There are times the longer I do this that I
have reasons to doubt the profession I specialize in. With so many of my fellow
professional critics taking an increasingly elitist approach to film and
television – really everything – it can often become difficult for me to
maintain my objectivity. So many times with each passing year I find it harder
not to give in to the narrative of criticism being out of touch and everything
else they are called.
And then when we get closer to the end of
the year and groups like the Critics Choice Awards meet and give their annual
nominations my faith in their judgment and my choice of profession are restored
and I regain the enthusiasm and energy that is usually flagging by the end of
the year.
I have made no secret that I truly believe
that since they began giving awards for television in 2010 the Critics Choice
Awards have been the gold standard when it comes to both nominated and giving
awards to the best television the industry has to offer. As much as the Golden Globes the Critics
Choice Awards have been the guiding hand they I use to decide which TV shows to
follow going in an always crowded field and it is rare that they have ever
steered me wrong. What's more historically they tend to recognize those series
and actors that can be overlooked and underappreciated by the Emmys,
though in recent years the Emmys has managed to catch up and even occasionally
surpass them.
They gave The Americans Best Drama
three times and Better Call Saul the grand prize in its final season.
They gave nominations to such masterpieces as Reservation Dogs and Somebody
Somewhere every season they were on the air before the Emmys caught up in
the final seasons of each. They have led me in the right direction when it
comes to such limited series masterpieces as Black Bird and Lessons
in Chemistry. And they will often nominate dramas and comedies the Emmys
never will such as The Leftovers, Rectify and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Sometimes
their shows are overshadowed by the time
the Emmy nominations come out months later – as was the case for Day of the
Jackal – but I've never regretted seeing any of their selections the way I
occasionally have with the Emmys or Golden Globes over the years.
To be sure they have their foibles and
quirks: there are some series like Slow Horses that never truly register
on their radar. And they are far from perfect both in what shows and actors
they include as well as exclude. But over the years I've come to view that is a
virtue rather than a sin. So I was waiting with eager anticipation for the
nominations to come out this afternoon. And as always they didn't let me down.
Officially Emmy Watch 2026 began earlier
this week with both the Indie Spirits nominations and a couple of other groups.
I will get to them in due time but for now let's just soak in what the Critics
have wrought. Let us begin with Drama.
BEST DRAMA
Here we see four of the major contenders from
2024-2025: Andor, Paradise, Severance and The Pitt. The
Diplomat was nominated for Best Drama but this is for Season 3.
Two of the newcomers are not a shock: Pluribus
and Task. The third one is Alien: Earth. This is an outlier
because it received no other nominations.
I should mention that The White Lotus was
shutout but that's not that surprising because its never done that well with
the Critics Choice Awards no matter what category its in. The Last oi Us exclusion
is a little surprising but it is recognized below.
BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Here we see three of the contenders from
last year – Sterling K. Brown for Paradise, Adam Scott for Severance and
Noah Wyle for The Pitt. Diego Luna, who many thought was overlooked for Ander
by the Emmys, is present here.
Mark Ruffalo leaps into contention with his
expected nomination for Task. I'm surprised to see Billy Bob Thornton
here for Landsman rather than Gary Oldman or Ethan Hawke for The
Lowdown but honestly this is a good group.
BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
They nominated Carrie Coon! For the right
series. Here she is for The Gilded Age. Also overjoyed to see Rhea
Seehorn up for her work in Pluribus. The other four were all present at
the Emmy nominations this fall: Kathy Bates, Britt Lower, Bella Ramsey and Keri
Russell. No notes.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Here I do have some notes but they may be
more due to not having seen all the nominees. First good to see Tom Pelphrey in
the hunt for Task. Tramell Tillman won the Emmy and Billy Crudup has
always done well in this category for The Morning Show. (He's previously
won twice, each time presaging an Emmy win.) Patrick Ball, in all fairness,
should have been nominated for his work in The Pitt.
Ato Essandoh's work on The Diplomat has
always been solid and I'm fine with Wood Harris getting nominated. I just find
it odd to see no one from The White Lotus here, particularly because
Walton Goggins has always gotten a lot of recognition from the Critics Choice
Awards.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
They nominated another actress from The
Gilded Age. I mean I would
have preferred Christine Baranski but Denee Benton is fabulous. Katherine
LaNasa more than earned and I'm thrilled to see Skye P. Marshall recognized
again (are you listening Emmy judges) and I'm thrilled to see Allison Janney
back for The Diplomat (ditto)
I will never understand the fascination
these people have for The Morning Show. I guess Nicole Beharie and Greta
Lee are great in it (they're great in everything I've seen them in) but it's
odd to see them recognized and not Reese Witherspoon or Jennifer Aniston. Oh
well.
Now let's move on to Comedy. And a big note
the Broadcast Critics are done with The Bear. Whether it’s a comedy or a
drama they have no patience for it. However…well, you'll see.
BEST COMEDY SERIES
Some of last year's faces are here again: Abbott
Elementary, Hacks, Only Murders in the Building, The Studio and the new
favorite of the Critics Season 2 of Nobody Wants This. (I will be reviewing
it for my blog soon, thank you critics.) Ghosts has always been a critics
favorite.
