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0 / 32 Fotos
'Better Call Saul' 2022 upsets
- 'Better Call Saul' fans took to X, then Twitter, to express their outrage that the series, which finished its final season, has left yet another Emmys ceremony without a single statue. In 2022 it was nominated for outstanding drama series, outstanding lead actor in a drama series for Bob Odenkirk, outstanding supporting actress in a drama series for Rhea Seehorn, and best writing for a drama series for Thomas Schnauz, but 'Succession,' 'Squid Game' star Lee Jung-jae, 'Ozark’ star Julia Garner, and 'Succession' writer Jesse Armstrong took home those respective awards instead. Since the series first aired in 2015, it has been nominated for a whopping 46 Emmy awards, but has won zero! "Better Call Saul not getting a single Emmy is very ironic. In 10 years people will still be talking about it while the rest of these shows will become distant memories to everyone," one user wrote.
© NL Beeld
1 / 32 Fotos
Best Comedy, 2024
- In a surprising upset at the 2024 Emmys, HBO's 'Hacks' won Best Comedy Series, defeating the heavily favored 'The Bear.' Despite setting a new record for comedy wins, 'The Bear' failed to secure the top prize. The controversy surrounding the show's classification as a comedy has intensified following this loss. Many viewers and critics questioned whether the show, with its intense dramatic moments, truly fit the traditional definition of a comedy. However, the show's producers insist that humor underpins the series' narrative and justifies its submission in the comedy category.
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Best Comedy, 1952 - Red Skelton and his self-titled series shockingly beat the legendary Lucille Ball and 'I Love Lucy' for both best comedy series and best comedian.
© NL Beeld
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Best Comedy, 1967 - 'The Monkees' beat out classics like 'Get Smart,' 'Bewitched,' 'The Andy Griffith Show,' and 'Hogan's Heroes.'
© Getty Images
4 / 32 Fotos
Best Comedy, 1982 - Soon after being canceled by ABC, and after six losses in the category, the year that 'Barney Miller' finally won somehow upended 'Taxi' and 'M*A*S*H.'
© Public Domain
5 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actor in a Comedy, 1989
- At the end of the golden age of '80s sitcoms, Michael J. Fox was finishing up on 'Family Ties,' John Goodman just started on 'Roseanne,' Ted Danson had 'Cheers,' and Fred Savage was a favorite on 'The Wonder Years.' The winner shocked everyone…
© NL Beeld
6 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actor in a Comedy, 1989 - Somehow Richard Mulligan won, for his amiable but forgettable role as Dr. Harry Weston on the 'Golden Girls' spin-off 'Empty Nest.'
© NL Beeld
7 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actor in a Comedy, 1992 - Craig T. Nelson ('Coach') confoundingly bested Ted Danson ('Cheers'), Burt Reynolds ('Evening Shade'), Jerry Seinfeld (in his breakout season of 'Seinfeld'), Kelsey Grammer ('Wings'), and John Goodman ('Roseanne'). Nelson's win is often criticized for Goodman's repeated Emmy snub.
© NL Beeld
8 / 32 Fotos
Best Drama, 1994 - The 1994 favorite was 'NYPD Blue,' the cutting-edge cop show, whose headline-grabbing first season lost out to David E. Kelley's small-town dramedy 'Picket Fences.'
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9 / 32 Fotos
Best Drama, 1999 - 'The Sopranos' legendary first season launched an artistic revolution, started a cultural sensation, and kicked off HBO's reign as a top network, but it was still somehow beat out by David E. Kelley's legal drama 'The Practice.'
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10 / 32 Fotos
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama, 1999 - Equally as surprising was that Nancy Marchand's performance as Livia in 'The Sopranos,' particularly as a four-time Emmy winner nearing the end of her career and giving the performance of a lifetime, lost out to Holland Taylor from 'The Practice.'
© Reuters
11 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actress in a Drama, 2000 - Sela Ward took home the award for her role on the struggling family drama 'Once and Again,' and though she was a previous Emmy winner, it was still a shock that she beat the previous winner Edie Falco ('Sopranos') or Julianna Margulies on her final 'ER' season.
