Shows scramble to finish seasons by May’s end
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May 31 to qualify for a series category. The cast and crew then cross their fingers for nominations, which this year will be announced July 12, followed by the Emmy telecast Sept. 18, when the awards are handed out.
Limited series have to air all their episodes by May 31 in order to be eligible for nomination. In March, Amazon Prime Video’s highly anticipated “Daisy Jones & the Six” dropped its 10 episodes in four batches.
It can be a scramble for shows to finish by the end of May: “Ted Lasso” on Apple TV+ drops the final episode of its third season May 31. The fifth and final season of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” returns April 14 on Amazon Prime Video and swiftly wraps by
May 26.
If a returning series does not release six episodes of its season by the May 31 deadline, the remaining “hanging” episodes can be nominated in categories that only require a single episode to enter, such as guest actor.
Season 3 of “The Handmaid’s Tale” premiered June 5, 2019 — which was too late for Emmy eligibility that year. Rather than sit the year out though, “they found a loophole,” Eng said. They submitted three episodes that had aired in 2018 during the previous season for individual achievement categories and earned 11 nominations.
When it comes to scheduling, network and streamer executives maintain tight control over the release-date calendar.
“They choose when we go,” said Rob Eric, chief creative officer and executive producer of Scout
Productions, behind the Emmywinning reality series “Queer Eye.” This year, he has four series premiering right before the deadline.
“We can make suggestions, but really they’re in charge of how that rollout looks,” he said of the platforms.
Release dates are not always entirely about potential accolades.
“Sometimes a series is released because it’s timely and speaks to what’s happening in the world,” said Tony Phelan, who created “A Small Light” with Joan Rater. The NatGeo series tells the story of Miep Gies, who helped hide Anne Frank and her family.
“It’s in direct response to what’s happening in the world, specifically in America in terms of division and the rise in nationalism and antisemitism,” Phelan said of the show.
Still, to end the show in time for award eligibility, “A Small Light” will release two episodes each week on National Geographic, premiering May 1 and ending May 31.
“How did that happen?” Phelan asked in mock surprise of the reason behind the show’s timeline.
It should be noted that shows released in late summer and fall can still garner attention from awards committees — just a little later. Netflix dropped all nine episodes of “Squid Game” in September 2021 — and it was still nominated for last year’s Emmy Awards, including best drama series. Lee Jung-jae also won best actor in a drama series, making history as the first person to win in the drama category for a non-English speaking role.
The critically acclaimed and popular series “The Bear” debuted its first season last June, but it was too late for the 2022 Emmy Awards. By premiering in the summer though, the Hulu show shined and wasn’t drowned out by competitors. And the Emmy Awards aren’t everything: Star Jeremy Allen White cleaned up at the Golden Globes, where he won best actor in a musical or comedy series.
“There are just so many shows, so many streaming services, and people don’t have the time,” Eng said. “From the studio and network standpoint, maybe you should pull something like ‘The Bear’ and drop it in the summer and build that momentum because that was a word-ofmouth hit.”
Still, some award shows reign supreme.
Eric Korsh, the president of Scout Productions, distilled the value of award recognition: The Emmys, he said, “are about defining the best in television.”