Elsbeth decided to take a swing and is apparently trying to be
nominated as a comedy. Honestly if
you've watched this show for the last two years I think we can argue it has a
much better definition then The Bear ever did. I approve. And in keeping
with their recognition of series that are overlooked in their final season the
Critics Choice chose to honor The Righteous Gemstones. The big surprise
is that it's taken them this long considering how big a fan they were of Vice
Principals, a previous David Gordon Green=Danny McBride joint. No notes and I hope the Emmys follow along.
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Seth Rogen and Adam Brody totally deserve
to be here as do Ted Danson for Man on the Inside, David Alan Grier for St.
Denis Medical and probably Danny McBride for Righteous Gemstones. But
seriously? Alexander Skarsgard for Murderbot over Steve Martin and Martin
Short for Only Murders? Oh well.
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Kristin Bell and Jean Smart are here as
they should be. And even though Poker Face is cancelled the Critics chose
to do what the Emmys wouldn't and nominated Natasha Lyonne. I don't think
anyone should pretend Carrie Preston doesn't belong in the Comedy category for Elsbeth.
Rose McIver has been coming her for Ghosts
for a while and I'm glad to see Edi Patterson recognized for Righteous
Gemstones. I would have loved to see Selena Gomez or Quinta Brunson here
but the latter has gotten her share of recognition already.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Thank you Sal Saperstein! Ike Barinholtz
may get the prize he didn't get at the Emmys. Chris Perfetti and Paul W. Downs, both
overlooked at the Emmys for acting last year, are in the fight. Timothy Simons
deserves to get nominated for his work in Nobody Wants This.
I suppose I could hem and haw about Walton
Goggins being ignored for playing Baby Billy in Righteous Gemstones but
considering how many nominees for Supporting Actor are ineligible for these
awards I'm find with Oscar Nunez for The Paper and Asher Grodman for Ghosts..
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Okay I'm fine with Hannah Einbinder and
Janelle James, overjoyed with Justine Lupe here for Nobody Wants This and
I can make some accord for Ego Nwodim (we have to have an SNL nominee).
But nothing for Catherine O'Hara or Kathryn Hahn for The Studio? Rebecca Wisocky I'm fine with for Ghosts but
Danielle Brooks for Peacemaker? Oh well. Better them than Liza
Colon-Zayas.
BEST LIMTIED SERIES
As you'd expect Adolescence and Dying
for Sex are here. But there are some new nominees, some of which may play
into the Emmys for what's to come.
The major contenders among them are
Netflix's Death By Lightning and All Her Fault both of which have
been highly praised and which I will review in the days and weeks to come. Chief
Of War may see him nominations and its hard to know what they'll do with Devil
in Disguise or The Girlfriend. Dope Thief is from last year and I'm
somewhat shocked to see it ahead of Sirens though I'm glad its hear ahead of Ed Gein. (Though as you'll see both were recognize to
an extent.)
I should also mention Outstanding TV movie
nominated Bridget Jones: Mad about the Boy and Mountainhead because
they play into what's below.
BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Stephen Graham and Bryan Tyree Henry, both
of whom were nominated last year are present. The other four faces may contend
in the following months.
We see Charlie Hunnam for playing the title
role in The Ed Gein Story and Michael Chernus for playing the title role
in Devil IN Disguise. Michael Shannon is in the hunt for playing James
Garfield in Death By Lightning and Matthew Rhys is up for Netflix's The
Beast in Me. Since the majority are
for limited series I have yet to see I'll withhold comment until I do.
BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV
MOVIE
Two of last year's contenders in the Emmys
are present: Michelle Williams for Dying For Sex and Meghann Fahy for Sirens.
Renee Zellweger, who many though would be nominated for Bridget Jones is
here.
Sarah Snook is her for All Her Fault while
Robin Wright is nominated for The Girlfriend. Jessica Biel is up for The
Better Sister, which was eligible for last year's Emmys. I approve of the
first three and I'll withhold judgment on the latter.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES
OR TV MOVIE
As you'd expect Owen Cooper and Ashley
Walters are here for Adolescence. Less expected, but welcome, two
nominees are from projects of last year: Wagner Moura is present for Dope Thief
and Ramy Youseff for Mountainhead. Michael Pena is up for All Her
Fault and Nick Offerman for his work as Chester Arthur in Death By
Lightning.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES
OR TV MOVIE
Again Erin Doherty and Christine Tremarco
are here for Adolescence. I'm thrilled to see Julianne Moore nominated
for her work in Sirens. I'm
always glad to see Betty Gilpin nominated for anything (this is her fourth consecutive
nomination from the Critics Choice Awards) and she's here for Death by
Lightning.
I'll withhold my judgment on Sophia Lillis's
work in All Her Fault and Marin Ireland's in Devil In Disguise. My only disappointment – if you could call it
that – is that neither Jenny Slate nor Rob Delaney were nominated for Dying
For Sex. Otherwise I'm basically fine.
The remainder of the categories in play I don't
have enough knowledge to comment or if I do I'm going to remain silent. I will
say I am thrilled to see Brett Goldstein nominated for Best Comedy Special.
That's all for now. I'll be back with the
second part of Phase One of Emmy Watch 2026 on Monday when the Golden Globe
nominations are announced. The Critics Choice Awards are scheduled for January
4th and I'll have my predictions (and hopes) on January 2nd.
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