'Squid Game' and Barack Obama up for Emmys
July 13, 2022
Leading the Emmy Awards race with 25 nods, HBO's drama "Succession" explores the brutal world of the rich.
The series' main competition shows how brutal it is to be poor: Hit South Korean TV show "Squid Game" is up for 14 Emmy Awards. The show, in which people on the brink of financial ruin compete in deadly children's games to win money, became the first non-English language series to be up for the ceremony's top honor as nominations were announced on Tuesday.
It was the most popular show on Netflix and the first to pass the 1 billion hours-watched mark.
Current Emmy rules allow a non-English language TV show with a US partner to compete, but this wasn't possible until the rise of streaming services, which have become tough competition for cable television in recent years.
The cast of "Squid Game" may also be in for honors, as they garnered five acting nominations. The show's star, Lee Jung-jae, is up for best actor, while Jung Ho-yeon received a nod for supporting actor for her role as a tough young woman trying to find a better life for her little brother.
The show's success comes three years after the South Korean film "Parasite" won the Oscar for best film, in a sense breaking a barrier for non-English language films to see major international success.
A presidential nod
The 44th US President, Barack Obama, may also add another accomplishment to his resume. He's up for an Emmy in the outstanding narrator category for lending his voice to the Netflix docuseries "Our Great National Parks." Yet the former US leader has tough competition, including veteran narrator, biologist and natural historian David Attenborough.
The comedy "Ted Lasso," starring Jason Sudeikis in the role of a cheerful American football coach recruited to train a soccer team in England, moved into more emotional territory in its second season; that approach was rewarded with another 20 Emmy nods this year, matching its record-breaking haul from 2021.
Meanwhile, actress Zendaya also made Emmy nomination history by becoming the youngest person to be nominated twice for a best actor Emmy for the same part: The 25-year-old, best known for her role in "Spiderman," was nominated for best actress for her portrayal of a teen trying to turn a new leaf after a drug addiction in the series "Euphoria." She already took the best actress award for the role in 2020.
Disney company won't go home empty-handed
While Netflix has been taking headlines in recent years for churning out successful series and films, the Walt Disney Company nevertheless garnered 147 nominations for the 2022 Primetime Emmy Awards. Nominated content includes series on its streaming platforms, most notably Hulu and Disney+. Meanwhile, Netflix earned 105 nominations this year; the streaming platform and production company still detains the all-time record with its 160 nods in 2020.
Other shows raking up nominations include the anthology series "The White Lotus," about the lives of hotel guests and staff at resorts, which garnered 20 nods.
Comedies "Hacks" and "Only Murders in the Building" followed on the show's heels, both receiving 17 nominations.
Chapelle's controversy
Another comedy, "Abbott Elementary," starring comedian Quinta Brunson, quadrupled its ratings since its premiere, according to the Associated Press, and got seven nominations. The mockumentary follows staff at an under-funded public school in Philadelphia.
But this year's nominations were not without contention. Comedian Dave Chapelle's 2021 special "The Closer" was nominated for best variety special and directing for a variety special, although it included anti-transgender comments. The airing of the special sparked controversy within the company, although Netflix leadership maintained that the comedy show did not cross the line.
The ceremony takes place at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California on September 12 and the winners are selected by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Edited by: Elizabeth Grenier