© Reuters
12 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actor in a Drama, 2002 - When 'The Sopranos' delayed their fourth season, everyone assumed Martin Sheen was finally going to win for 'The West Wing,' but instead Michael Chiklis won for his role in 'The Shield,' whose nomination seemed like reward enough.
© NL Beeld
13 / 32 Fotos
Best Comedy, 2004 - The cult-favorite and brilliant but barely watched 'Arrested Development' somehow beat out comedy giants like 'Everybody Loves Raymond,' 'Will & Grace,' 'Sex and the City,' and 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' with its debut season.
© Reuters
14 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actor in a Drama, 2004 - James Spader nabbed the award for 'The Practice' over James Gandolfini, Martin Sheen, Anthony LaPaglia, and Kiefer Sutherland.
© Reuters
15 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actress in a Drama, 2005 - Glenn Close's one-season wonder on 'The Shield,' along with the multiple-time nominees Mariska Hargitay, Frances Conroy, and Jennifer Garner all contributed to one of the most shocking wins in Emmy history: Patricia Arquette in 'Medium.'
© Getty Images
16 / 32 Fotos
The big 'Sopranos' snub, 2007 - In its last season, James Gandolfini of 'The Sopranos' wrapped up his run as Tony Soprano, one of the single best performances in the history of television, by getting snubbed in favor of James Spader in yet another David E. Kelley joint, 'Boston Legal.'
© NL Beeld
17 / 32 Fotos
The big 'Sopranos' snub, 2007 - Carmela Soprano's luck was just as bad, with Edie Falco losing to Sally Field from 'Brothers & Sisters.'
© Getty Images
18 / 32 Fotos
The big 'Sopranos' snub, 2007 - Aida Turturro and Lorraine Bracco also lost to Katherine Heigl, whose Best Supporting Actress victory came as a surprise to her as well, especially since she beat out her own 'Grey's Anatomy' costars Chandra Wilson and Sandra Oh.
© Reuters
19 / 32 Fotos
The catastrophic comedy confusion, 2007 - Ricky Gervais somehow won Best Actor for his leading role in 'Extras' over heavy-hitters like Alec Baldwin ('30 Rock'), Charlie Sheen ('Two and a Half Men'), Tony Shalhoub ('Monk'), and Steve Carell ('The Office'), who ran onstage when Gervais didn't show up.
© Reuters
20 / 32 Fotos
More comedy confusion, 2007 - That same year, America Ferrera from 'Ugly Betty' surpassed comedy veterans Tina Fey ('30 Rock'), Julia Louis-Dreyfus ('The New Adventures of Old Christine'), Felicity Huffman ('Desperate Housewives'), and Mary-Louise Parker ('Weeds').
© Reuters
21 / 32 Fotos
Best Supporting Actor in a drama, 2008 - The biggest surprise wasn't that both Ted Danson and Željko Ivanek were nominated for their roles on 'Damages,' but that Ivanek beat out the Emmy favorite.
© Getty Images
22 / 32 Fotos
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama, 2010 - In a similar fashion, and revealing that you should always pay attention when the Emmys nominate an underdog alongside previous winners, Archie Panjabi ('The Good Wife') beat costar Christine Baranski.
© Getty Images
23 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actress in a Drama, 2010 - In the company of Julianna Margulies ('The Good Wife'), Glenn Close ('Damages'), Connie Britton ('Friday Night Lights'), and January Jones ('Mad Men'), Kyra Sedgwick took the trophy for her role in 'The Closer.'
© NL Beeld
24 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actor in Drama, 2011 - The year Bryan Cranston was finally out of the running, all signs pointed to the underappreciated Jon Hamm in 'Mad Men,' whose drinking, fighting, shouting, and sobbing sealed Don Draper's place in history. But, in true 'Friday Night Lights' fashion, Kyle Chandler intercepted the award.
© NL Beeld
25 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actor in a Comedy, 2011 - Steve Carell's tear-jerking farewell from 'The Office' was the stuff of TV dreams, but, in the biggest bazinga of all, he was usurped by Jim Parsons' lead nerd character from 'The Big Bang Theory.' A true head-scratcher.
