HBO, the perennial Emmys heavyweight, has accomplished something that no network or studio has in 31 years: earn four nominations in the best drama category.
After finishing one of its strongest 12-month runs in its 51-year history, HBO received nominations in the category for “Succession,” which wrapped its four-season run in May, and for the sophomore season of “The White Lotus,” which won big in its first season at last year’s Emmys. “The Last Of Us,” HBO’s popular zombie video game adaptation, and “House of The Dragon,” the network’s “Game of Thrones” prequel, also received nominations. The three most-nominated shows also came from HBO: “Succession” (27), “The Last of Us” (24) and “The White Lotus” (23).
“Succession,” which has won best drama twice already, will be the heavy favorite. Emmy voters have been known to reward beloved series on their way out, honoring shows like “The Sopranos” and “Breaking Bad.”
In at least one category, “Succession” will face fierce internal competition: a showdown in the best actor in a drama category between the one-time winner Jeremy Strong, the two-time nominee Kieran Culkin and the four-time nominee (and one-time winner, for a 2000 mini-series) Brian Cox.
“The Crown,” Netflix’s lavish chronicle of the British royal family, and the best drama winner at the 2021 Emmys, was also nominated in the category this year — though critics had a hard time warming up to the show’s fifth season, which featured a new cast. The final season of “Better Call Saul,” the “Breaking Bad” spinoff, also made the cut. “Better Call Saul” has landed 53 nominations over six seasons but has never won.
The last time a single network earned four nominations in the best drama category? It was in 1992, when NBC landed nominations for “I’ll Fly Away,” “L.A. Law, “Law & Order” and “Quantum Leap.” All four series lost to that year’s winner, “Northern Exposure,” from CBS.
