You know that on the morning of July 14, you're going to hear plenty of Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey called when the 2016 Emmy nominations are announced. But the fact of the matter is that we are living in an age of incredible television, which means that plenty of incredible work will be overlooked. Here's our list of which actors and shows we'd love to see recognized for their contributions to the extremely crowded TV landscape.
Laugh all you want at the franchise, which is stronger than ever after 32 total seasons (not including its spinoffs), but the producers are clearly in on the joke, currently showing off some of the most brilliant editing in reality television.
Chris Geere and Aya Cash might ground YTW, about a thirtysomething couple who must reluctantly acknowledge that they're pretty perfect together despite the fact that they both abhor relationships, but it's Donohue's spacey Lindsay who reliably brings the LOLs.
The Flash is one of the best shows on television, alongside Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead and all your other mainstream genre faves. This is a fact. And it's largely due to the emotional, funny, strong performance from its leading man.
Love her or hate her, you cannot deny season five was truly Marnie Michael's season to shine (as much as one can shine in Lena Dunham's version of hipster NYC), and Williams was never better than in "The Panic in Central Park." A heartbreaking vignette solely focused on an unraveling Marnie reuniting with her first love, Charlie (Christopher Abbott), Williams was just a lost girl, standing in front of an audience in a tacky red dress and soaked hair, refusing to apologize for her wound-esque behavior and reminding us she's not a caricature but a human character to give a s—t about.
Going up against heavy-hitters such as Felicity Huffman, Lili Taylor and Regina King, Jessup and Pollari managed to steal the spotlight in the anthology series' stellar second outing as two young men on a collision course as they struggle with their sexuality in devastating ways. The most tragic part? The show was so stacked with talent we're nervous they're all going to cancel each other out. Now that really is an American (entertainment) crime.
It's a credit to Carmichael's skill as both a writer and an actor that he's able to tackle some of the most difficult political topics of our current reality in such a seemingly effortless way.
This gem of a series is so much more than a musical comedy or a show that tackles insecurity and mental illness head-on. The situation's a little more nuanced than that!
Beware, Emmy voters: You should be very afraid of reality dating show producer Rachel Goldberg, someone who can manipulate any situation to maximum effect. All a credit to Appleby's complex performance.
As a thirtysomething woman struggling with depression, Cash delivered one of the most breathtaking performances on TV in the second season of YTW. She made us laugh, cry and hold our breaths in suspense, all while watching a half-hour comedy about people who party too hard. Seriously, it's a marvel.
Peele's co-writer and co-star Keegan-Michael Key gets a lot of the acting attention, but Peele's calm, grounded voice is the perfect complement to his partner and deserves accolades too.
She'll make you cry twice over—once when she kicks your ass, then again when she delivers a sharp-tongued monologue that tugs at all your heartstrings.
While Game of Thrones has managed to shake the genre stigma, we're still bitter over the lack of awards love for the Starz drama, which effortlessly blends SO many genres. let's keep the heid, fellow fans, and hope that Emmy voters have fallen under Jamie and Claire's spell, too.
At the risk of sounding cliche, Nash is truly a revelation on HBO's little-watched (yet beloved) Getting On. The dark comedy hit all the right notes over its short three seasons, specifically Nash's performance as the ever-caring Nurse Didi Ortley. From her own family drama to keeping Laurie Metcalf and Alex Borstein's characters in line, Nash was the heart and soul of Getting On.
Yeah yeah yeah, you're probably sick of hearing this, but YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING THE AMERICANS. It's a suspenseful, incredibly well-acted and well-crafted drama that will leave you breathless on the reg. That it hasn't been recognized in the Outstanding Drama Series category is criminal, considering it's one of the best shows on TV.
Season two of this impeccable FXX comedy tackled clinical depression while still delivering some of the funniest (and filthiest) one-liners you've ever heard.
Sure, William H. Macy is wonderful, but it's outrageous that Rossum's subtle, moving, incredibly powerful work on this Showtime dramedy (now competing as a comedy) has been overlooked for this long.
Lifetime's breakout seems like it should be catnip to Emmy voters, considering it's a gritty cable drama about an antihero.
FOTB is a groundbreaking sitcom in and of itself, but it's Wu's portrayal of a strict but loving mom who cements her family together—and cements FOTB's must-watch status.
Ritter's performance of the titular super-powered private eye is one for the record books. She brought both the strength and the vulnerability needed portray Jessica Jones, whose story that transcended super strength and villains. Genre shows always have a hard time at the Emmys, but Ritter's turn deserves accolades.
Emmy voters have no excuse for not watching this British import, starring Rob Delaney as an American ad exec who moves to London when his one night stand (co-creator Sharon Horgan) gets pregnant, considering it you can watch an entire season in about three hours.
HBO's drama, which will end after next season, continued to play with perspective and unreliable narration in its spectacular second year.
Fresh off an Emmy win for American Crime, King entered season two of The Leftovers as a new character and immediately made the show her own—and paved the way for another trophy.
She's the Walter White to Appleby's Jesse Pinkman, and we're similarly terrified every time she's on screen.