We are living in a world of good TV overload. Everywhere you look, there's a new network or streaming service launching with a slate of quality original programming. With so much good TV out there, it's fair that the members of the Television Academy can't see everything.
That being said, there have been some shows in the past few years that the Emmys have overlooked entirely when their quality is so high that they're practically begging for recognition.
'Billions' (2016 -)
When you think about what show embodies the Showtime brand in the 2010s, chances are you think of Billions, a thrilling game of cat and mouse set in the world of stocks and finances. It focuses on two men: Bobby Axelrod, a hedge fund manager who is willing to break the law now and again to get the biggest payoff, played by the underrated Damian Lewis, and Chuck Rhoades, a U.S. Attorney in New York City determined to bring Axelrod to justice, even if he has to break a few laws himself, played by the brilliant and iconic character actor Paul Giamatti. Stuck in the middle of these two men's masculinity measuring contests is Chuck's wife, Wendy (Maggie Siff), who works for Axelrod as a performance coach.
You may not always understand the ins and outs of the action happening in Billions, what with the in-depth discussion of finances at its center, but with engaging and witty characters you can't help but fall in love with, played by one of the best casts on television, it won't matter because you'll be hooked.
'Power' (2014 - 2020)
Power is an incredibly popular crime drama series that lasted six seasons, spawned three spin-offs, and helped establish creator Courtney A. Kemp and producer 50 Cent as powerful forces in the television industry. And yet, the Power Universe has not earned a single Emmy nomination. You could argue that the show airing on the STARZ network limited its visibility more than if it was on a network like HBO, which is true. Still, with STARZ shows like Power and Outlander building large, dedicated fanbases, that's no excuse for Academy members to ignore these shows.
Power focuses on Ghost (Omari Hardwick), a ruthless and powerful drug dealer who wants to use his nightclub, Truth, to get out of the game and go legitimate. His best friend Tommy (Joseph Sikora) and wife Tasha (Naturi Naughton) like their lives and try to convince Ghost to keep chasing more and more power. After Power ended with season six, four spin-offs were put into development: Power Book II: Ghost, which focused on Ghost's son, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, a prequel about 50 Cent's character, Power Book IV: Force, a spin-off centered on Tommy, and Power Book V: Influence, set in the world of politics and the only one yet to come to fruition. Here's hoping eventually the Power Universe becomes too much for the Emmys to ignore.
'Looking' (2014 - 2015)
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Looking is one of the best examples of a show ahead of its time. It followed three gay men in San Francisco as they went about their lives, each searching for something in their love lives. Dom (Murray Bartlett) is looking for the future, Agustin (Frankie J. Alvarez) is looking for something new, and Patrick (Jonathan Groff) is looking for something real.
The show is beautiful and funny and feels very real. Every part of the show, from the performances to the writing to the direction, deserved Emmy attention. Unfortunately, the show didn't get the audience it deserved, and it only ran two seasons on HBO before wrapping up with a TV movie. Looking is a prime example of how the Television Academy can overlook quality if it doesn't get enough eyes on it.
'Snowfall' (2017 -)
The tempting thing about the drug trade is that there's a ton of money in it for those willing to work in its dangerous and illegal world. FX's Snowfall, co-created by the legendary John Singleton, highlights this concept by focusing on the beginning of the crack cocaine epidemic in 1980s Los Angeles.
Often overlooked, Snowfall is the secret weapon of the FX drama slate, consistently proving itself among the great crime dramas of the prestige TV era. The show centers on the rise of Franklin Saint (Damson Idris) as he gets into the cocaine game. The show follows him through the ups and downs of a dangerous world changed forever by a little white powder. Snowfall is a stylish and incredibly well-written crime drama from one of Hollywood's greatest minds that doesn't try to preach to the audience about the known dangers of the drug trade but instead seeks to understand what makes someone get involved, to begin with.
'The Haunting Of Hill House' (2018 - 2018)
Director Mike Flanagan has established himself as a modern master of horror, and his masterpiece is undeniably The Haunting Of Hill House, a Netflix original miniseries based on the classic Shirley Jackson horror novel of the same name.
