turn on Ray Donovan last fall was one that resonated with me personally, but was also an incredible swan-song for the actress on that series. And as for Newton, well, Maeve remains Westworld most compelling storyline thanks totally to how much depth Newton gives her.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Rufus Sewell, Victoria
Joe Keery, Stranger Things
Tobias Menzies, Outlander
David Harbour, Stranger Things
Asia Kate Dillon, Billions
Noah Emmerich, The Americans
Every actor in this category has made their respective characters stand out to the point of taking on lives of their own outside of these series for fans. Sewell was terribly charming and heartbreaking in Victoria (the same is true, though in different ways, for Menzies in Outlander), Keery is a joyous and lovable presence the dark world of Stranger Things, while Emmerich made some difficult discoveries on The Americans and fully surprised us all. As for Billions breakout Asia Kate Dillon, the gender-neutral Dillon submitted in the actor category, so in this category they will stand, having truly changed the game when it comes to that series.
Outstanding Limited Series
Alias Grace (Netflix)
Twin Peaks: The Return (Showtime)
Howards End (Starz)
The Terror (AMC)
Patrick Melrose (Showtime)
Don’t forget that Twin Peaks: The Return was the other event series of last summer, one that was so beautiful and ugly and frustrating and captivating that it seems like it was all a collective fever dream. Compared to that, it’s hard for any show to find its footing, and yet AMC’s The Terror is absolutely one of 2018’s finest series so far. The quiet Alias Grace and the bombastic Patrick Melrose are also noteworthy and intriguing character studies, while the chatty Howards End is perhaps the exact respite we need from the overwhelming drama of the others.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Kyle MacLachlan, Twin Peaks
Benedict Cumberbatch, Patrick Melrose
Taylor Kitsch, Waco
Jared Harris, The Terror
Matthew Macfadyen, Howard’s End
Michael Shannon, Waco
Though I didn’t love Waco overall, Taylor Kitsch made a (perhaps too) convincing cult leader, clearly putting in a lot of work and time to embody the troubled David Koresh. Playing opposite him as the hero for once, Michael Shannon also was a stand-out in the series. Harris was outstanding as the embattled leader of the doomed Erebus, while Macfadyen was an awkward delight in Howard’s End. Cumberbatch also gave a tour de force performance in Patrick Melrose, but let us not forget MacLachlan, who delivered three versions of his character (I’m always partial to this), including an extended time as “Dougie,” one of the most polarizing characters on TV in 2017.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Hayley Atwell, Howards End
Sarah Gadon, Alias Grace
Kelly Macdonald, The Child in Time
Sarah Lancashire, National Treasure: Kiri
Elisabeth Moss, Top of the Lake: China Girl
Angela Lansbury, Little Women
You better believe Lansbury is on here for Little Women, she is a legend! But then again, so are the rest of the exceptional women. Atwell is the epitome of charm in Howards End, Gadon paints a complicated portrait of an alleged killer in her Netflix series, Macdonald is heartbreaking as a grieving mother, and Lancashire is in top Happy Valley-esque form in a series that would have done better to focus on her even more. As for Moss, in her second appearance on my list, what more can be said? She’s always incredible, but in China Girl it’s particularly satisfying to see her kicking ass and taking names after all of the abuse the she suffers on Handmaid.