The Emmy B-Team: The Scruff

Welcome to the 8^th edition of the Emmy B-Team. The idea is simple. People like to complain about the Emmy nominations. They point out snubs, never consider what was actually on the ballots*, and say the Emmy voters did a bad job picking nominees. The skeptic that I am, I wanted to find out if the Emmy picks were really that bad. So, every year, I look through the Emmy nomination ballots. I create an alternate group of non-nominated performers/episodes/shows (my “B-Team”) and compare those to the actual nominees to see which is stronger. I’ll spare you the suspense: The actual Nominees always win handily even though I go into it each time thinking this is the year the B-Team has the edge. It turns out, a couple bad snubs don’t outweigh 3-5 good picks. Instead, the B-team serves as a fun way for me to point out the biggest snubs, audit the Emmy picks more fairly, and point out some quirks in the nominating ballots.

 

*Remember, a show, person, or episode can only be nominated if it is submitted. Even if you want every episode of Ted Lasso to be nominated for writing, that won't happen, since they only submitted some of the episodes.

 

**You'd be surprised how often that actor you thought was snubbed wasn't even on the official ballot or had listed himself as a lead instead of a supporting actor.

 

I don't do every category. I don't pretend that I've seen everything or that I fully understand all the categories. I'm a one-man operation talking about hundreds of shows. I'm doing the best I can.

 

I want to make it clear what my decision means for these match ups. What I’m asking is, would I replace the Nominees list with the B-Team. That is the only thing I am testing.

 

I'll start with what I call "the scruff". It's the random categories that I like to include that don't fit in any of my major groups.

 

Indicates a show that I haven't watched this season.

# Indicates a show I've seen before, not this season.

 

Outstanding Animated Program

Nominees

• *Big Mouth “The New Me”
  *Bob's Burgers “Worms Of In-Rear-Ment”
• Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal “Plague Of Madness”
• *The Simpsons “The Dad-Feelings Limited”
• #South Park: The Pandemic Special

 

B-Team

• #The Bleepin’ Robot Chicken Archie Comics Special
• #Family Guy “Wild Wild West”
• Harley Quinn “Something Borrowed, Something Green”
• *One Day at a Time: The Politics Special
• Star Trek: Lower Decks “Crisis Point”

 

This isn’t the deepest nominating ballot for a B-Team. I definitely think Harley Quinn deserved a closer look from the voters. Everything I hear about it is great, and not in a DC fanboy way. It’s also weird to me when the only animated series to earn an Outstanding Comedy Series nomination in the modern age (Family Guy in 2009) isn’t able to snag a nomination. This is easily a win for the Nominees though. The Simpsons, South Park, and Bob’s Burgers are all powerhouses. Genndy Tatakovsky’s work is too widely respected. And Big Mouth is getting the kind of attention that BoJack Horseman didn’t get until its last season.

 

Winner: Nominees (Dominantly)

 

Outstanding Directing For A Documentary/Nonfiction Program

Nominees

• Allen v. Farrow “Episode 3”
• The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart
• *Boys State
• Dick Johnson Is Dead
• The Social Dilemma
• Tina

 

B-Team

• City So Real “With All Due Respect To the Candidate”
• *Class Action Park
• Immigration Nation “Installing Fear”
• Philly D.A. “Episode 102”
• Pretend It’s a City “Cultural Affairs”
• *30 for 30 “Long Gone Summer”

 

I don’t have high investment in either list. The Nominees are more sensational with Allen v. Farrow, The Social Dilemma, and Boys State. The B-Team has a little more substance with City So Real, Immigration Nation, and Philly D.A. taking on political topics. This is a bit of a toss-up, but I know Boys State and Dick Johnson Is Dead had Oscar buzz for good reason. I’ll lean toward the Nominees.

 

Winner: Nominees (Barely)

 

Outstanding Writing For A Nonfiction Program

Nominees

• All In: The Fight For Democracy
• Allen v. Farrow “Episode 3”
• The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart
• The Social Dilemma
• Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre

 

B-Team

• *American Oz (American Experience)
• *Class Action Park
• Dick Johnson Is Dead
• Exterminate All the Brutes “The Disturbing Confidence of Ignorance”
• *Hemingway “Episode One: A Writer (1899-1929)

 

I never know what to do about writing for this category. With all the talking heads in some, isn’t that more editing than writing? For that reason, I’m tempted to go with the B-Team for the PBS American Oz and Hemingway. Class Action Park is certainly more of a feat of editing. Dick Johnson is Dead is more direction. The Nominees have more of the buzz surrounding them. I should probably abstain from this category, but I’ll give an edge to the B-Team.

 

Winner: B-Team (Barely)

 

Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Special

Nominees

• The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart
• *Boys State
• Framing Britney Spears (The New York Times Presents)
• The Social Dilemma
• Tina

 

B-Team

• *Class Action Park
• Console Wars
• Sesame Street: 50 Years of Sunny Days
• Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre
• The Vote (American Experience)

 

While I enjoyed Class Action Park, I feel like the Nominees have this. Framing Britney Spears is topical. Boys State is probably the best overall program from either group. And The Social Dilemma feels urgent.

 

Winner: Nominees (Comfortably)

 

Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Series

Nominees

• Allen v. Farrow
• American Masters
• City So Real
• Pretend It's A City
• Secrets Of The Whales

 

B-Team

• *Hemingway
• Immigration Nation
• Philly D.A.
• Pride
• *30 for 30

 

Allen v. Farrow and Pretend It’s a City have HBO and Scorsese respectively. I prefer the variety of the B-Team though. Hemingway is a nice American Experience series from Ken Burns. Immigration Nation and Philly D.A. are more news-y. Pride is a nice in-depth look at the pride movement. And 30 for 30 is a reliable source of generally lighter sports docs.