© NL Beeld
26 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actress in a Comedy, 2011 - The pageant stunt, where all the nominees went up onstage, often overshadows the fact that Melissa McCarthy's win ('Mike & Molly') was a big upset considering her competition included comedy giants. Some think that year's 'Bridesmaids' skewed the results.
© Getty Images
27 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actor in a Movie or Miniseries, 2012 - Kevin Costner was just fine in 'Hatfields & McCoys,' but to beat out Woody Harrelson ('Game Change'), Idris Elba ('Luther'), and Benedict Cumberbatch's first 'Sherlock' nomination? Not so convincing.
© Getty Images
28 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actor in a Drama, 2013 - Jeff Daniels's victory for his role in 'The Newsroom' confused many since Jon Hamm ('Mad Men'), Damian Lewis ('Homeland'), Kevin Spacey ('House of Cards'), Bryan Cranston ('Breaking Bad'), and Hugh Bonneville ('Downton Abbey') all seemed more appealing.
© Getty Images
29 / 32 Fotos
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy, 2013 - Stacked up against competition from 'Modern Family,' '30 Rock,' 'Veep,' 'The Big Bang Theory,' and 'Glee,' Merritt Wever's win for 'Nurse Jackie' was a big surprise.
© Getty Images
30 / 32 Fotos
Best Comedy, 2014
- The Emmys' obsession with awarding the same comedies again and again is a long running joke, but when it seemed the reign of 'Modern Family' would finally allow newcomers like 'Veep,' 'Louie,' 'Silicon Valley,' and 'Orange Is the New Black' to gain some more recognition, the show took home its fifth award in the category. See also: Greatest TV actors who were snubbed by the Emmy Awards
© Getty Images
31 / 32 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 32 Fotos
'Better Call Saul' 2022 upsets
- 'Better Call Saul' fans took to X, then Twitter, to express their outrage that the series, which finished its final season, has left yet another Emmys ceremony without a single statue. In 2022 it was nominated for outstanding drama series, outstanding lead actor in a drama series for Bob Odenkirk, outstanding supporting actress in a drama series for Rhea Seehorn, and best writing for a drama series for Thomas Schnauz, but 'Succession,' 'Squid Game' star Lee Jung-jae, 'Ozark’ star Julia Garner, and 'Succession' writer Jesse Armstrong took home those respective awards instead. Since the series first aired in 2015, it has been nominated for a whopping 46 Emmy awards, but has won zero! "Better Call Saul not getting a single Emmy is very ironic. In 10 years people will still be talking about it while the rest of these shows will become distant memories to everyone," one user wrote.
© NL Beeld
1 / 32 Fotos
Best Comedy, 2024
- In a surprising upset at the 2024 Emmys, HBO's 'Hacks' won Best Comedy Series, defeating the heavily favored 'The Bear.' Despite setting a new record for comedy wins, 'The Bear' failed to secure the top prize. The controversy surrounding the show's classification as a comedy has intensified following this loss. Many viewers and critics questioned whether the show, with its intense dramatic moments, truly fit the traditional definition of a comedy. However, the show's producers insist that humor underpins the series' narrative and justifies its submission in the comedy category.
© Getty Images
2 / 32 Fotos
Best Comedy, 1952 - Red Skelton and his self-titled series shockingly beat the legendary Lucille Ball and 'I Love Lucy' for both best comedy series and best comedian.
© NL Beeld
3 / 32 Fotos
Best Comedy, 1967 - 'The Monkees' beat out classics like 'Get Smart,' 'Bewitched,' 'The Andy Griffith Show,' and 'Hogan's Heroes.'
© Getty Images
4 / 32 Fotos
Best Comedy, 1982 - Soon after being canceled by ABC, and after six losses in the category, the year that 'Barney Miller' finally won somehow upended 'Taxi' and 'M*A*S*H.'
