Now, however, prestige series tend to run on their own timelines, skipping years — or more — between seasons. Throw in the pandemic that disrupted production schedules, and viewers are forgiven if they can’t keep track of what’s eligible from year to year, even with a scorecard. Take “Barry” and “Atlanta” (both entered as comedies), which after extended layoffs are returning to awards contention (the former in multiple categories, the latter for star Donald Glover) for the first time from 2019 and 2018, respectively. Among the nominees for best drama, the aforementioned “Succession,” “Stranger Things,” “Euphoria,” “Better Call Saul” and “Ozark” all come out in 2021, with new shows “Squid Game,” “Yellowjackets” and ” Dismissal” rounding out the field. But they don’t have to worry about competing with “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which begins its fifth season on Sept. 14. “Ted Lasso,” meanwhile, will have a chance to repeat as best comedy, meaning the Apple TV+ show can defend its crown, but “The Crown,” um, won’t. “Hacks” also makes a back-to-back appearance, while arguably the toughest competition this year includes newcomers “Abbott Elementary” and “Only Murders in the Building” along with four series that weren’t on the 2021 menu: “Barry,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “What We Do in the Shadows” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” (“Curb” is in a groundbreaking category by itself, spanning 11 seasons and 51 Emmy nominations over the past 22 years.) Some shows require a separate asterisk due to the Emmy eligibility window, which spans the 12-month period from June to May. Both “Stranger Things” and “Better Call Saul” split their seasons, with the first half falling within that timeframe and the second not, meaning they’ll be eligible again in 2023. The Emmy calendar can also be confusing depending on when the show premieres. If, for example, you just finished watching the second season of Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building,” remember, it’s the first season nominated this year. Restricted rows avoid repetition questions, but not timing. It’s a loaded lineup again, with Hulu’s “Dopesick,” “The Dropout” and “Pam & Tommy,” Netflix’s “Inventing Anna” and HBO’s “The White Lotus,” the only one not based on a true story. history. Even there, the vagaries of the calendar and Emmy rules play a role. Take the “Star Wars” prequel “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” which actually premiered just before the May 31 deadline but refused to make subsequent episodes available in advance to voters, delaying its consideration until 2023. (Star Ewan McGregor won his first Emmy last year for another limited series, Netflix’s “Halston.”) The major TV Emmys annually follow what are known as the Creative Arts Awards, which were presented Sept. 3-4 to dozens of mainly technical categories. Netflix set a 47-year-old record with 44 total statuettes last year from all of those ceremonies, more than double nearest competitor HBO, which had led in 2020 and 2019 after tying with Netflix in 2018. “Stranger Things,” “Euphoria” and “The White Lotus” each collected five awards last weekend (and could add to those totals on Sept. 12), as did the special “Adele: One Night Only.” and the documentary “The Beatles: Come Back.” “Succession,” which won nine Emmys in 2020, has only received one award so far, for outstanding casting. Or to put it more accurately, excellent casting among those dramas that were televised during the 2021-22 eligibility period. The Emmys will air on September 12 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