 

Winner: B-Team (Comfortably)

 

Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics

Nominees

• *Bo Burnham: Inside (Song Title: Comedy)
• *The Boys “The Big Ride” (Song Title: Never Truly Vanish)
• *The Queen's Gambit “Adjournment” (Song Title: I Can't Remember Love)
• Soundtrack Of Our Lives (Song Title: The End Titles)
• *WandaVision “Breaking The Fourth Wall” (Song Title: Agatha All Along)
• *Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist “Zoey's Extraordinary Birthday” (Song Title: Crimson Love)

 

B-Team

• *Girls5Eva “Alf Musik” (Song: New York Lonely Boy”)
• *Girls5Eva “Separ8 Ways” (Song: 4 Stars)
• *Big Mouth “A Very Special 9/11 Episode” (Song: Code Switchin’)
• *Girls5Eva “Carma” (Song: I’m Afraid (Dawn’s Song of Fears))
• *SNL “Host: Maya Rudolph” (Song: Boomers Got the Vax”)
• *SNL “Host: Nick Jonas” (Song: Murder Show)

 

OK, I get Emmy voters ignoring Girls5Eva, but how do none of the SNL songs get picked? Emmy voters love SNL. The Nominees have Bo Burnham’s “Comedy”, which is the only song from Inside on the ballot. “Agatha All Along” is quite the earworm too. That’s where the strength of the Nominees end. Sure, “Crimson Love” is fun, but it’s outshadowed by all the other songs on that show. Meanwhile, the three Girls5Eva songs are bangers. Big Mouth is a surprisingly strong show for original music. I picked my two favorite SNL songs, but there were several to choose from. And I didn’t even include the Bob’s Burgers or Central Park songs on the list. Come on Emmy voters. Do better. No one knows those songs from The Boys, The Queen’s Gambit, or Soundtrack of Our Lives.

 

Winner: B-Team (Comfortably)

 

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance

Nominees

• #Jessica Walter (Archer “The Double Date”)
• *Maya Rudolph (Big Mouth “A Very Special 9/11 Episode”)
• *Stacey Abrams (black-ish: Election Special (Part 2))
• *Julie Andrews (Bridgerton “Diamond Of The First Water”)
• Tituss Burgess (Central Park “A Fish Called Snakehead”)
• Stanley Tucci (Central Park “A Fish Called Snakehead”)
• #Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy “Stewie's First Word”)

 

B-Team

• *Hank Azaria (The Simpsons “The Dad-Feelings Limited”)
• Kaley Cuoco (Harley Quinn “Something Borrowed, Something Green”)
• *H. Jon Benjamin (Bob’s Burgers “Dream A Little Bob of Bob”)
• *Dan Mintz (Bob’s Burgers “Fingers-Loose”)
• *Nancy Cartwright (The Simpsons “Wad Goals”)
• *Dan Castellaneta (The Simpsons “Do Pizza Bots Dream of Electric Guitars?”)
• *Cristela Alonzo (His Dark Materials “Æsahættr”)

 

Sure, a final Jessica Walter (RIP) nod is nice and Maya Rudolph is so much fun as the hormone monster in Big Mouth. Julie Andrews also does a lot of the tone setting for Bridgerton. She’s vital. Giving Stacey Abrams a nomination is way more political than merit based though and Tituss Burgess mostly annoys me. I’m much more excited by the B-Team. Kaley Cuoco really should be getting more attention for Harley Quinn. It also feels wrong to not have anyone from Bob’s Burgers or The Simpsons nominated. Then there’s Cristela Alonzo giving the kind of voice-performance that not a lot of shows do (CGI character in a live-action world). That’s a nice splash of variety.

 

Winner: B-Team (Comfortably)

 

Outstanding Narrator

Nominee

• Sterling K. Brown (Lincoln: Divided We Stand “The Dogs Of War”)
• *Anthony Hopkins (Mythic Quest “Everlight”)
• David Attenborough (A Perfect Planet “Volcano”)
• Sigourney Weaver (Secrets Of The Whales “Ocean Giants”)
• David Attenborough (The Year Earth Changed)

 

B-Team

• *Peter Coyote (Hemmingway “The Blank Page (1944 – 1961)”)
• Renee Elise Goldsberry (Voice of Freedom (American Experience))
• *John Hodgman (Class Action Park)
• Billy Porter (Equal)
• John Wilson (How to With John Wilson “How to Cook The Perfect Risotto”)

 

I think it’s nice to point out a stalwarts like Peter Coyote in Hemmingway. Billy Porter is a nice choice for Equal. John Wilson certainly deserves some recognition for his work on his own show. You can’t beat those Nominees though. David Attenborough, twice! Sigourney Weaver too. And Mythic Quest got Anthony Hopkins for a special episode. Those are all huge wins.

 

Winner: Nominees (Dominantly)

 

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4-4 Draw

I added three categories that I haven’t included in years past, which surprisingly leveled the playing field. Perhaps this is a sign of things to come. Maybe this is the year that the B-Team actually beats the Nominees overall. I doubt it, but this is a strong showing from the B-Team, tying in fields that are normally too shallow to field a strong opposition.