The Emmys continue to debate comedy, and television continues to make the debate harder

Since the streaming boom began, the Emmy Awards have struggled with how to define comedy. One of Netflix’s most important works, orange is the new black, It exploded in nominations in its first season as a comedy in 2014 despite the hour-long episodes and a relatively dark tone. Then the following year the Television Academy ruled that one-hour shows had to be classified as dramas, which forced them to do so OITNB To jump ship. It became the only show in history to be nominated for Best Drama and Best Comedy, with Uzo Aduba winning the Comedy and Drama Acting awards for her breakout turn as Susan “Crazy Eyes” Warren, which happens to be both painful and funny.

Or take shamelesswhich aired in the same period. Showtime pitched the hour-long William H. Macy vehicle as a drama, then switched to comedy, then had to switch back to drama — only for the network to successfully petition to remain competitive with the funny fare.

With so many TV shows now blurring lines and experimenting with tones — not to mention episode lengths — enforcing these genre distinctions can seem like a fool’s errand. And yet they persist. In 2021, the Academy reversed course and removed height as a criterion. In 2022, smash the half hour Bear It premiered on FX and went on to win a comedy Emmy — generating loud complaints from fans and quiet whispers from rival campaigns that the stressful kitchen show wasn’t just a funny riot. For its second season, Bear Emmy lost in surprise to HacksMy beloved Max, critic for comedians. Go figure.

This season, the race is filled with even more fascinating obscure examples. Collectively, they speak to a moment in television when creative risks are still paying off, and those behind them are looking at how best to see those risks rewarded. To be sure, there are some of the usual manipulations that are made to cram a particular competitor into the most viable spot. But with this crop, I’d ask: Does it matter where they compete? That this debate is occurring at all shows their authenticity.

I’ve got it The tastea satirical and silly Hollywood series starring Riz Ahmed, is competing as a limited series because it is a closed story. ABC to solve crimes High potential He’s very light on his feet but remains a drama in his second campaign, regardless of star Kaitlin Olson’s bona fides. Meanwhile, two superhero-adjacent shows are being offered as comedies: Disney+ The miracle manpart of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and produced by Kevin Feige and Prime Video’s Spider Noirset in an alternate timeline within Sony’s Spider-Man universe. The first episodes last about half an hour each. The latter plays like a detective show with the running times of a radio drama. The performances are mysterious and intelligent, even amid the action-packed scenes and life-and-death stakes.

Apple TV+’s word-of-mouth success of the spring Widow’s Baycomes from Upright Citizens Brigade alum Katie Diebold (Parks and recreation) and packed with the hallmarks of a great workplace sitcom, set largely in the mayor’s office of a doomed island town. Its brilliance, however, lies in its unclassificationability, both in the genuine commitment to jump scares alongside the humor (the island, you see, is haunted) and in the standalone episodes that range from poignant character study to chilly gothic horror.

“It took years of thinking about it to get to this tone,” Diebold told me recently. “The gist of the show, when I look at it, is: I think life is a nightmare. It’s just an absolute nightmare.” Widow’s Bay It is classified as a comedy.

Then there’s the case of CBS Elspethwhich continues the tradition Orange is the new black and shameless By making a mid-range category swap. But unlike those offers, ElspethThe cast hopes the jump from drama to comedy for season three will lead to Emmy success; It has so far been ignored by the Television Academy despite strong reviews and ratings.

The hour-long show is part of The good wife and Good fightBoth created by Robert and Michelle King. Carrie Preston reprises her guest-starring role in the legal drama, this time in the lead role. Her character, a quirky, deeply committed lawyer turned detective, won Preston an Emmy Award for Guest Actress in a Drama for The good wifebut it was always a relatively comic piece of the violent puzzle devised by kings. This remains true for Elspeth – Although CBS initially pitched the show as a drama.

“When I heard we were in drama class, I said, ‘Oh, okay. Well, if you all want any prizes, you’re not going to get them. Mark my words,” Preston told me last month. “I don’t like to be right about something like this. But once we started, I think everyone realized that it was impossible to be in the same category as The Handmaid’s Tale …So it was pretty certain that we would be nominated for the Critics’ Choice Awards, the first awards given after we entered the comedy category. [for best comedy series and lead actress]. That was validating.” It’s also further proof that a little strategy can make a big difference. We’ll see how these new comedy contenders fare with the Academy, when differentiating the field is harder than ever. Making the right decision is no laughing matter.

This story first appeared in the June standalone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To obtain the magazine, click here to subscribe.

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