
Emmy fever returns: Breakout stars and big surprises on the 2025 list
To land a nomination this year, a show had to air between June 2024 and May 2025. And from the look of the leaderboard, a few heavy-hitters clearly stole the Academy's heart. The Penguin, Severance, and The White Lotus dominated the pack, collecting nods for Best Drama Series, Best Writing, and standout performances from their star-studded casts.
But it's Cristin Milioti who's getting the internet talking. After years of memorable roles in shows like How I Met Your Mother and Black Mirror, Milioti has finally scored her first Emmy nod for her role as the sharp and calculating Sofia Falcone in The Penguin . 'I can't wait to have a big dessert as a treat later,' she joked in an interview. 'To be recognised for this show was so lovely and validating… but the experience itself was already so deeply worth it.'
Then there's Owen Cooper, who might just rewrite Emmy history this year. At just 13, the young actor earned a nomination for his chilling performance in Adolescence as Jamie Miller—a troubled teen accused of a classmate's murder. If he wins, Cooper will become the youngest Emmy-winning actor the Academy has ever crowned. Not bad for someone who probably still has homework to do.
But the biggest shocker of this Emmy season? Legendary filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Ron Howard earned acting nominations. Yes, acting. The duo made unexpected guest appearances in the razor-sharp satire The Studio , and voters clearly loved every second of it.
The Studio isn't just riding the surprise wave—it's leading it. With 23 nominations, it's now neck and neck with The White Lotus and just behind The Penguin (24 noms) and the reigning frontrunner Severance (27 noms). The show's cast and crew were understandably over the moon. From what started as a smart industry spoof, The Studio has suddenly become a serious contender.
So, if you've been neglecting your TV queue, now's the time to catch up. Grab the remote and mark your calendar—on September 14, all eyes will be on the Emmy stage to see who takes home television's biggest honours.
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Muscat Daily
2 days ago
- Muscat Daily
Emmy fever returns: Breakout stars and big surprises on the 2025 list
It's that time again – when award-season buzz hijacks our feeds and our favourite TV characters trade their scripts for golden statues. The Television Academy has just revealed the full nominations list for the 77th Emmy Awards, set to air on September 14, and it's packed with twists no one saw coming. To land a nomination this year, a show had to air between June 2024 and May 2025. And from the look of the leaderboard, a few heavy-hitters clearly stole the Academy's heart. The Penguin, Severance, and The White Lotus dominated the pack, collecting nods for Best Drama Series, Best Writing, and standout performances from their star-studded casts. But it's Cristin Milioti who's getting the internet talking. After years of memorable roles in shows like How I Met Your Mother and Black Mirror, Milioti has finally scored her first Emmy nod for her role as the sharp and calculating Sofia Falcone in The Penguin . 'I can't wait to have a big dessert as a treat later,' she joked in an interview. 'To be recognised for this show was so lovely and validating… but the experience itself was already so deeply worth it.' Then there's Owen Cooper, who might just rewrite Emmy history this year. At just 13, the young actor earned a nomination for his chilling performance in Adolescence as Jamie Miller—a troubled teen accused of a classmate's murder. If he wins, Cooper will become the youngest Emmy-winning actor the Academy has ever crowned. Not bad for someone who probably still has homework to do. But the biggest shocker of this Emmy season? Legendary filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Ron Howard earned acting nominations. Yes, acting. The duo made unexpected guest appearances in the razor-sharp satire The Studio , and voters clearly loved every second of it. The Studio isn't just riding the surprise wave—it's leading it. With 23 nominations, it's now neck and neck with The White Lotus and just behind The Penguin (24 noms) and the reigning frontrunner Severance (27 noms). The show's cast and crew were understandably over the moon. From what started as a smart industry spoof, The Studio has suddenly become a serious contender. So, if you've been neglecting your TV queue, now's the time to catch up. Grab the remote and mark your calendar—on September 14, all eyes will be on the Emmy stage to see who takes home television's biggest honours.


