Listen, it's just a reality of the TV landscape that not every show can take home the awards it deserves. There are too many shows out there and too few awards to fight for. But even then, there have been some real snubs that simply cannot go unacknowledged.
How can we as a society exist in a world where Better Call Saul doesn't have a single major Emmy? How can we go on knowing that Steve Carell was never awarded for his role as Michael Scott in The Office? We simply can't. From those major misses to great shows that were ignored by the Emmys entirely (RIP, Hannibal), there's a whole host of shows that deserve their flowers.
9 'Community' (2009–2015)
Created by Dan Harmon
Greendale Community College is not for the weak — but it is for the deeply unhinged. Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) learns that the hard way when he's forced to go back to school to actually get the law degree he claimed he had while, you know, practicing law. There, he joins a study group and meets the best friends he'll ever have…whether he likes it or not.
Community is easily one of the funniest, most snappily written comedies to ever grace the small screen. It made bona fide stars out of its stellar cast — which included Alison Brie and Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino — and was never, ever afraid to push the envelope. From a flawless bottle episode in which Annie slowly goes insane trying to find her missing pen, to the infamous paintball episodes, Community did it all — and was never awarded for it. It’s a shame that Joel McHale's incredibly sardonic, self-important monologues never managed to make an impact on Emmy voters, but the true crime against humanity (and the Greendale Human Beings) has to be the Academy completely overlooking Jim Rash's brilliant, unhinged, gender-bending take on the school's Dean, Craig Pelton. When it came to Community, the Emmys were streets behind. As usual.
8 'House' (2004–2012)
Created by David Shore
Part genius, part disenchanted mischief-maker, Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) leads a diagnostic team at Princeton–Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey. There, he terrorizes patients and hospital administration alike, all with the goal of saving lives…and breaking a law or two, if the mood moves him. What's a casual break and enter if it saves a life, you know?
House certainly brought home an Emmy or two, including Outstanding Writing and Directing for a Drama Series, but that's where the accolades end. Shockingly, Laurie — who was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series six times during the show's run — never won a single Emmy for his incredible work as the show's titular character. Laurie's work to bring House’s grouchy, brilliant countenance going unacknowledged by the Academy a whopping six times is truly an insult to the dynamic actor. Dr. House would surely have some choice words about that one.
7 'The Office' (2005–2013)
Created by Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, and Greg Daniels
Let's be real: The Office was no stranger to Emmy Awards. Over the course of its nine seasons, the show garnered a whopping 44 nominations, netting itself 5 — including one for Outstanding Comedy Series. So, how could it ever be considered overlooked?
Two words: Steve Carell. Somehow, despite Carell giving a career-defining performance as the iconic Michael Scott, the Emmys continually passed him over. Not when it came to nominations — Carell rightly earned six for the role — no, it was wins he was robbed of. Not once during his time as Michael Scott did Carell ever win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy, instead losing out to fellow nominees Ricky Gervais, Tony Shalhoub, and twice to both Alec Baldwin and Jim Parsons for their roles in 30 Rock and The Big Bang Theory, respectively. All deserving, of course, but one has to wonder how Carell never earned a win for the episode "Scott’s Tots" alone. It takes a particularly talented actor to make an entire audience cringe to this day over the mere mention of an episode.
6 'Better Call Saul' (2015–2022)
Created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould
No show's awards luck epitomizes the phrase "always a bridesmaid, never a bride" quite like Better Call Saul. A spin-off (and prequel) of Emmy-darling Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul stars Bob Odenkirk as the titular Saul Goodman, a crooked attorney whose descent into criminal misconduct and shady law practices is chronicled in the series.
Better Call Saul was a critical and audience success during its six-season run on AMC. It only made sense that the show would net itself quite a few Emmy nominations — 53, to be exact. And yet. And yet! Despite the 50+ nominations across major and minor categories, Better Call Saul never won a single Emmy. It's almost impossible to believe. How could Odenkirk's performance go unrewarded, or the show's stellar writing unrecognized? We may never know the how's or why's behind the show's continual snubs, but one thing is clear: Better Call Saul definitely deserved to win its case.
