Inventing Anna
This was a crowded year for limited and anthology series. A number of buzzy programs earned little to no Emmy attention, like Scenes from a Marriage, Under the Banner of Heaven, Gaslit, and The Offer. Two shows, Maid and Station Eleven, surely just missed given their presence in some top categories. The Staircase and Impeachment: American Crime Story might have come close to more nominations but we'll never know. Instead we’re left with an interesting list of five shows, four based on real events and one based on people that likely do exist, maybe not always in quite as exaggerated form. Let’s look at the competition…
Inventing Anna (9 episodes, Netflix) was the big surprise nominee in this category and is the least likely to win, given that it received just two other nominations, for star Julia Garner and casting. I personally enjoyed the story of con artist and general enigma Anna Delvey quite a bit and thought that Garner was stellar, and I do think that it was a true phenomenon, capturing that same sense of the real-life saga. Compared with the rest of the nominees, however, it feels like a flightier choice and it's definitely less-beloved.
Pam and Tommy
Pam and Tommy (8 episodes, Hulu) was another question mark going into nomination. But it managed to earn acting nominations for all three of its central actors, Lily James, Sebastian Stan, and Seth Rogen, along with a handful of technical mentions (ten total). Any show that has a character’s penis talking back to him is clearly absurd, and this show, about the infamous Pamela Anderson & Tommy Lee sex tape, didn’t always know the line between entertaining and going over-the-top. A victory for James or even Rogen could happen, but to crown this the best limited series of the year would feel like a strange decision.
The Dropout
The Dropout (8 episodes, Hulu) had a handful of big-name actors in its cast but managed just one acting bid, for star Amanda Seyfried for her intense, immersive portrayal of Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes. But it did pick up nominations for directing (two) and writing, which show general support and received six nominations overall. For it to be a frontrunner for the top prize, I think it would have needed to arrive in a bigger way that showed that Academy oters were really wowed by it. But it did score here despite voters ignoring similar projects about eccentric founders who turned bad like WeCrashed and Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber.
That brings us to the two shows that are obviously competing for this prize…
Dopesick
Dopesick (8 episodes, Hulu) showed up in a big way, earning six acting nominations and fourteen bids overall. The disturbing dramatization of Purdue Pharma’s role in the opioid crisis features a handful of very powerful performances and comes at a time where the prescription drug industry hasn’t done a great job of rehabilitating its image. Every speech by star Michael Keaton or creator Danny Strong at other awards shows has emphasized the relevance and poignancy of this series. It's definitely the choice voters will make if they’re looking to reward something meaningful and haunting.
The White Lotus
The White Lotus (6 episodes, HBO), on the other hand, is most definitely a satire. It features a cast of characters that are all excessive and in need of a harsh reality check to show them just how good they have it. It scored a startling eight acting nominations (though Brittany O’Grady and Fred Hechinger, the two series regulars who weren't ominated, were just as strong), plus writing and directing bids for Mike White, for a total of twenty nominations. It's tied with Ted Lasso as the second most-nominated show of the year. Though the show premiered last summer voters still remembered it in a big way, and the fact that the second season is starting this October suggests that anticipation will only help its chances.
I’m very torn on what to predict here but I think I’m going all in on The White Lotus to win every major award when it faces off against Dopesick, including this one. But it could just as easily go the other way.
Will win: The White Lotus
Should win: The White Lotus
Spoiler: Dopesick
MORE ANALYSIS
- Lead Actress - Comedy Series
- Lead Actress - Drama Series
- Lead Actress - Limited or Anthology Series
- Lead Actor - Comedy Series
- Lead Actor - Limited or Anthology Series
- Supporting Actress – Comedy Series
- Supporting Actress – Drama Series
- Supporting Actress – Limited or Anthology Series
- Supporting Actor – Drama Series
- Supporting Actor - Limited or Anthology Series