Observer
3 days ago
- Observer
'Severance' vs 'The Pitt' -- it's Emmy nominations time
Dark sci-fi office drama "Severance," gritty hospital series "The Pitt" and buzzy teen murder saga "Adolescence" are expected to pile up nominations for this year's Emmys when the contenders for television's Oscars are revealed Tuesday. Nominees will be announced in a live-streamed ceremony starting at 8:30 am (1530 GMT), after which final-round voting begins for the 77th Emmy Awards, set for September 14. Here are five things to look out for: - Innie/Outie vs ER - After last year's record-breaking 18 Emmys for Japan-set historical epic "Shogun," this year's competition looks to be more nuanced. Apple TV+'s "Severance," in which employees of biotech company Lumon have their memories surgically separated between their "innie" work lives and their "outie" personal lives, looks to be atop most predictions. "It's a really great show that is going to get... a ton of nominations," Deadline awards expert Pete Hammond told AFP. "It'll be stronger than it was" in its first season, added Hammond, who sees star Adam Scott as a sure bet for a best drama actor nod. "The Pitt" -- HBO Max's take on the travails of a Pittsburgh emergency room team during one 15-hour shift, covered effectively in real time -- has won over critics and audiences alike. It stars "ER" veteran Noah Wyle. "It's ER on steroids!" Hammond quipped. But Wyle's chances to win for best actor are crimped by Scott and a shortlist of other performers including Oscar winner Gary Oldman in Apple's dysfunctional spy drama "Slow Horses" or Pedro Pascal in HBO's apocalyptic video game adaptation "The Last of Us." In the supporting acting categories, the many stars of "The White Lotus" are expected to earn nominations. - Comedy crapshoot - In the comedy categories, perennial favorites "Hacks" and "The Bear" are expected to do battle once again. HBO Max's "Hacks" -- starring Jean Smart as a stand-up comedian who locks horns with her dysfunctional millennial assistant -- won for best comedy and best actress in September last year. "The Bear," a dark satire set in the Chicago restaurant world, took the top prize at the previous ceremony (held in January 2024 due to Hollywood strikes), and star Jeremy Allen White has two trophies for best actor. "The Bear" is eligible this time for its lackluster third season, but the recent launch of its fourth season -- which has received excellent reviews -- could work in its favor, Hammond says. "That may be what Academy members will be looking at when they're actually voting for the season that wasn't well reviewed," he said. The comedy juggernauts are also facing a newcomer -- Apple's "The Studio," a satire that eviscerates the film industry starring Seth Rogen, who also wrote and produced the show. There is nothing Hollywood loves more than a show about... Hollywood. - Is 'Adolescence' unbeatable? - In the limited series categories, Netflix's "Adolescence" -- which follows the case of a 13-year-old British boy accused of murdering a female classmate -- is the wide favorite. "It's close to a sure thing in terms of getting nominations across the board," Hammond said, adding: "I don't see what's going to come up and beat it in the limited series category." Breakout young star Owen Cooper is widely expected to earn a nomination for limited series supporting actor, and series creator Stephen Graham is a shoo-in for best actor. The four-part series was lauded for its production values, with each episode shot in one take. Another Netflix contender in these categories is "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story," a true-crime saga about a pair of California brothers in prison for killing their parents, after what they say was years of sexual and physical abuse. Alfonso Cuaron's "Disclaimer," starring Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline, and "The Penguin," with Colin Farrell as the comic book villain, are expected to win acting nominations. - Big day for Apple TV+? - In recent years, streaming services have led the charge for Emmy nominations, with traditional networks relegated to a handful of nods. With "Severance," "The Studio," "Disclaimer" and "Slow Horses," Apple TV+ could have its best year yet. "Normally we see HBO and Netflix leading the thing," Hammond said, but he predicted: "Apple is going to have the best year they've ever had in terms of nominations." - From nominations to gala - Harvey Guillen ("What We Do in the Shadows") and Brenda Song ("Running Point") will unveil the nominations on Tuesday. Voting members of the US-based Television Academy will then have a month to catch up on their viewing before final-round voting begins in mid-August. The September 14 gala will be hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze. —AFP


