It’s that time of year again! The 2016 Emmy voting window starts Monday, June 13, and runs until Monday, June 27 (you can track who’s most likely to secure Emmy nominations on our Awards Daily TV Emmy Tracker). You won’t see any updates to this week’s Emmy Tracker, but here are seven long-shot contenders we hope to see when the Emmy nominations are announced on Thursday, July 14.
Because everybody loves an underdog, right?
1. Tommy Dewey, Casual on Hulu – Outstanding Supporting Actor Comedy
Casual received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy, so maybe Dewey can get in for playing the wise-cracking brother who steals every scene. Of all the characters on the show, he had the biggest character arc. It would be great to see him, and this underrated show, get rewarded.
2. Britt Lower, Man Seeking Woman on FXX – Outstanding Supporting Actress Comedy
Many MSW fans argue whether Jay Baruchel’s on-screen sister Liz (Lower) is more interesting than Josh and his adventures on the FXX series. Case in point: the episode “Tinsel,” where Liz has an affair with Santa Claus. It’s one of the funniest, most heartfelt 20 minutes of the year (and you’ll never look at holiday trains the same way). As much as Baruchel is the singleton poster boy of the series, Lower is right up there next to him, representing the ladies.
3. Martha Kelly, Baskets on FX – Outstanding Supporting Actress Comedy
The most talked-about role on Baskets is Louie Anderson, who plays Chip’s (Zach Galifianakis) mother on the series. But Martha Kelly, as Chip’s love interest, is superb with her dry delivery. Watch “Strays,” when Martha takes in a stray coyote thinking it’s a dog. She’s both heartbreaking and hilarious.
4. 7 Days in Hell on HBO – Outstanding Television Movie
HBO rolled out two big political TV movies in 2016, with All the Way and Confirmation, in hopes of striking Emmy gold, but truly the most entertaining HBO movie of the Emmy year has been 7 Days in Hell, starring Andy Samberg and Kit Harington as two tennis phenoms stuck in a week-long match, shot documentary-style. It’s inspired comic lunacy accentuated with a surprisingly committed comic performance from Harington.
5. Unreal on Lifetime – Outstanding Drama Series
By far, Unreal was summer 2015’s buzziest show, following the behind-the-scenes making of a Bachelor-type show called Everlasting. It surprised and captivated, and even for its second season, it’s already ahead of its inspiration by hiring an African-American bachelor. Win!
6. Wayward Pines on Fox – Outstanding Limited Series
Outstanding Limited Series is a crowded category, but we’d love to see Wayward Pines get in for spinning such a taut mystery with a pitch-perfect end. (Although season two, which premiered May 25, proves there are more questions to be answered – and that Wayward Pines couldn’t be eligible for the Limited Series Emmy so this is really more of a protest wish than anything else).
7. RuPaul for RuPaul’s Drag Race on Logo – Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program
We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again. It’s time for Emmy to serve some Realness and include RuPaul on its list of Emmy nominated hosts.
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