73rd Emmy Awards Nominations; Showtime Orders Vanessa Bayer and Molly Shannon Comedy

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

73rd Emmy Awards Nominations; Showtime Orders Vanessa Bayer and Molly Shannon Comedy

Nominations for the 73rd Emmy® Awards were announced recognizing a wealth of innovative storytelling, exceptional new programs, and a robust and diverse group of talent nominees. The live virtual ceremony was hosted by father-daughter duo Ron Cephas Jones (This Is Us) from Los Angeles and Jasmine Cephas Jones (Blindspotting) from New York along with Television Academy Chairman and CEO Frank Scherma. The Crown and The Mandalorian have tied for the top spot for program nominations with 24 followed by WandaVision (23), The Handmaid's Tale (21), Saturday Night Live (21), Ted Lasso (20), Lovecraft Country (18), The Queen's Gambit (18) and Mare of Easttown (16). HBO/HBO Max leads the nominations in totals by platform with 130. Netflix has the second-most nominations with 129, and rounding out the top four are Disney+ with 71 and NBC with 46.

Bridgerton, Lovecraft Country and The Boys are newcomers to the Outstanding Drama Series category, joining returning nominees Pose, The Crown, The Mandalorian, This Is Us and previous category winner The Handmaid's Tale. Seventy-five percent of this year's nominees for Outstanding Comedy Series are new to the category including Cobra Kai, Emily in Paris, Hacks, Pen15, Ted Lasso and The Flight Attendant. Returning favorites include black-ish and The Kominsky Method. The Emmys will be broadcast on Sunday, Sept. 19 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/5:00-8:00 PM, live PT) on the CBS Television Network and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. The 2021 Creative Arts Awards will be broadcast on Saturday, Sept. 18 (8:00 PM ET/PT) on FXX.

In total, there were 44 first-time performer nominations across the Lead, Supporting, Guest and Short Form categories this season. Jonathan Majors, Josh O'Connor and Regé-Jean Page received their first-ever Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series joining previous Emmy winners in this category Sterling K. Brown, Billy Porter and Matthew Rhys. Emma Corrin, Jurnee Smollett and Mj Rodriguez received their first nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, while previous Emmy winner Uzo Aduba was nominated for the first time in this category. They are joined by returning nominee Olivia Colman and previous Emmy winner in this category Elisabeth Moss. Kaley Cuoco received her first-ever Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, while previous Emmy winner Jean Smart and previous Emmy nominee Aidy Bryant were nominated for the first time in this category. They join previous Emmy nominee Tracee Ellis Ross and Emmy winner Allison Janney. Jason Sudeikis received his first-ever Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, while previous Emmy winner Kenan Thompson was nominated for the first time in this category. They join six-time nominee in the category Anthony Anderson, along with previous Emmy winners Michael Douglas and William H. Macy. Individuals with multiple nominations this year include David Attenborough, Sterling K. Brown, Aidy Bryant, Bo Burnham, Steven Canals, Dave Chapelle, Michaela Coel, Jon Favreau, Derek Hough, Brendan Hunt, Maya Rudolph, Jean Smart, Jason Sudeikis and Kenan Thompson.

Vanessa Bayer and Molly Shannon

SHOWTIME has picked up the half-hour comedy series I Love This For You, starring and executive produced by Emmy(R) nominee Vanessa Bayer (Saturday Night Live), along with fellow nominee Molly Shannon (The White Lotus, The Other Two) also leading the cast. Bayer co-created the series with Emmy nominee and two-time Peabody winner Jeremy Beiler (Saturday Night Live, Inside Amy Schumer, I Think You Should Leave), who will executive produce. Emmy and Peabody winner Jessi Klein (Inside Amy Schumer, Dead to Me, Transparent) will serve as showrunner and executive produce along with Michael Showalter (The Big Sick, Wet Hot American Summer).

Inspired by Bayer's own story of overcoming childhood leukemia, I Love This For You centers on Joanna Gold (Bayer) who dreams of becoming a host at a home-shopping channel. Working to shed her life-long label as "that cancer girl," she moves away from her parents, starts a budding romance for the first time in her adult life and forms a meaningful friendship with her idol Jackie, all against the backdrop of a highly competitive workplace run by an unstable billionaire, where people play dirty to succeed. Shannon appears as Jackie, the charismatic star of the network; Paul James (Soundtrack) as Jordan, a charming but dry stage manager; Ayden Mayeri (Homecoming) as Beth Ann, an ambitious insecure host; Matthew Rogers (Haute Dog) as Darcy, the ingratiating right-hand man to the CEO; and Emmy nominee Punam Patel (Special) as Beena, an offbeat backstage producer.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Sunday, December 21

Krapopolis - "Society of Swords" (Fox, 7:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Before Deliria can become goddess of another city, she and Shlub must win over its exasperating king and queen; Ty gets dating advice from Viscera.

The Simpsons - "Keep Chalm and Gary On" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Homer gets Superintendent Chalmers a job at the power plant; Chalmers discovers huge mutated snails that produce valuable slime, launching his new career.

Universal Basic Guys - "Skyboys" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Mark buys a jetpack; David wants to serve omakase at a soup kitchen.

Krapopolis - "Plague and Fury" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Tyrannis gets a new girlfriend whose job becomes a problem for him; Deliria and Hippocampus deal with a plague.

Bob's Burgers - " Dog Christmas Day After Afternoon" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
A family trip to see Christmas lights turns into a rescue mission, in more ways than one.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 15)

Friday, December 19

Regina Hall (Black Monday/Grandfathered/Married/Second Generation Wayans) - Watch Regina on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Matt Rogers (No Good Deed/I Love That for You) - Matt appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Rickey Smiley (The Rickey Smiley Show) - Rickey is a guest on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
Bradley Cooper (Kitchen Confidential) and Will Arnett (Murderville/Arrested Development/Flaked/The Millers/Up All Night/Running Wilde) - Bradley and Will discuss Is Thing On? on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm. Will tells Drew about playing a dramatic role in new film Is This Thing On? working with Bradley Cooper, and his podcast with pals Sean Hayes and Jason Bateman on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Kumail Nanjiani (Bless the Harts/Silicon Valley) - Kumail chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
James Van Der Beek (Friends with Better Lives/Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) - James opens up on his cancer battle on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Star Raving Mad/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - NBC's Today catches up with Neil in the 9am hour.
Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul and Jack Black talk about Anaconda on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Robby Hoffman (Hacks) - Robby covers the news with Drew on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) - Zooey and Charlie Cox talk about their new film Merv with the doggie star of the film on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.