7 Emmy-Losing Shows You Still Need to See

They’re all winners in our hearts.

Awards aren’t everything. And, as many contestants on The Bachelorette have proven, underdogs are hot. Every year at the Emmy Awards, there are winners and losers — we’re here to celebrate the latter. Already love Succession? We support your right to Shiv your way through the workday. Already stan Ted Lesso? How very ... nice.

To all the other contenders who were denied top prizes at this year’s ceremony, we’re here to say, “Get in, losers. We’re going to stream you.” Do you like true crime? You could spend the rest of your life trying to catch up on it all, or just dip into this year’s best, from a white-collar criminal who prefers black turtlenecks to a suburban businesswoman who takes a great fall.

Some of these series have just concluded acclaimed, multi-season runs, in case you like to know every episode is available before you dive in. Others are runaway hits with new seasons on the way, so it’s prime time to play catch up. Here are the Emmy-losing series (and their trailers) you shouldn’t miss and where to stream them.

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The Dropout

Amanda Seyfried was rightfully crowned an Emmy winner for her uncanny performance as the uncanny queen herself, disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. But The Dropout was otherwise overshadowed for awards attention by the limited-series juggernaut The White Lotus. (Who can resist Jennifer Coolidge? Couldn’t be us.) But in a crowded field of televised takes on scammer downfalls (think WeCrashed, which was true to its title), The Dropout is an immensely satisfying and absurd true-crime drama, from the gleefully twisted mind of New Girl creator Elizabeth Meriwether. And because no amount of Elizabeth Holmes content is too much, pair the series with the podcast of the same name. (Streaming on Hulu.)

Only Murders in the Building

You know who else loves true crime? The neighbors turned podcast hosts turned amateur sleuths played by Selena Gomez, Martin Short, and series co-creator Steve Martin on Only Murders in the Building. Nathan Lane became the most nominated guest actor in TV history with his nod for playing a possible suspect — and took home that award on Emmy night. The artful series also won for Outstanding Production Design, but was otherwise mostly overlooked (personally, we love the costumes). But with leads like Martin and Short, and an unexpected comedic turn from Gomez, the series’s blend of mystery and whimsy is immensely soothing. (Streaming on Hulu.)

Yellowjackets

Are you a ‘90s girl at heart who always half-worried that your life was destined for glorious disaster? We feel you, and so do Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, the married creative duo behind Yellowjackets. The Showtime series about a star soccer team whose plane crashes deep in the Canadian wilderness has everything. A luminous Melanie Lynsky finally getting her due? Check. A wigged and unhinged Christina Ricci in a role she was born to play? Check. Juliette Lewis as a grown-up goth girl with a broken heart? Also check. When you finish watching in a frenzied fever dream, worry not. Season 2 is on the way, with Lauren Ambrose set to join the cast. Just be sure to keep your seat belt fastened. (Streaming on Showtime.)

Abbott Elementary

The breakout mockumentary sitcom from creator and star Quinta Brunson was arguably among the night’s top winners, with Brunson taking home Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (amid a too-much discussed stunt by Jimmy Kimmel) and rediscovered national treasure Sheryl Lee Ralph taking viewers to church with an Outstanding Supporting Actress acceptance speech sung from the heart. But Abbott Elementary lost the race for Outstanding Comedy Series to Ted Lasso, so it technically qualifies for this list. And we will take any excuse to plug the show that revealed the essential truth that “Baby Shark” is like “Back That Azz Up” for kids. (Streaming on Hulu.)

Better Call Saul

Over six seasons, Better Call Saul has distinguished itself as more than simply a spinoff of Breaking Bad with its own devoted following to the origin story of Bob Odenkirk’s deliciously seedy criminal lawyer. The AMC drama earned a whopping 46 Emmy nominations over the course of its run, which concluded this year. But it never actually took a statue home, making it perhaps the biggest loser on this list. The snub almost seems fitting, given that Saul is a perpetual underdog. And the joke is on the TV academy, because the chameleon con man is still on deck to give you everything you want in a drama series. (Streaming on Netflix and AMC.)

Atlanta

Creator and star Donald Glover’s acclaimed series also concluded its run this year, with an off-the-wall (and off-the-hook) season that followed the Georgia natives on a tour around Europe. Several standalone episodes also wrestle with race and its social consequences with the incisive, razor-sharp humor that Atlanta is known for. Glover and his frequent collaborator and series director Hiro Murai were both nominated this year, but the final season received relatively little fanfare. And if you have the whole series to catch up on, we envy the riches spread before you. (Streaming on Hulu and FX.)

The Staircase

So many true-crime series, so little time! This one is a doozy, though, with a lot of twists and turns. The HBO Max miniseries is based on the murder case of Kathleen Peterson, who was found dead at the bottom of the stairs in the well-appointed home she shared with her husband, novelist Michael Peterson, who quickly became the prime suspect. A French documentary series about Michael’s trial and conviction, also called The Staircase, became a sensation on Netflix back in the aughts. This meta dramatization of events, starring Toni Collette and Colin Firth (both Emmy losers), incorporates the filming of the doc and its impact on the Peterson case. Don’t worry, there’s no homework necessary — if you haven’t seen the doc, you can skip straight to the miniseries. (Streaming on HBO Max.)