c/o HBO

The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences presented the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. By some miraculous coincidence, Eugene and Daniel Levy hosted television’s biggest night of the year on my 23rd birthday. 

Why does that matter? Well, I love television. Like, I really love television. I end most nights curled up in front of my laptop for a couple episodes of my latest binge, even when I should opt for a full night’s sleep instead. I’m the kind of person who can’t commit to watching an entire movie, so I’ll knock out four or five episodes of a TV show instead. I hope to graduate next spring with a degree in film studies, but I would have gotten one in television studies instead in a heartbeat. In other words, I’m a self-appointed authority on all matters television.

Much of the discourse around the two most recent stagings of the Emmys has surrounded the show’s categorization of the biggest shows of the year. This year, “The Bear” (2022) was in the running for a record-breaking 23 comedy categories, in spite of the show’s notorious kitchen scenes, which often feature Carmy and Richie arguing at the top of their lungs. Meanwhile, “Succession” (2018)—for all its dark humor and incredible comedic timing—won the coveted Outstanding Drama Series accolade three years in a row. 

For some context, the primary reason for the aforementioned categorizations is that, historically, shows that have an episode runtime of under 30 minutes have competed as comedy series. Shows with longer episodes, on the other hand, have been considered dramas. The rules that dictated these length-based categories were not changed until the 2022 broadcast, but the tradition has remained steadfast. 

In defense of the Academy, these categorizations made perfect sense up until very recently. For 70 years, sitcoms were short, and dramas were long. But the medium is clearly transforming. Most modern television shows don’t fit perfectly into one category or the other. “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” (2024) earned 16 nods as a drama series, though the show capitalizes on Donald Glover and Maya Erskine’s comedic talents as its titular couple. At the 2023 awards, “Barry” (2018), a gory dramedy about a serial assassin who strives to become an actor, competed alongside “The Bear” as a comedy.

I cannot offer a simple answer as to which categories each of these shows fits, but I can recommend ten incredible genre-bending shows from Emmys history that have made me laugh as much as they’ve made me cry.

One quick note: the shows I chose for this list are ones I think are overlooked in the conversation about good television, either because they’re criminally underrated or because they’re old enough that they no longer enjoy the attention they once did. If your favorite dramedy is missing, it’s probably because it has been very popular very recently. Yes, I know you have all seen “Atlanta” (2016) and “Succession.” Try something new. Happy watching!

1. “Dear White People” (2017) (0 nominations) — I want to start off by saying that I think it’s genuinely criminal on the part of the Academy that this show has no Emmy nods, while “Emily in Paris” (2020) has six. Also, not enough people at this primarily White institution have seen this show about what it’s like to be a Black person at a primarily White institution. I won’t claim that “Dear White People” gives a complete representation of being a person of color at a PWI or that it always has the most coherent storytelling. However, it is one of the most stylistically interesting shows that has been produced in the last ten years, and I appreciate its unflinching approach to race relations on so-called progressive campuses like Wesleyan’s.
2. “Big Love” (2006) (9 nominations) — I discovered this show recently, and I’ve surprised myself with how much I’ve been enjoying it. The show focuses on a polygamist family who tries to obscure their lifestyle from their neighbors and friends as their family gains prominence in their Utah community. “Big Love” excels at grappling with complicated topics surrounding love, family, and loss, often using classic family sitcom scenarios.
3. “The Good Place” (2016) (13 nominations) — For me, “The Good Place” presents some of the most complex characters I’ve ever seen in any sitcom. From the main cast to characters that only appear in a single episode, the show consistently demonstrates that there’s good in the worst of us and bad in the best of us, and that we’re all capable of change if given the chance. I’ve never seen any other show that breaks down centuries-old philosophical debates to the soundtrack of Ariana Grande’s “Break Free.” 
4. “Insecure” (2016) (14 nominations, 1 Emmy) — This might make me sound unforgivably millennial, but more people should watch this show. Issa Rae delivered five seasons of brilliant writing and witty, engaging performances, along with every other cast member. 
5. “Scrubs” (2001) (17 nominations, 2 Emmys) — Run—do not walk—to Hulu to stream “Scrubs.” This show is so dear to me. I went in thinking that it would be like any other workplace sitcom, but it is so much more than that. “Scrubs” incorporates conventions of other television and film genres, even heavily relying on soap-opera style season arcs, to consistently deliver goofy and surprisingly heartwarming episodes.
6. “Weeds” (2005) (20 nominations, 2 Emmys) — I don’t have much to say other than that this show is a really fun watch. It certainly hasn’t aged the best, but I could watch Mary-Louise Parker sell drugs for hours.
7. “Twin Peaks” (1990) (27 nominations, 2 Emmys) — I know this show is a bit more familiar to readers, thanks in no small part to the dedicated David Lynch fan club, also known as the University’s College of Film and the Moving Image. It’s definitely still worth a mention. “Twin Peaks” pioneered the genre-blending storytelling style that has become so prominent in contemporary popular television, and it deserves its flowers.
8. “Shameless” (2011) (16 nominations, 4 Emmys) — If you’re interested in the origins of Jeremy Allen White’s watery blue eyes, give this show a try. Like “Big Love,” the show finds a way to be funny and relatable as the central family faces situations that are both serious and uncommon. 
9. “House M.D.” (2004) (25 nominations, 5 Emmys) — The plot of this show is unbelievable, and I don’t mean that in a good way. Around the third season mark, the writers seemed to start throwing ridiculous storylines in to see what would stick. If you’re up for an endlessly entertaining rollercoaster ride of a show, complete with a misanthropic lead who routinely hurls abuse at his co-workers, employees, and patients, this is the show for you. They must have done something right; they got eight seasons and five Emmys, after all.
10. “Veep” (2012) (68 nominations, 17 Emmys) — I know that everyone has been watching this since President Biden ended his presidential campaign, but I cannot overstate how incredible this show is. Even if you don’t have any interest in American politics, “Veep” simulates the pulling back of the political curtain to reveal a ragtag team of megalomaniac lawmakers and the neurotic advisors that make the democratic process possible. It goes without saying that Julia Louis-Dreyfuss’s performance as Selina Meyer is singular and has served as the blueprint for subsequent actors seeking to portray the narcissistic and powerful characters that proliferate the current American television landscape. The Academy didn’t give the woman six Emmys for no reason.

Sulan Bailey can be reached at sabailey@wesleyan.edu.