For decades, theEmmy Awardshave honored the best television has to offer, recognizing everything from the greatest shows in genres from comedy to drama and actors' standout performances, as well as more technical categories acknowledging things like costumes. In short, snatching an Emmy is among the most notable achievements in the entertainment industry.
Plenty of showshave been snubbedby the Emmys over the years, from beloved shows which received only a few nominations or none at all to shows which have been nominated over and over again without ever scoring a win. Some have racked up dozens and dozens of nominations for everything from costume and set design to acting, and others boasted devoted fanbases, critical acclaim or often both. While it’s no consolation, at least such shows, from fan-favorite comedies to acclaimed dramas, are in good company.
10’Penny Dreadful'
13 nominations
Classic characters from horror and 19th-century Victorian Gothic literature such as Frankenstein, Dracula and more all came together in Victorian London, as an explorer determined to rescue his daughter teamed up with a clairvoyant and sharpshooter to face off against them in the horror seriesPenny Dreadful. The series also dealt with the themes of religion and faith.It ran for three seasons on Showtime, from 2014 until 2016, and starredEva Green,Josh HartnettandTimothy Dalton.
Penny Dreadfulwas a great series which weaved together pieces of iconic horror and literature with mystery. Over its three-season run, it was nominated for a total of 13 Emmys - a few were for its music - but most were in technical categories such as prosthetic makeup, visual effects and production design. Given its characters and plot, it’s not surprising that it was nominated for so many Emmys; but what is surprising is that it never scored a single win, given everything from its Victorian sets to disturbing prosthetics and makeup that make it worthy of taking home at least one trophy.
Penny Dreadful
Watch on Paramount+
9’The Good Place'
For four seasons,The Good Placefollowed Eleanor (Kristen Bell) through her experiences in the afterlife. When a person dies, they are sent to either the Good Place or the Bad Place, as determined by a numerical score given to their behavior while they were alive. At first under the impression she was sent to the Good Place by mistake, Eleanor was determined to prevent the truth from coming out before learning she was actually in the Bad Place.
The Good Placewas nominated for 13 Emmys, including for its cast and guest stars, all of whom were a delight to watch, plus multiple nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series. The series was beloved by fans for not just its humor but its overall premise, especially the Bad Place twist, andits surprising depth with the way it dealt with philosophical themes of morality and what happens to us when we die,yet it never won an Emmy.
The Good Place
Watch on Netflix
8’Parks and Recreation'
14 nominations
The mocktuary-style sitcomParks and Recreationpremiered in 2009 and followed the hilarious day-to-day work of a parks and recreation department and their interactions with local government in Pawnee, Indiana, kicking off as a midlevel employee took on the task of turning an abandoned construction site into a park.The show ran for eight seasonsand ended in 2015, with an ensemble cast includingAmy Poehler,Aziz Ansari,Nick Offerman,Aubrey PlazaandChris Pratt.
Parks and Recreationis still beloved by fans years after it ended, and it received some recognition from the Emmys, too. Poehler, in particular, was nominated for her role as Leslie Knope, the character at the heart of the show, every year from 2010 through 2015. The show also earned nominations for its writing and Outstanding Comedy series, but despite a total of 14 nominations, it never won, with political comedyVeepusually snagging the statue instead.
Parks and Recreation
The absurd antics of an Indiana town’s public officials as they pursue sundry projects to make their city a better place.
Watch on Peacock
10 Great Miniseries Snubbed for the Best Limited Series Emmy, Ranked
It’s borderline criminal that these miniseries were overlooked.
7’The Streets of San Francisco'
16 nominations
ABC’s police proceduralThe Streets of San Franciscopaired a veteran cop with over 20 years of experience a newbie in the homicide division of the city’s police department. The series followed their relationship, and differences in age and experience, as they worked to solve murders. The series premiered in 1972 and ended in 1977, and it starredKarl MaldenandMichael Douglas,the latter of whom would go on to become one of the best actors in Hollywood.
The Streets of San Franciscowas a classic crime drama, regarded for its writing and a number of guests who later became famous in their own right; and the series served as a launching pad for Douglas’ career. The Emmy Awards recognized the show with multiple nominations for its cast, as well as Outstanding Drama, and a total of 16 nominations. But despite the high number of nominations, the series didn’t win a single one.