© Public Domain
5 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actor in a Comedy, 1989
- At the end of the golden age of '80s sitcoms, Michael J. Fox was finishing up on 'Family Ties,' John Goodman just started on 'Roseanne,' Ted Danson had 'Cheers,' and Fred Savage was a favorite on 'The Wonder Years.' The winner shocked everyone…
© NL Beeld
6 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actor in a Comedy, 1989 - Somehow Richard Mulligan won, for his amiable but forgettable role as Dr. Harry Weston on the 'Golden Girls' spin-off 'Empty Nest.'
© NL Beeld
7 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actor in a Comedy, 1992 - Craig T. Nelson ('Coach') confoundingly bested Ted Danson ('Cheers'), Burt Reynolds ('Evening Shade'), Jerry Seinfeld (in his breakout season of 'Seinfeld'), Kelsey Grammer ('Wings'), and John Goodman ('Roseanne'). Nelson's win is often criticized for Goodman's repeated Emmy snub.
© NL Beeld
8 / 32 Fotos
Best Drama, 1994 - The 1994 favorite was 'NYPD Blue,' the cutting-edge cop show, whose headline-grabbing first season lost out to David E. Kelley's small-town dramedy 'Picket Fences.'
© Getty Images
9 / 32 Fotos
Best Drama, 1999 - 'The Sopranos' legendary first season launched an artistic revolution, started a cultural sensation, and kicked off HBO's reign as a top network, but it was still somehow beat out by David E. Kelley's legal drama 'The Practice.'
© Getty Images
10 / 32 Fotos
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama, 1999 - Equally as surprising was that Nancy Marchand's performance as Livia in 'The Sopranos,' particularly as a four-time Emmy winner nearing the end of her career and giving the performance of a lifetime, lost out to Holland Taylor from 'The Practice.'
© Reuters
11 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actress in a Drama, 2000 - Sela Ward took home the award for her role on the struggling family drama 'Once and Again,' and though she was a previous Emmy winner, it was still a shock that she beat the previous winner Edie Falco ('Sopranos') or Julianna Margulies on her final 'ER' season.
© Reuters
12 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actor in a Drama, 2002 - When 'The Sopranos' delayed their fourth season, everyone assumed Martin Sheen was finally going to win for 'The West Wing,' but instead Michael Chiklis won for his role in 'The Shield,' whose nomination seemed like reward enough.
© NL Beeld
13 / 32 Fotos
Best Comedy, 2004 - The cult-favorite and brilliant but barely watched 'Arrested Development' somehow beat out comedy giants like 'Everybody Loves Raymond,' 'Will & Grace,' 'Sex and the City,' and 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' with its debut season.
© Reuters
14 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actor in a Drama, 2004 - James Spader nabbed the award for 'The Practice' over James Gandolfini, Martin Sheen, Anthony LaPaglia, and Kiefer Sutherland.
© Reuters
15 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actress in a Drama, 2005 - Glenn Close's one-season wonder on 'The Shield,' along with the multiple-time nominees Mariska Hargitay, Frances Conroy, and Jennifer Garner all contributed to one of the most shocking wins in Emmy history: Patricia Arquette in 'Medium.'
© Getty Images
16 / 32 Fotos
The big 'Sopranos' snub, 2007 - In its last season, James Gandolfini of 'The Sopranos' wrapped up his run as Tony Soprano, one of the single best performances in the history of television, by getting snubbed in favor of James Spader in yet another David E. Kelley joint, 'Boston Legal.'
© NL Beeld
17 / 32 Fotos
The big 'Sopranos' snub, 2007 - Carmela Soprano's luck was just as bad, with Edie Falco losing to Sally Field from 'Brothers & Sisters.'
© Getty Images
18 / 32 Fotos
The big 'Sopranos' snub, 2007 - Aida Turturro and Lorraine Bracco also lost to Katherine Heigl, whose Best Supporting Actress victory came as a surprise to her as well, especially since she beat out her own 'Grey's Anatomy' costars Chandra Wilson and Sandra Oh.
© Reuters
19 / 32 Fotos
The catastrophic comedy confusion, 2007 - Ricky Gervais somehow won Best Actor for his leading role in 'Extras' over heavy-hitters like Alec Baldwin ('30 Rock'), Charlie Sheen ('Two and a Half Men'), Tony Shalhoub ('Monk'), and Steve Carell ('The Office'), who ran onstage when Gervais didn't show up.
