The Primetime Emmy Awards operate in a very different way than the Academy Awards. While the Oscars have a new crop of films that they nominate each year that contend for Best Picture, the Emmys tend to nominate the same shows over and over again in the Best Drama Series category.
While this is justified when there’s a particularly worthy winner likeThe West Wing, The Sopranos, Breaking Bad,orSuccession, some shows went their entire run without even getting nominated for the top prize. Here are ten great television shows that never got a Best Drama Series nomination, ranked.
10’Hannibal' (2013-2015)
After the iconic depictions of the legendary serial killer Hannibal Lector byBrian CoxinManhunterandSir Anthony HopkinsinSilence of the Lambs, Hannibal,andRed Dragon, it seemed like it would be impossible for a new actor to step into the role of “Hannibal the Cannibal.” However,Mads Mikkelsen’s performance in the NBC seriesHannibaldidn’t just live up to expectations; the show managed to find new depths to the character by showing his backstory.
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Hannibalwas creative, well-written, and surprisingly violent for broadcast television; though it concluded with its third season, fans remain hopeful aboutthe possibility of a fourth season.
9’Chuck' (2007-2012)
Before he suited up to play the lead characters in the short-livedShazam!franchise,Zachary Levigave his best performance ever as the titular computer geek on the science fiction adventure seriesChuck. The show follows an average tech store employee who has an entire top secret database uploaded to his brain, and thus must begin working alongside government agents to solve crimes and stop bad guys.
Chuckmaintained a great blend of action, comedy, suspense, and heart alongside all the tech mumbo jumbo; while some could argue that it deserved to be in the comedy category, there’s enough sincere moments to consider it a drama.
8’Narcos' (2015-2017)
Netflix essentially built its reputation on the success of the political drama seriesHouse of Cardsand the epic crime biographyNarcos; whileHouse of Cardswas showered with Emmy love for even its most mediocre of seasons,Narcoswent its entire three season run without ever being a major contender.
Narcostold the true story of the rise and fall of the legendary cartel leader Pablo Escobar, played in an extraordinary lead performance byWagner Moura. After the series’ first three seasons, Netflix shifted focus to launch theequally great spinoff showNarcos: Mexico.
7’Perry Mason' (1957-1966)
Viewers may have been forgiven if the violent content in HBO’s reboot ofPerry Masonrubbed them the wrong way, but rarely has a show improved so much in between seasons. The second season of Mason’s (Matthew Rhys) adventures ended up turning what was once a fairly straightforward investigative legal thriller into a rich and surprisingly moving character study.
Sadly,Perry Masonfailed to receive any nominations in the Best Drama Series category, and it won’t have the chance to anymore;HBO shockingly pulled the plugon the series after the end of season 2.
6’Daredevil' (2015-2018)
The quality of Netflix’s Marvel experiment is up for debate; whileThe Punisher, Jessica Jones,andLuke Cageshowed promise in their first seasons, they ended up fumbling as they went along, resulting in overlong seasons with a ton of unnecessary storylines.
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However,Daredevilwas distinct in its consistency, and its serious tone proved to be the perfect antidote to the generally lighter fare of Marvel’s shows for other networks. While it never received a Best Drama Series nomination, fans have the chance to revisit the series thanks toits new home on Disney+.
5’Buffy the Vampire Slayer' (1997-2003)
It is quite difficult to separate the brilliance ofBuffy the Vampire Slayerfrom the reports of atoxic working environment on setthat were made by several cast and crew members, including Buffy herself,Sarah Michelle Gellar. However, the legacy ofBuffy the Vampire Slayerdoesn’t belong toJoss Whedon; it belongs to the cast, writers, crew, and fans that turned the fantasy coming-of-age series into a cult phenomenon.
The first five seasons ofBuffy the Vampire Slayerdefy all expectations of genre with their skillful combination of influences; drama, comedy, and action are seamlessly blended to create one of the best coming-of-age adventure shows ever.
4’Peaky Blinders' (2013-2022)
The lack of Emmy nominations forPeaky Blindersis particularly shocking given the show’s incredible popularity. The period crime series initially debuted overseas on BBC, but it turned into a global hit thanks to its distribution on Netflix.
While all six seasons managed to go home Emmy free, fans can at least rest easy knowing that the show ended on a high note. The brilliant sixth season perfectly concluded the character arcs of each member of the Shelby gang, andpaid a beautiful tribute to the late greatHelen McCrory.
3’Mindhunter' (2017-2019)
SnubbingDavid Fincheris one thing that the Emmys and Oscars have in common. Fincher’s brilliant Netflix crime seriesMindhuntermanaged to air two of the best seasons of crime television ever without any nominations in the Best Drama Series category.
Mindhunteris loosely based on the real story of John E. Douglas, the FBI researcher who inspired the character of Will Graham inRed DragonandSilence of the Lambs. The series follows FBI Agent Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) as he leads a research team to investigate famous serial killers and analyze their psychology.
2’The Leftovers' (2014-2017)
It’s surprising that the Emmys never nominatedThe Leftovers, considering that they showered creatorDamon Lindelof’s other showsLostandWatchmenwith major wins. Nonetheless,The Leftoversis perhaps the definitive masterpiece of Lindelof’s career, and one of the best examples of how rich science fiction storytelling can be used to analyze grief and healing.
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The Leftoversexplores the aftermath of a mysterious global event in which 2% of the worldwide population disappeared into thin air. Rather than focusing on the mystery behind the disappearance,The Leftoversexplored how members of different communities responded to the shocking loss.
1’The Wire' (2002-2008)
The Wireis often thrown around in contention withBreaking BadandThe Sopranosin the discussion of the single greatest drama show ever made.David Simon’s brilliant five seasons focused on how the drug market impacted every layer of infrastructure in Baltimore, Maryland, with seasons dedicated to drug trading, shipping ports, local politics, the education system, and journalism.
Even if it never received a Best Drama Series nomination, the legacy ofThe Wirelives on. It continues to be an instructional tool that thoroughly explains many of the systemic issues that are relevant today.