The direction of The Haunting Of Hill House is truly masterful. The writing, cinematography, performances, and camera work create an experience about as close to perfect as you can get. It's a show about trauma and the ghosts we can't leave behind. The awards circuit is notorious for ignoring genre work on the big screen and small, with horror being a genre that is often undervalued for its accomplishments, and The Haunting Of Hill House being shut out of the Emmys is a prime example.
'You' (2018 -)
TV viewers love a good anti-hero. From Dexter to Breaking Bad, people love watching a show that follows a truly despicable human being with a heart of gold. You, based on a series of thriller novels by Caroline Kepnes, follow Joe, a man who wants nothing but to fall in love. That makes him sound sweet, but he's more than willing to stalk women and kill anyone in his way to make that happen.
What makes you a great show is Penn Badgley's lead performance as Joe. With a character as evil as Joe, it's essential that the actor portraying him can imbue him with some sense of humanity. Otherwise, the audience will struggle to follow him. That's precisely what Penn Badgley does. He allows the audience to understand Joe, even if they don't agree with everything he does.
'The Chi' (2018 -)
Created by Lena Waithe on the heels of her Emmy win, The Chi is a show that you would think the Television Academy would take some interest in. It's a coming-of-age tale about the people of South Side Chicago, a neighborhood and culture often misrepresented by the media, told from a new and fresh perspective.
The show was originally an ensemble piece with up-and-comer Jason Mitchell at its center. That is until he was fired from The Chi when accusations of sexual misconduct were made by others involved with the show. Though that was the right thing to do, writing his character off changed the show's story and perhaps kept some Academy members from watching. Having just aired its fifth season on Showtime, The Chi has proven to be one of the most underrated and heartfelt shows on TV.
'The Righteous Gemstones' (2019 -)
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Danny McBride's HBO comedies have been consistently overlooked by the Emmys, from Eastbound & Down to Vice Principals to his latest, and arguably best, show, The Righteous Gemstones.
The show follows the Gemstone family, a wealthy group of televangelists who have made their fortune spreading the word of God in a "do as I say, not as I do" fashion. They're vulgar, violent, selfish people who will do anything they have to to keep people coming to them for their weekly inspiration. It's like Succession, but with a family that somehow hates each other even more. All the performances are spectacular, but Edi Patterson's Judy is one of the most demented characters on TV and regularly steals the show. With season 2 missing out on everything but stunts at the Emmys, here's hoping that before it's all said and done, The Righteous Gemstones will be given the recognition it deserves.
'Sneaky Pete' (2015 - 2019)
You've probably never heard of Sneaky Pete before. It's an Amazon Prime Video original series that came out when the streamer was best known for its bizarre pilot program and Transparent. This lack of visibility is the only explanation for the Emmys ignoring this unique and thrilling show.
Co-created by Bryan Cranston, Sneaky Pete stars Giovanni Ribisi as Marius, a conman who, upon release, assumes the identity of his prison cellmate Pete to hide out with his estranged family from a gangster with a grudge against Marius. Among Pete's family is his mother, Audrey, played by the legendary character actress and Emmy winner Margo Martindale. The writing and performances in this show, especially Ribisi and Martindale, were more than worthy of Emmy nominations, yet, the show was ignored entirely.
'Search Party' (2016 - 2022)
The brilliance of Search Party, which makes it one of the best shows of the past few years, is its ability to reinvent itself each season while remaining committed to a central theme. The show is a satire of the self-obsession commonly associated with millennials. The titular search party is composed of Dory (Alia Shawkat), Drew (John Reynolds), Elliott (John Early), and Portia (Meredith Hagner), who set out to find a missing college acquaintance but make it all about themselves at every turn.
Each season of the show ups the stakes, taking on a different sub-genre. The brilliant writing ensures that it never feels forced. The story naturally flows from one escalation to the next. All the performances are spectacular, but Alia Shawkat carries the show as the complex Dory, whose evolution throughout the show's five seasons is genuinely spectacular. If you're looking for your next binge, look no further than Search Party.