The Streets of San Francisco
Watch on Pluto
6’The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'
NBC’sThe Man From U.N.C.L.E.told the story of two spies working for an organization called United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, also known as U.N.C.L.E., as they fought with the evil organization THRUSH. The show aired from 1964 until 1968. The agents reunited in 1983 in the TV movieThe Return of the Man From U.N.C.L.E., and in 2015,a film remake was releasedfeaturing a new cast.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.was massively popularand spawned everything from a spin-off show to tie-in books and comics. It earned 16 Emmy nominations, including ones for cinematography, editing and Outstanding Dramatic Series, as well as nominations for starsLeo G. CarrollandDavid McCallum. But even though it was a hit and ran for over 100 episodes, its popularity didn’t translate to an Emmy win.
Watch on Prime
5’Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'
18 nominations
After living in a doomsday cult for 15 years, Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper) began a new life in New York City in Netflix seriesUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. With the help of a new friend, street performer and Broadway hopeful Titus (Tituss Burgess), Kimmy discovered all modern life had to offer and tried to finally have a normal life. The show was a Netflix original series, and it premiered in 2015 and ended in 2020.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidtwas hilarious and fun to watch, with great writing and a stellar cast. Its 18 Emmy nominations included Outstanding Comedy Series and nods for both Kemper and Burgess, two and four, respectively, and more than deserved. Kemper was wonderful as the charming, naive Kimmy, with her wonder at life beyond the cult, and Burgess was hilarious and great to watch as Titus. But despite their performances andthe show’s consistent praise, none of its Emmy nominations translated to awards.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
This Is the Emmys' Biggest Travesty
Despite its many nominations, this show was completely ignored by the Television Academy.
4’Antiques Roadshow'
21 nominations
The long-runningAntiques Roadshow, which airs on PBS, travels across the country with a team of experts who appraise antiques for their owners, uncovering everything from worthless heirlooms to valuable collectibles worth life-changing sums of money and delivering mini-history lessons at the same time. The show premiered in 1997 and has been on the air for an impressive 28 seasons and over 500 episodes. It is based on the British series of the same name.
The thrill ofAntiques Roadshowcomes from its possibilities,the shocking reveal that an item is worth thousands of dollars never gets old, and it can be fascinating to see what sorts of items people bring and learn the history behind them. The series has been nominated for an Emmy almost every year since 2002, with a total of 21 nominations. But despite its longevity and consistent nominations, it has never won.
Antiques Roadshow
3’Real Time with Bill Maher'
HBO’s long-runningReal Time with Bill Maherfeatures the comedian hosting a roundtable discussion of politics and current events with a panel of three guests across the political spectrum, following a monologue from Maher and a one-on-one interview with a prominent guest. It is similar to Maher’s previous series,Politically Incorrect.Real Timehas been on the air for 21 seasons after first airing in 2003 and has earned about as many Emmy nominations: 21.
Real Time with Bill Maheris just one of a number of late-night shows, including ones geared towards politics and current affairs, that the Emmys have recognized with nominations. In addition to the show’s 21 nominations, Maher himself has amassed 41. But Maher andReal Timehave not been nominated in recent years,possibly due to his tendency to make controversial statements, such as his desire to bringReal Timeback without writers before the end of the WGA strike in 2023.
Real Time with Bill Maher
Watch on Max
2’The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'
26 nominations
ComedianStephen Colbertentered the world of late-night talk showsin 2015 withThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert, taking the place ofDavid Letterman. Like other late-night shows,The Late Showfollows the format of a monologue, followed by interviews with celebrity guests and a musical performance. Colbert’s skill at discussing politics with humor has earned him a loyal fanbase with consistently solid ratings, plus the Emmy nominations to prove it.
The Late Showgot its first Emmy nomination in 2017 andhas been nominated every year since, including for direction, writing and Outstanding Talk Series. While Colbert himself has won multiple Emmys, including for his Showtime 2020 election night special and his work on political satireThe Colbert Report, he has not won forThe Late Show, and the show itself hasn’t won any of the Emmys it’s been up for.
1’Better Call Saul'
53 nominations
Breaking BadprequelBetter Call Saultells the story of how sketchy lawyer Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) came to be. Set in the early 2000s in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series followed Jimmy McGill—as he was known before becoming Saul—as his moral ambiguity slipped further and further, while at the same time, former corrupt cop Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) started working as a fixer and enforcer for drug kingpins. The series first aired in 2015 and ended in 2022 after six seasons.
Better Call Saulwas a slow-burn, character-driven story, andit was consistently hailed as one of the best shows on television. Over its six seasons,it was nominated for a whopping total of 53 Emmy Awards, double that ofThe Late Show, the next in line with the most nominations without a win. Its nominations included writing, directing and Outstanding Drama Series, plus acting nominations for Odenkirk and Banks, as well asMichael McKean,Giancarlo EspositoandRhea Seehorn, all of whom were unforgettable in their roles.