5 'The Good Place' (2016–2020)
Created by Michael Shur
Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) is dead. The good news? She's gone to the heaven-like utopia of The Good Place! Hooray! The bad news? Well, she knows she doesn't deserve to be there, and she's pretty sure she's going to end up in the Bad Place if anyone finds her out — especially the Good Place's architect, Michael (Ted Danson). Guess she's just going to have to fake her way through her afterlife. For all eternity. No biggie, right?
Despite the show's critical and commercial success, The Good Place definitely suffered at the Emmys. Sure, the show was nominated 14 times (truly impressive), but did it take home a single statuette for its efforts? No, no it did not. What the fork is up with that, man? And while we're at it — what the fork is up with the Emmys not awarding Ted Danson's frankly incredible turn as Michael even once? Yeah, this is definitely the Bad Place.
4 'Hannibal' (2013–2015)
Created by Bryan Fuller
To call Hannibal a rare masterpiece of network television is, quite frankly, still underselling it. The Bryan Fuller adaptation sees FBI profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) fall under the spell of his psychiatrist, the endlessly charismatic and secretly cannibalistic Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen). The two form a bond that goes beyond that of a doctor and patient, eventually sending both men into a psychological spiral that may spell the end for them both.
Though the show is considered one of the best network shows of all time, NBC axed the critical darling after only three seasons. Hannibal isn't just good — it's great. It bears none of the trappings of standard network fare, instead aiming for a look and feel that is easily mistaken for that of prestige cable or streaming television. You'd assume Hannibal's top-tier writing and stunning visuals make it an easy Emmy contender, and you'd be wrong. Despite the show's critical success, it only earned one nomination for Outstanding Visual Effects during its three-season run.
3 'Ghosts' (2021–)
Created by Joe Port and Joe Wiseman
Based on the UK series of the same name, Ghosts follows the lives (and afterlives) of the residents of Woodstone Mansion. Sam (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) get more than they bargained for when they attempt to turn their inherited mansion into a bed and breakfast — Woodstone isn't just an old home, it's a haunted old home, and Sam and Jay now have eight new family members from throughout human history to keep them company.
The Emmys have consistently overlooked Ghosts' eclectic, hilarious ensemble — and honestly, the Academy is missing out. Each actor brings something special to their respective character, from Brandon Scott Jones' Isaac and his camp dramatics, to Danielle Pinnock's Alberta balancing her secretive (and sometimes heartbreaking) past with her present love of watching chaos unfold. It's long past time the Emmys recognized Ghosts for the absolute feast of character actors it is stuffed to the brim with.
2 'Bates Motel' (2013–2017)
Created by Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin, and Anthony Cipriano
Long before Marion Crane (Rihanna — yes, really) stepped foot in her room at the Bates Motel, proprietor Norma Bates (Vera Farmiga) and her son, Norman (Freddie Highmore), called it home. In the titular series, Norma and Norman make a go at a fresh start when they purchase the run-down motel and the accompanying iconic house on the hill, both running from their respective demons — and both ultimately falling victim to them.
Bates Motel is five glorious seasons of perfectly paced tragedy. Norma blossoms from a traumatized, damaged, and over-bearing mother to a woman who slowly begins to understand she is worthy of love, never losing the unhinged, controlling nature that defines her character to the core. The Emmys overlooking Farmiga's powerhouse performance in particular is certainly a tragedy Norman himself would seek to rectify. But the show itself deserved recognition, too, and it's truly a shame it never received it.
1 'Parks and Recreation' (2009–2015)
Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur
Debuting in the wake of The Office's success as a mockumentary-style sitcom, Parks and Recreation (quite literally) follows the employees of Pawnee, Indiana's Parks and Recreation Department.
For all its iconic lines, characters, and its lasting impact on pop culture alone (Galentine's Day and Treat Yo Self come to mind), Parks and Recreation never received an Emmy Award. The show rightfully garnered 16 nominations over the course of its run, including nods for Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Amy Poehler, but failed to bring home a single win. And while it's easy to argue that it's more important that the show brought joy to millions, it does still sting that it was never awarded for the excellent piece of comedy it is. To quote Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman): "[…] Awards are stupid. But they'd be less stupid if they went to the right people." Amen, Ron.
NEXT: 9 Great Sci-Fi and Fantasy Shows That Were Overlooked by the Emmys
