CREDIT: Screenshot

Happy June, Fellow TV Lovers. It’s Emmy Wish List Season! The ballots are ready to be perused by Academy of Television Arts & Science members (as well as members of the public), as we eagerly await the announcement of nominations on July 15.

I’ve assembled a few of my favorites from the 2024-25 season that I would love to see honored on TV’s biggest night. And as with my Wishlist from last year, I’ll be focusing on the less-heralded shows and performances that could really use the support. They may not be getting a ton of buzz, but I love them just as much as they deserve to be loved.

Animation: Has Solar Opposites ever been nominated for an Emmy? No? Well, that’s completely ridiculous, it’s probably the best animated show of the past five years! Let’s rectify that this year.
On the opposite side of the spectrum of acclaim, I’d also like to call attention to The Simpsons, which has already earned plenty of Emmy love. But Season 36 featured one of its best and most Conan O’Brien-heavy episodes in years in the form of “Bart’s Birthday.”

Comedy: Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage had the unenviable task of continuing both the story and the time slot of Young Sheldon. But it managed to do it a lot better than I could have reasonably expected. Montana Jordan is really coming into his own!
Speaking of rookie network sitcoms, what a joy it is to have St. Denis Medical in our lives. David Alan Grier, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Allison Tolman are unsurprising standouts, while Josh Lawson and Mekki Leeper are relatively new faces (to my eyes at least) who also crushed it.
Is there a chance that What We Do in the Shadows could win Best Comedy in its final season and not just settle for the nomination? Probably not, but I’ll bang the drum for it anyway.
I didn’t love everything about Julio Torres’ HBO show Fantasmas, but maybe we could nominate MELF for Guest Actor?

Drama: Severance is my favorite show of 2025 thus far, and it probably doesn’t need my help to be an Emmy contender. But let me go ahead and shout-out the cast members who are less likely to be nominated but absolutely deserve the recognition, like Zach Cherry, Jen Tullock, and (star of Bill Brasky’s favorite movie) Robby Benson.
Wow, Ncuti Gatwa had so much fun as the Fifteenth Doctor.
You know which superhero wrapped up recently without a ton of fanfare but a whole lot of soul? Superman & Lois, that’s what.
Kaitlin Olson has never received any Emmy love for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, though she has been nominated a couple of times for guest starring on Hacks. She deserves to go even further than that with a Lead nom for High Potential.

Game Shows: Another year, another batch of worthwhile new quiz programs, and Colin Jost deserves plenty of props for deconstructing the hosting gig as emcee of Pop Culture Jeopardy!

Scripted Variety Series: The recently concluded @fter midnight was too pure for this world! Let’s give Taylor and the crew their due.

Documentary/Nonfiction Program: I’m not usually terribly invested in the Doc categories, but this year, you can be pretty dang certain that I’ll be pulling for Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years Of SNL Music in Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Special and SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night in Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Series.