The Five Best Shows Never to Receive an Outstanding Series Emmy Nomination
A Seriously Random List /
Dustin Rowles
Seriously Random Lists | September 21, 2009 | Comments (42)
5. “Firefly”
4. “Freaks and Geeks”
3. “Friday Night Lights”
2. “Battlestar Galactica”
1. “The Wire”
Posted by: pinkfreud at September 21, 2009 12:08 PM
I feel like I need to sign up for Netflix and use the crummy envelopes as armor BEFORE I say this, but... I have never seen an episode of any of these shows.
::ducks::
I do intend to watch some, though. I have every reason to think I would love Firefly and F&G.
Posted by: Patty O'Green at September 21, 2009 12:27 PM
Fully agree with the shows on the list, but definitely not the order. Firefly, BSG and Freaks are better than Friday Night Lights, I must say.
Posted by: chayes at September 21, 2009 12:29 PM
Patty O'Green is working very hard to keep the pitchfork and torch makers in business.
Posted by: Opie Curious at September 21, 2009 12:36 PM
I don't think Veronica Mars was ever nominated and that was a hell of a series. Easily par with #5-2 on the list.
The Wire is just on a whole different level. I don't put a lot of stock in the Emmy Awards to begin with, but missing out on the Wire has to be a major embarrassment. They should have at least given season five an award to recognize the body of work, even though it was the weaker season (see LOTR Return of the King).
Posted by: Yossarian at September 21, 2009 12:39 PM
Patty O'Green, don't feel bad, I'm right there with you. And since I'm rogue already, I don't care who gets pissed off that I haven't spent my life in front of a stack of TV DVD series furiously trying to re-watch everything that has been deemed "awesome" by a pack of unwashed hipsters.
Although I totally conceed that all of those shows look amazing. I'm kind of afraid to watch #4 & #1. #1 because I hear it will ruin me for all other shows and #4 because I'm terrified it will remind me too much of my high/middle school life. I like those memories repressed, thanks.
Posted by: Kayanne at September 21, 2009 12:54 PM
Rome anyone?
I predict when It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia runs it course it will fall into this list. Going into the 5th season and the only nominations are for the Satellite Awards. WTF are the Satellite Awards?
Posted by: LwoodPDowd at September 21, 2009 12:58 PM
The Emmys are completely meaningless, but really, Firefly was never going to get nominated for anything. Give it up.
Posted by: figgy at September 21, 2009 1:09 PM
Did "Buffy" ever get a nomination? I always thought of it as the poster child for series the Emmys ignored.
Posted by: mrcreosote at September 21, 2009 1:17 PM
Nobody asked you, Figgy! Quit stomping on my dreams where genre shows get fancy awards.
Posted by: Marra at September 21, 2009 1:18 PM
*sigh*
I miss Mal and Jane and Wash and Zoe......
damn...there goes the rest of my day...
Posted by: dammitjanet at September 21, 2009 1:20 PM
Kayanne:
F & G is awesome (just finished the final ep last night), but yes, there will be several times where you cannot even watch the screen from embarrassment for the characters. Still, don't let that stop you; it's full of good, non-embarrassing stuff too.
Posted by: nutmeag at September 21, 2009 1:20 PM
Kayanne, that's exactly the reason I didn't watch very much of Freaks and Geeks. It was just too awkward watching a show that was basically my high school years with more one-liners and even less self esteem.
Posted by: Phaeolus at September 21, 2009 1:22 PM
Why are only two of the Freaks and Geeks crowd girls?
Posted by: Todd at September 21, 2009 1:44 PM
Why isn't Shepherd Book in the Firefly photo?
Posted by: BWeaves at September 21, 2009 1:49 PM
Yeah, I think Buffy actually deserves Firefly's spot here, and I say that as someone who (although a hardcore Buffy fan) thinks the few Firefly eps made are of consistently higher quality than most Buffy seasons.
But Firefly didn't even get past half a season (a travesty, I'm aware), while Buffy ran for 7 seasons and had a huge impact on the television landscape (kick-ass heroines? musical episodes? supernatural-as-allegory?). It wasn't a badly-publicized show just finding its fan base like Firefly, it was consistently ignored by the Emmys across years and years, despite real brilliance and a big influence on pop culture.
7 seasons and what did it get? One nomination for writing for "Hush" and a bunch of make-up and hairstyling noms. Pathetic.
Posted by: lizzie (greeneyed fem) at September 21, 2009 1:53 PM
Todd:
Because we girls are just too darn cute to be marginalized (speaks a marginalized-on-purpose girl).
Posted by: nutmeag at September 21, 2009 1:58 PM
Genius is often not recognized in it's own time. Ask Van Gogh.
Posted by: Lindsey with an 'e' at September 21, 2009 2:26 PM
BWEAVES:
Well, Someone had to take the picture!
Posted by: Lindsey with an 'e' at September 21, 2009 2:27 PM
Why isn't Shepherd Book in the Firefly photo?
I was all set to come in and say, 'maybe the pic is from Serenity?', but Lindsey's response just made me giggle!
Posted by: Tarn at September 21, 2009 2:34 PM
To me, F&G just wasn't that great. Yeah I laughed out loud a few times watching it, but it doesn't deserve to be on a list with these other shows (okay, okay, I haven't seen Firefly and don't care). Yeah I had a few terrible-awkward-embarrassing moments in high school but overall it wasn't that bad. Maybe I just couldn't relate or I was too young to relate to the 80's setting.
Now Veronica Mars! That is a show that deserves to be on this list. And the first few seasons of Gilmore Girls should be an honorable mention.