© Reuters
20 / 32 Fotos
More comedy confusion, 2007 - That same year, America Ferrera from 'Ugly Betty' surpassed comedy veterans Tina Fey ('30 Rock'), Julia Louis-Dreyfus ('The New Adventures of Old Christine'), Felicity Huffman ('Desperate Housewives'), and Mary-Louise Parker ('Weeds').
© Reuters
21 / 32 Fotos
Best Supporting Actor in a drama, 2008 - The biggest surprise wasn't that both Ted Danson and Željko Ivanek were nominated for their roles on 'Damages,' but that Ivanek beat out the Emmy favorite.
© Getty Images
22 / 32 Fotos
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama, 2010 - In a similar fashion, and revealing that you should always pay attention when the Emmys nominate an underdog alongside previous winners, Archie Panjabi ('The Good Wife') beat costar Christine Baranski.
© Getty Images
23 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actress in a Drama, 2010 - In the company of Julianna Margulies ('The Good Wife'), Glenn Close ('Damages'), Connie Britton ('Friday Night Lights'), and January Jones ('Mad Men'), Kyra Sedgwick took the trophy for her role in 'The Closer.'
© NL Beeld
24 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actor in Drama, 2011 - The year Bryan Cranston was finally out of the running, all signs pointed to the underappreciated Jon Hamm in 'Mad Men,' whose drinking, fighting, shouting, and sobbing sealed Don Draper's place in history. But, in true 'Friday Night Lights' fashion, Kyle Chandler intercepted the award.
© NL Beeld
25 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actor in a Comedy, 2011 - Steve Carell's tear-jerking farewell from 'The Office' was the stuff of TV dreams, but, in the biggest bazinga of all, he was usurped by Jim Parsons' lead nerd character from 'The Big Bang Theory.' A true head-scratcher.
© NL Beeld
26 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actress in a Comedy, 2011 - The pageant stunt, where all the nominees went up onstage, often overshadows the fact that Melissa McCarthy's win ('Mike & Molly') was a big upset considering her competition included comedy giants. Some think that year's 'Bridesmaids' skewed the results.
© Getty Images
27 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actor in a Movie or Miniseries, 2012 - Kevin Costner was just fine in 'Hatfields & McCoys,' but to beat out Woody Harrelson ('Game Change'), Idris Elba ('Luther'), and Benedict Cumberbatch's first 'Sherlock' nomination? Not so convincing.
© Getty Images
28 / 32 Fotos
Best Lead Actor in a Drama, 2013 - Jeff Daniels's victory for his role in 'The Newsroom' confused many since Jon Hamm ('Mad Men'), Damian Lewis ('Homeland'), Kevin Spacey ('House of Cards'), Bryan Cranston ('Breaking Bad'), and Hugh Bonneville ('Downton Abbey') all seemed more appealing.
© Getty Images
29 / 32 Fotos
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy, 2013 - Stacked up against competition from 'Modern Family,' '30 Rock,' 'Veep,' 'The Big Bang Theory,' and 'Glee,' Merritt Wever's win for 'Nurse Jackie' was a big surprise.
© Getty Images
30 / 32 Fotos
Best Comedy, 2014
- The Emmys' obsession with awarding the same comedies again and again is a long running joke, but when it seemed the reign of 'Modern Family' would finally allow newcomers like 'Veep,' 'Louie,' 'Silicon Valley,' and 'Orange Is the New Black' to gain some more recognition, the show took home its fifth award in the category. See also: Greatest TV actors who were snubbed by the Emmy Awards
© Getty Images
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The biggest Emmy Award upsets ever
Fan favorite 'The Bear' lost Best Comedy Series at the 2024 Emmys
© Getty Images
The Emmy Awards seem to have made several misguided judgments in their long history—either that, or they're actually extremely smart in giving television audiences the plot twists they ceaselessly hunger for. From crowd favorites getting snubbed to unknown shows being celebrated at random, check out this gallery of the biggest Emmy upsets over the years.
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