Megan McLachlan looks ahead to Emmys 2020 to see where Hulu’s Veronica Mars might be in contention.
Veronica Mars premiered on UPN in 2004 and soon developed a cult following. The neo-noir TV series followed a teenager (Kristen Bell) who developed private investigator skills from her PI father (Enrico Colantoni), solving a new case each episode. Even when it was canceled in 2007, devoted fans, known as “Marshmallows,” kept the spirit of the show alive and in 2013 financially supported a feature-length film of the series through a Kickstarter. Based on the success of the film, Hulu produced an eight-episode fourth season of the show, which dropped on July 19.
Veronica Mars is one of the more quietly successful TV reboots that doesn’t get enough mention. This series doesn’t necessarily have the hype of other TV reboots like Arrested Development, but unlike its early 2000s TV peer, it consistently satisfies audiences, leaving them wanting more. And unlike another TV reboot, like the recently-canceled Will & Grace, Veronica Mars doesn’t appear to be out of stories to tell.
Hulu’s Season 4 Veronica Mars
In the new season of Veronica Mars, it’s clear that Ms. Mars is no longer a teenager, and the show makes great effort to depict her as a grown woman, especially with a lengthy sex scene in the first episode between her and long-time love Logan (get it, girl). Kristen Bell reportedly said the fourth season would be bigger and darker, and it doesn’t disappoint, as Mars tries to solve the murders of Neptune spring breakers. Veronica Mars really sheds its formerly teenage image this season and evolves into its own adult TV series, which is really interesting to watch, as not many reboot series attempt to recharge their tone in such a way.
Veronica Mars 2020 Emmy Chances
Many people thought that 2019 might be Kristen Bell’s year to get her first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Comedy Actress for The Good Place, but she has a shot at two Emmy nominations next year since she could place in the Outstanding Drama Actress race.
In 2020, this category loses two current nominees:
Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
Viola Davis, How To Get Away With Murder
Laura Linney, Ozark
Mandy Moore, This is Us
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Robin Wright, House of Cards
But two other actresses were complete surprises this year, including the return of Davis and the rise of Moore. Could Bell be a surprise in 2020?
2020 Outstanding Actress Drama Race
In 2020, The Crown will return, with Olivia Colman entering the race. Also, Season 3 of The Handmaid’s Tale will also be eligible, which means Elisabeth Moss will come back. Also, Big Little Lies moves from limited series to drama race.
Most Likely:
Olivia Colman, The Crown
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
Laura Linney, Ozark
Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Reese Witherspoon, Big Little Lies
In Contention:
Kristen Bell, Veronica Mars
Viola Davis, How To Get Away With Murder
Regina King, Watchmen
Mandy Moore, This is Us
Evan Rachel Wood, Westworld
Emmys and Critics’ Choice?
Clearly, it’s a crowded race, but as the 2019 Emmy nominations proved, the voters are changing who they vote for. For the first time ever in 2019, the Emmys started to mirror Critics’ Choice, especially with long-shot surprises like Schitt’s Creek coming out of nowhere in the Outstanding Comedy races.
What Veronica Mars has going for it is 100% Bell, who will be very high-profile in 2020 with Frozen 2 coming out at the end of 2019 along with the end of The Good Place. Plus, with strong reviews from critics, look for the series to pick up some Critics’ Choice Nominations. Even though Outstanding Actress in a Drama might be even more crowded than the Outstanding Actress Comedy race, Bell’s first overdue nomination could come in the form of her most iconic TV role.
Veronica Mars is now streaming on Hulu.
As a fan of her since the start of Veronica Mars, I would love for this to happen but I highly doubt it, when her competition includes Witherspoon, Kidman, Moss, Roberts, Davis, Colman, Linney, etc. Especially since VM S04 didn’t make much of a splash.
Maybe someday she’ll start being seen as overdue.
I agree …. add Jodie Comer, Sandra Oh, Mandy Moore, Evan Rachel Wood, Claire Danes. Even Zendaya has a better chance …
Hopefully she can get in the the final season of The Good Place instead.
But if VM were in limited series, she’d have a better shot.
Although I disagree about Van Camp, 4 of the 6 women came from CW/WB/UPN shows (Morrison? She was a 2-episode guest starrer on Dawson’s Creek). The Academy’s bias towards UPN/WB/CW shows is legendary. Bell could be one award from the EGOT and the Emmys would still screw her out of a nomination just because they have it in for her.
In an ideal world she would be a double nominee next year : in comedy lead actress for The Good Place and in drama lead actress for Veronica Mars.
The one thing I really hate about the Emmys is how they can completely ignore talented, hard-working actresses who dedicate most of their careers to delivering strong and memorable performances on television, becoming tv icons in the process. Yet not a single Emmy nomination ? Complete bollocks.
– COURTNEY COX : 18 snubs / Friends (10), Dirt (2), Cougar Town (6)
– EMILY VANCAMP : 14 snubs / Everwood (4), Brothers & Sisters (4), Revenge (4), The Resident (2+)
– LAUREN GRAHAM : 14 snubs / Gilmore Girls (8), Parenthood (6)
– JENNIFER MORRISON : 12 snubs / House (6), Once Upon a Time (6)
– KRISTEN BELL : 11 snubs / Veronica Mars (3), House of Lies (5), The Good Place (3)
– EMMY ROSSUM : 9 snubs / Shameless (9)
And I’ve only listed their series regular roles, the number of snubs clearly grows once we factor in potential bids in miniseries/tv- and drama/comedy guest acting categories.
The HFPA sure af has their issues and an arsenal of mistakes and questionable nominations but at least they had the good sense to nominate deserving tv legends like Courtney Cox, Lauren Graham and Kristen Bell. The Television Academy should take fokin notes.
Phantom, exactly. You can add Heroes (Supporting Actress Drama 2007-08), and 3 Guest Comedy Actress; 2 for Party Down (2009-2010) the other for Parks and Rec (2012)