Posted by: Austin asking for trouble at September 21, 2009 2:34 PM
Also, was Big Love ever nominated? If not it should definitely be included on this list.
Posted by: Austin asking for trouble at September 21, 2009 2:41 PM
Friday Night Lights is my favorite of the shows here. Connie Britton is just flat-out fantastic. I was stoned one night watching FNL episodes projected onto a huge screen. I was watching a close-up of Connie Britton, and I remember thinking, "I hope God is as loving and forgiving as Tami Taylor." I don't even believe in God. It was the closest thing I've ever had to a religious experience. I'm an FNLterian or something.
Posted by: The Wandering Parakeet at September 21, 2009 2:57 PM
The Wire never getting nominated is a crime considering that not only was it very good, it's the sort of show that the Emmys usually slobber over.
Posted by: Claire at September 21, 2009 3:01 PM
It sickens me that "Buffy" and "Veronica" never got the nod, but I do take some solace in knowing that "Glee" will likely get the nod next year that "Popular" always deserved but never received.
Posted by: The Pink Hulk at September 21, 2009 3:15 PM
i miss the wire =[[ oh shit seriously best show ever..OMAR DONT SCARE!!
Posted by: Eden at September 21, 2009 3:32 PM
cough cough cough gag cough...
Sorry, I'm just trying to swallow the Firefly you keep shoving down my fucking throat.
cough hack gag...
I think I saw on Joss Whedon's twitter page that he hasn't had a blowjob in a while.
cough...
Posted by: superasente at September 21, 2009 4:21 PM
I never thought I'd say this, but I need to watch more television.
I've never seen ANY of these shows.
Posted by: Carolina Girl at September 21, 2009 4:33 PM
I would replace Friday Night Lights with Veronica Mars (and put FNL in 6th place or 7th if The Shield didn't get any nomitations for Best Drama Series)
Posted by: Radlum at September 21, 2009 4:35 PM
Honorable Mention:
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Gilmore Girls
Veronica Mars
Homicide: Life on the Streets
Posted by: John W at September 21, 2009 5:26 PM
More importantly, where is Inara? Probably off "doing work."
Posted by: Mick J at September 21, 2009 10:05 PM
Newsradio not being on this list makes me want to smash things.
Posted by: mightygodking at September 21, 2009 10:26 PM
Nice list.
Posted by: dsbs at September 21, 2009 10:37 PM
Austin: Big Love was one of the nominees last night! Well deserved for an outstanding season.
Posted by: figgy at September 21, 2009 11:42 PM
Sorry figgy! I haven't watched an awards show in years. They just lead to drinking too much in my frustration.
Posted by: Austin asking for trouble at September 22, 2009 12:10 AM
I also think Buffy and Angel belong here, both of them only got one nomination, I vote we give them all the Emmys we gave to Everybody Loves Raymond, and feed Ray Romano to a ravenous Praying Mantis Demon.
Posted by: George at September 22, 2009 1:05 AM
lizzie: Preach it, every year I waited for Buffy to get some love and every year I was disappointed.
Posted by: Mebe at September 22, 2009 5:07 AM
Freaks and Geeks was so painfully true to life that I couldn't stand watching it. I watch TV to escape my life, damnit, not to bring up harrowing memories of my teen years.
Awards don't mean jack to me personally, so I can't say it really bothers me; it certainly doesn't surprise me, as the Emmys rarely recognize originality or sheer awesomeness. And Battlestar Galactica, while brilliant, is depressing as hell, which also doesn't attract awards.
That Firefly pic makes me sad. WHY, JOSS? WHY MUST YOU CREATE CHARACTERS I LOVE ONLY TO KILL THEM OFF? YOU BASTARD!
Posted by: DeadBessie at September 22, 2009 10:46 AM
I seriously can't believe "The Wire" never got an Emmy for best drama series- absolutely unbelievable. Then again, what should I expect of a voting group that gives an acting award to a cast member of "Two and a Half Men"?
Posted by: Kristi at September 22, 2009 1:25 PM
This list is shocking to me. Shocking. Is there going to be a Nathan Fillion Award of Excellence Gala? I haven't seen any of the other shows, my viewing options are kind of limited. But at least with television. I kind of have an 'I'm not obligated to over-care about television' reaction. Maybe I'll end up watching these, but if I don't, I guess it's society's loss.
Don't worry about Austin, I caved and watched some episodes of F&G and I didn't think it was anything special at all. If it weren't cancelled, how many more yawn-inducing tropes would they have to run through before the world got tired of it again?
I know nothing of the girl, but every time that I have seen Busy Philips in anything, I've thought: This person is so grating and obnoxious, I hope that the alcohol rumours are true, because when she's inevitably dancing on the bar, bitching us out for not 'knowing' her, I could recruit one of her twaddle-headed co-ed doom parades to puke on her shoes, whilst I set her Tanqueray and Jaeger-soaked feet on fire.
Posted by: Jo 'Mama' Besser at September 22, 2009 9:48 PM
friday night lights won an emmy in its first season for outstanding casting in a drama series
so i'm guessing it was nominated somewhere along the way
Posted by: chief at November 6, 2009 3:47 AM
my bad i didnt read the title properly. please disregard the previous comment. my apologies
Posted by: chief at November 6, 2009 3:49 AM
Video ads popping up after each page view? Try clearing your browser's cookies.
Nice work on the Emmy-themed post, but does anyone really think to themselves, "Hmm, I want to check out a tv show on DVD. Let me look at a list of Emmy winners..." anyway?
God F&G was a good show. Ditto for Firefly. Not that I'm preaching to anyone but the converted up in here.