Emmy Nomination ‘Fun’ Facts: Network Dramas Shut Out (Again), Axed Shows Earn Kudos, Dragon Lords Over Rings and More

As nominations for the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards continue to be processed, TVLine is drilling down and taking stock of some of the quieter (and sometimes fun) trends.

The numbers we already know? HBO’s Succession once again leads the pack with 27 total nominations, including for best drama and for 14 members of its ensemble. HBO’s own The Last Of Us and The White Lotus follow close behind with 24 and 23 total nods, while Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso boasts 21 contenders.

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But again, you know all of that. So let’s take a look at some other fun facts and figures to be gleaned from this year’s contenders…

NETWORK DRAMAS SHUT OUT, AGAIN

For the second year in a row (and the first time without awards darling This Is Us in play), broadcast dramas were completely shut out of the major categories, going 0-for-40 — or 0-for-54 if you include Writing and Directing.

The networks fared a bit better on the comedy side, garnering eight major nominations — with six going to ABC’s Abbott Elementary and two for guest actor nominees/SNL hosts Quinta Brunson and Pedro Pascal.

THE SUCCESS IN SUCCESSION

On its way out the door, Succession improved on last year’s best-of-any-program showing (with 27 nominations versus 25) and matched the Emmys record it set with 14 total acting contenders.

TED LASSO‘S CAREER HIGH

You gotta believe! With 21 total nominations this year, Ted Lasso outperformed its first two seasons, which netted 20 each, yet still fell shy of the comedy series record held by Saturday Night Live (22).

BEST IN (FRESHMAN) CLASS

The Last of Us dominated this year’s freshman class with a whopping 24 total nominations. Placing a distant second were BEEF and (Season 1 of) The Bear, with 13 nods each, followed by Wednesday (12), Daisy Jones & The Six (nine), Andor and House of the Dragon (eight each), and Poker Face and Bad Sisters (four each).

OUT OF THIS WORLD

The live-action Star Wars series The Mandalorian (with nine nominations), Obi-Wan Kenobi (five) and Andor (eight) combined for 22 total nods.

Add in a pair for that other franchise’s Star Trek: Picard, and you get a far more stellar showing from space sagas than last year’s 11 total nominations and a tally on par with 2021, when Mando‘s freshman run alone beamed up 24 nominations.

LESS-THAN-SUPER

With only Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law eligible for Marvel, superhero shows put up a weak tally this year — just six total nominations versus last year’s 20 (and a much further cry from 2021’s 39 total nods). Ms. Marvel came away with three nominations, The Boys scored two, and The Umbrella Academy one.

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON WINS FANTASY FIGHT

Of this past year’s fantasy fare, House of the Dragon collected eight total nominations, besting Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power‘s half-dozen nods. The Wheel of Time and Carnival Row Season 2 both got blanked, whereas HBO/Max castoff The Nevers netted a singular nomination.

THE GAME (SHOW) HAS CHANGED

With the game show categories now open to primetime fare (and being presented during the main Emmys telecast), only NBC’s Password revival and That’s My Jam were able to break through, with one nomination each. Jeopardy! led the pack with three total nods (including for each host, Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings), while Family Feud and Wheel of Fortune earned one each.

ROKU ROCKS WITH WEIRD AL

With eight nominations — including Outstanding Television Movie — for Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, and another four for Die Hart 2: Die Harter, Roku racked up an in-house record.

NOT A ‘TON OF LOVE

Whereas Bridgerton‘s own first season amassed 12 total Emmy nominations (including for Outstanding Drama and lead actor contender Regé-Jean Page), the prequel spinoff Queen Charlotte is up for just three awards — for Julie Andrews’ voiceover performance, hairstyling, and costumes.

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Among the officially cancelled and ended series, Succession (with 27 noms), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (14) and Barry (11) of course had well-honored swan songs. But Perry Mason, Star Trek: Picard and Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (with two nods each) also got parting gifts, while Atlanta, Call Me Kat, The L Word: Generation Q, Dead to Me and The Nevers each scored a single nomination.

DREAMS COME TRUE

Yet again proving that some dreams do come true, 47 of TVLine’s 106 Dream Emmy Nominees  wound up landing on the Academy’s short list. (For those keeping track at home, a similar 45 percent of our Dream Emmy Nominees made the cut in 2022.)

THIS ‘N’ THAT….

Broadcast-TV’s maaaany procedurals accounted for four total nominations — two for FBI: Most Wanted, and one each for The Rookie and S.W.A.T. — all in stunt categories. ∎ Timothée Chalamet’s “Call Me” ad for Apple TV+ is vying for Outstanding Commercial. ∎ Netfllix’s Chris Rock: Selective Outrage stand-up special fared one better (with three nods) than last year’s controversy magnet, Dave Chappelle’s The Closer. ∎ Former president Barack Obama, a first-time Emmy nominee last year for narrating the Netflix docuseries Our Great National Parks, is again in the mix, for narrating the streamer’s Working: What We Do All Day. Onetime FLOTUS Michelle Obama meanwhile netted her own first nomination, as an EP on Netflix’s The Light We Carry: Michelle Obama & Oprah Winfrey. ∎ With Outstanding Comedy contender Jury Duty, Freevee became the first free AVOD service to receive a major Primetime Emmy nomination.

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