The 78th Emmy Awards will recognize another year of television’s biggest hits, with the ceremony scheduled for September 14. This year’s nominees include returning favorites, breakout shows and series making their final awards-season run.
Here are six Emmy-nominated series from the major categories that deserve a winning spot on your watchlist.
Widow’s Bay
Set on a mysterious New England island town, ‘Widow’s Bay’ follows Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) as he tries to boost tourism while dealing with the town’s strange occurrences and residents’ belief that the town is cursed. The Apple TV+ horror-comedy series blends supernatural elements with humor as its characters unfold the secrets surrounding the town.
The series earned a total of 19 Emmy nominations in its first season, including ‘Outstanding Comedy Series,’ and acting nominations for Matthew Rhys, Kate O’Flynn and Stephen Root.
Marking a strong start at this year’s Emmys, the show also took home eight awards at the Creative Arts Emmys, including Betty Gilpin’s win for ‘Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.’
Hacks
HBO Max’s ‘Hacks’ follows legendary comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and young comedy writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), whose professional partnership develops into a complicated creative relationship.
In its final season, the Emmy returning nominee leads the comedy category with a record of 24 nominations, including ‘Outstanding Comedy Series,’ acting nominations for Smart and Einbinder, and ‘Outstanding Supporting Actor’ for Paul W. Downs.
It also received nominations for writing, directing, casting and several technical categories for comedy series. The series has earned a total of 86 Emmy nominations and 13 wins since its premiere in 2021.
The Pitt
HBO Max’s ‘The Pitt’ returns for its second season after winning Outstanding Drama Series at last year’s Emmys.
Set in the emergency department of Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, the drama series follows a single 15-hour shift, putting its characters through medical emergencies while exploring the personal and professional pressures of working in an emergency room.
The medical drama leads this year’s nominations with 25 nods, making it the most-nominated drama series and program overall. Its notable nominations include ‘Outstanding Drama Series,’ as well as acting nominations for Noah Wyle, Shawn Hatosy, Gerran Howell, Katherine LaNasa, Sepideh Moafi, Fiona Dourif and Taylor Dearden.
Pluribus
‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘Better Call Saul’ creator Vince Gilligan added another hit show to his list of acclaimed television series with ‘Pluribus,’ an Apple TV+ sci-fi drama starring Rhea Seehorn.
The story follows novelist Carol Sturka, who becomes one of the few people left unaffected after an alien virus turns the rest of humanity into a peaceful collective.
Making its Emmy debut, ‘Pluribus’ earned 18 nominations, including ‘Outstanding Drama Series’ and acting nominations for Seehorn, Carlos-Manuel Vesga and Karolina Wydra. Show creator Gilligan also received nominations for ‘Outstanding Writing’ and Directing for a Drama Series.
BEEF
Three years after its first season, Netflix’s anthology series ‘BEEF’ returns with a new cast and conflict. Newly engaged Gen Z couple Ashley Miller (Cailee Spaeny) and Austin Davis (Charles Melton) become entangled in the troubled marriage of their country club bosses Joshua Martín (Oscar Isaac) and his spouse, Lindsay Crane-Martín (Carey Mulligan).
The comedy drama anthology bagged eight out of 13 Emmy nominations, including ‘Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie,’ acting awards for Steven Yeun and Ali Wong respectively and other technical awards.
This year, ‘BEEF’ received 16 Emmy nominations, including ‘Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series,’ with acting nods for Mulligan, Melton, and Youn Yuh-jung.
DTF St. Louis
HBO Max’s ‘DTF St. Louis’ brings together Jason Bateman, Linda Cardellini and David Harbour in a dark comedy about a love triangle between three adults whose messy relationships take a rather deadly turn.
Bateman plays Clark, a local TV weatherman who befriends Floyd (Harbour), an American Sign Language interpreter whose wife Carol (Cardellini) becomes entangled in their increasingly confusing relationship.
The limited series earned 13 Emmy nominations, including ‘Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series’ and acting nods for Bateman, Harbour, Cardellini, Richard Jenkins and Joy Sunday. It has already won six Emmys, including acting awards for Harbour and Cardellini, as well as writing and directing for creator Steven Conrad.
These six shows are among the shows recognized across this year’s Emmy race. With Emmy recognition already under their belt, these television shows have more than enough reason to make one’s watchlist.
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