Observer
21-06-2025
- Observer
The Best TV Shows of 2025, So Far
The first half of 2025 saw the return of strike-delayed hit shows, like 'Severance,' 'The White Lotus' and 'The Last of Us,' that took turns dominating the cultural conversation. But only one of them made our top TV list. Read on to find out which one and to see which other series, new and old, scripted and nonfiction, impressed our television critics the most (listed alphabetically). 'Andor' A prequel series to 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' (2016) — and arguably the most acclaimed 'Star Wars' story of any kind since that film — 'Andor' offered one of TV's deepest explorations of the political realities and human costs of rebellion. Its two-season run wrapped up in May. 'Prequels are often where dramatic tension goes to die,' James Poniewozik writes. 'How invested can you be in a story whose outcome you already know? The genius of 'Andor,' created by Tony Gilroy, is to make that knowledge an asset.' 'Asura' Written and directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda ('Shoplifters'), this Japanese period drama is visually sumptuous and emotionally meticulous in its depiction of four sisters grappling with controlling men and their complex relationships with one another. The series 'is the full package: a detailed, human-scale domestic drama with plenty to say, fascinating characters to say it and the stylishness to make it sing,' Margaret Lyons writes. 'The downside is that other shows feel paltry and thin in comparison. The upside is everything else.' 'Exterior Night' The first television series by great Italian filmmaker Marco Bellocchio, 'Exterior Night,' revisits the 1978 kidnapping and killing of politician Aldo Moro by the Red Brigades. (Bellocchio explored those events previously in his 2003 film 'Good Morning, Night.') 'Moro's abduction and death was a watershed moment in the 'years of lead,' when politically motivated bombings, shootings, kidnappings and assassinations convulsed Italy and other European countries,' Mike Hale writes. 'But it is a story that can speak to anyone who has a sense of living in perilous times. As a character in 'Exterior Night' says, a society can tolerate a certain amount of crazy behavior, but 'when the crazy party has the majority, we'll see what happens.'' 'Murderbot' In this comic sci-fi thriller, based on the novel 'All Systems Red' by Martha Wells, Alexander Skarsgard plays a jaded robot that is charged with protecting a crunchy space commune but would rather just watch pulpy soaps. 'The real killer app of the story, adapted by Chris and Paul Weitz, is the snarky worldview of the artificial life form at its center,' Poniewozik writes. 'Skarsgard gives a lively reading to the copious voice-over, but just as important is his physical performance, which radiates casual power and agitated wariness. Murderbot is odd, edgy, unmistakably alien, yet its complaint is also crankily familiar. It just wants to be left in peace to binge its programs, like Chance the Gardener if he had guns in his arms.' 'The Pitt' With its '24'-like hour-by-hour structure, 'The Pitt' infuses the familiar pleasures of a medical show with fevered intensity and narrative references to the pandemic and contemporary social issues. ''The Pitt' generated old-school melodrama out of a simple understanding: The E.R. is where people end up when something goes wrong, either with the body individual or with the body politic,' Poniewozik writes. 'And what is wrong with the American corpus? Buddy, take a number; the waiting room is full.' 'Severance' In its second season, this trippy workplace drama deepens its mysteries and expands its emotional palette as the mentally 'severed' employees, their loved ones and their bosses battle (sometimes literally) over competing agendas and the future of Lumon Industries. The show finally returned in January, nearly three years after the end of Season 1. 'Its makers seem to have used every second of the absence productively,' Poniewozik writes. 'The season takes new turns while remaining the most ambitious, batty and all-out pleasurable show on TV, an M.C. Escher maze whose plot convolutions never get in the way of its voice, heart and sense of humor.' —NYT