Nomination surprises: ‘The Mandalorian,’ Quibi get Emmy love
NEW YORK (AP) — The Emmy Award nominations announced Tuesday included some snubs and surprises.
THE FORCE IS STRONG WITH THIS ONE
“The Mandalorian” — maybe thanks to Baby Yoda — snagged a surprising 15 nominations, mostly technical nods for things like production design, costumes, stunts, makeup and cinematography.
But it also earned Disney+ a nod for guest actor in a drama series for Giancarlo Esposito and a spot in the best drama race. It had gotten no nominations at the Golden Globes.
“The Mandalorian” stars Pedro Pascal as the mysterious title character, navigating his way through the Star Wars galaxy. The show has helped boost Disney and proven that there is a lot more life in the Star Wars franchise outside of the Skywalker Saga.
One of the hit characters from the show resembles a baby version of Yoda. A second season for “The Mandalorian” is coming in October
YES, SOMEBODY IS WATCHING
HBO’s “Watchmen,” an adaptation of one of the most acclaimed graphic novels of all time, was ignored by the Golden Globe voters but not by the Emmys.
The dark superhero tale earned a leading 26 nominations, including for cinematography, costumes, original music, three for directing and three for editing.
Jeremy Irons and Regina King got lead actor nods, while Yahya Abdul-Mateen, Jovan Adepo, Jean Smart and Louis Gossett Jr. earned supporting nods. “Watchmen” was also nominated for outstanding limited series.
The show follows a group of masked vigilantes with no real superpowers and addresses race relations in a way that proved to be extremely timely.
Despite glowing reviews from critics, HBO’s adaptation proved to be divisive among some comic book fans. Some disdainful viewers were frustrated that showrunner Damon Lindelof’s “Watchmen” was too political.
PLENTY OF LOVE FOR BITE-SIZED PLATFORM
Quibi, the mobile phone-only platform that offers installments of movies and TV shows in 10 minutes or less, found itself long on Emmy admiration.
The platform was launched at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and has endured a rocky start, with fewer subscribers than hoped. The company submitted more than a dozen shows for Emmy consideration and got a healthy 10 nods, mostly in the short form comedy or drama categories.
Laurence Fishburne, Jasmine Cephas Jones and Stephan James all got nominations for the police drama “#FreeRayshawn,” while Christoph Waltz got a nod for “Most Dangerous Game” and Corey Hawkins for “Survive.”
Anna Kendrick earned a nomination for “Dummy,” Kaitlin Olson for “Flipped” and Kerri Kenney-Silver for a reboot of “Reno 911!” In addition, “Most Dangerous Game” and “Reno 911!” also earned outstanding short form comedy or drama nods. Quibi earned as many nominations as Comedy Central and BBC America.
That represents a success for Quibi’s creators Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman, who have been pushing for the platform to finally get some buzz and recognition. In its first year, that’s no small accomplishment.
TALK ABOUT ‘EUPHORIA’
Rising star Zendaya has gotten her first Emmy Award nomination and now she gets to hang with royalty — well, at least fellow nominee Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II in “The Crown.”
The star of HBO’s teenage drama “Euphoria” had previously won Teen Choice Awards and a Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award for roles in “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “Rewrite the Stars” and “The Greatest Showman.” Now the 23-year-old has an outstanding lead actress Emmy nod.
“Euphoria” follows a group of suburban high school students as they try to construct an identity amid shifting allegiances and a backdrop saturated with social media. The show stars former Disney Channel star Zendaya as Rue, an on-and-off recovering drug addict who narrates her life.
“I’m honestly speechless,” Zendaya said on Twitter. “My heart is just overflowing with love and gratitude. I’m so incredibly honored to work beside the talented people that I get to call family. I am a small piece of a big beautiful puzzle and I’m so proud of all of you.”
‘
DEVS’ BRUSH-OFF
Quantum mechanics is not often the subject of a TV series, and Emmy voters chose to largely ignore the cerebral FX series “Devs.”
The show starring Nick Offerman earned only four nominations, including for sound editing, special visual effects, cinematography and sound mixing.