From the moment the nominations were announced in July, it was clear that these were to be A Very Apple Emmys. Aside from Adolescence, which had the limited series category all sewn up, it felt like every single nomination was either for Severance or The Studio.
Of these, The Studio’s ascendancy seemed most locked in. Here, after the controversy over The Bear’s deliberate lack of laughs, was a comedy comedy; something designed from the ground up to be funny. Plus, it was about the entertainment industry, which always appeals to the myopic interests of the Emmy voters. True, all of this equally applied to Hacks, but The Studio’s lead character wasn’t routinely described as a comedy genius, so there was far less dissonance when his jokes failed to land.
