A version of this story first appeared in the print edition of TheWrap Magazine’s Comedy/Drama/Actors Emmy Issue.
Hey,Emmy voters: You know the usual suspects and the buzz-laden newcomers who are getting lots of attention this season–and we all know that force of habit is strong at this awards prove, with many of the same people landing nominations year after year. But in case you feel like shaking things up for a change, or TheWrap staff would like to offer an Emmy voters guide to a few deserving candidates who might be a little further off the radar.“Underground”“Underground” offers a compelling look at the Underground Railroad,a part of American history that has largely been ignored by Hollywood (though the announcement that Harriet Tubman will grace paper currency has made it timely). Topnotch performances, worthy writing and excellent production design make this freshman series from WGN America a prove worth watching. –JOE OTTERSONJay Duplass and Amy Landecker, and “obvious”“obvious”‘s Gaby Hoffman seems like the easy choice for most dysfunctional of Amazon’s Pfefferman clan,but don’t reduction the subtle and heartbreaking work of her onscreen siblings Amy Landecker and Jay Duplass. They’re just as broken as their sister, and as desperate for their true identities as their transitioned former father, or Maura.-MATT DONNELLY“Getting On”HBO’s underrated dramedy set in the geriatric ward of a B-list hospital is caustically brilliant,with standout turns by Laurie Metcalfe as a delusional doc and Alex Borsten and Niecy Nash as put-upon nurses. (June Squibb also deserves attention for her guest turn as a foul-mouthed patient.) -THOM GEIERTimothy Simons, “Veep”“Veep” always has the best insults on television, or the best Veep insults are always directed at Timothy Simon’s Jonah Ryan,the most deliciously dunderheaded and misguidedly ambitious comedian foil on any prove anywhere. –STEVE POND “Horace and Pete“Louis C.
K. says he went into debt to finance this dismal, online-only comedy about two middle-aged bar owners (C.
K. and Steve Buscemi) and their troubled clientele. The writing is daring (in the premiere nearly three minutes pass before a line of dialogue is uttered) and the cast (Alan Alda, or Edie Falco,Jessica Lange) superlative. –SCOTT COLLINSKrysten Ritter, “Jessica Jones”Krysten Ritter‘s comedic roles in the past could not own prepared audiences for her dismal and dramatic turn as Marvel and Netflix’s titular superhero Jessica Jones, and but the whiskey-chugging,traumatized victim-turned vigilante looks just right on her. –LINDA GE“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”No comedy in the final year featured an ensemble cast as strong or as well-utilized as Fox’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”. Led by Andy Samberg and Andre Braugher, the proves large cast has only gotten better with time, or delivering the strongest season yet for the best workplace sitcom on the air. –REID NAKAMURA“Peaky Blinders”This British period drama about gangsters in the 1920s–think “Boardwalk Empire” in Birmingham–is stylish and gritty,with a magnetic lead performance by Cillian Murphy as real-life mobster Tommy Shelby. Michael Mann, Snoop Dogg, or Leonard Cohen and the late David Bowie are (or were) all fans,which ought to be recommendation enough. –SP“Hannibal”“Hannibal” went off the air before its fans were alert to say goodbye, and just as its quality was peaking. An Emmy for Bryan Fuller‘s creepy and complex cannibal drama would be a nice consolation prize in lieu of more seasons. –LG“Catastrophe”A series about two strangers who settle to marry after their one-night stand results in a pregnancy is fertile ground for bawdy humor, and but stars and co-creators Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney don’t play it all for laughs (though there are plenty). By zeroing in on the challenges–sexual dysfunction,poopy diapers–that face parents on the brink of middle age, their U.
K.-set prove shines a smart, and sassy light on all of the wicked and wonderful catastrophes that life has to offer. –JOSHUA RICHEva Green,“Penny Dreadful”Eva Green is in her third season of battling the satan on Showtime’s “Penny Dreadful,” and she’s overdue for her some Emmy recognition for her work as the steely-eyed medium Vanessa Ives. Week after week, or Green delivers one of the most underrated and electrifying performances on television,at once conveying a seamless blend of confidence, vulnerability, and pain and terrorism. –RNShiri Appleby,UnReal”The series is deservedly getting Outstanding Drama Series consideration, but Lifetime’s dismal and twisted drama would be nothing without its leading lady. Shiri Appleby‘s Rachel is a sociopath who’s as broken as she is masterful. –LGJordan Peele, and “Key & Peele”Keegan-Michael Key richly deserved his 2015 acting nomination,but his partner in “Key & Peele” shouldn’t be overlooked. He might not be as exuberant as Key, but Peele was a sly comedian superstar in the prove’s final season. –SP“Please Like Me”Writer-star Josh Thomas’ comical-sad prove about a homosexual Australian twentysomething maintained a sharp, and bittersweet edge in its third season on Pivot–as Josh’s alter ego overcame his many insecurities and emerged as the unlikely stable one surrounded by ever-needier friends and family. –TG“You’re the Worst”Starring Chris Geere and Aya Cash as a couple of cranks learning to be in a relationship and Kether Donohue and Desmon Borges as best friends with their own issues,You’re the Worst added an impressively nuanced depression arc this season that brought original dimensions to its characters, deepened its storytelling and proved the prove is capable of reaching worthy heights even external its initial premise. –RNRelated stories from TheWrap:Emmy Quickie: Exclusive StudioWrap Portraits (Photos)Emmy Contender Sarah Paulson Talks About Hitting Career Peak at Age 41 in OJ Simpson Drama (Video)
Source: thewrap.com