Emmy Winners

Learn more about making the good and the great television content of 2021 and 2022. (Every time we think TV’s peaked, Hollywood does it again!)

CREATE

The (Unavoidable) Universal Appeal of “Squid Game” Is By Design

It was Netflix’s top show in more than 90 countries, with about 95% of viewers outside South Korea.
Adrian Pennington
Britt Lower in “Severance,” now streaming on Apple TV+.
CREATE

Building the Insane (But Strangely Familiar) World of “Severance”

Adrian Pennington
Jennifer Coolidge as Tanya McQuoid in Episode 6 of “The White Lotus.” Cr: HBO
CREATE

“The White Lotus:” Scenes from the Class Struggle

Julian Mitchell
Quinta Brunson’s workplace mockumentary series “Abbott Elementary,” about the struggles of an under-funded school in the Philadelphia public school system, is a breakout hit with a lot of heart. Quinta Brunson as Janine Teagues. Cr: ABC
CREATE

“Abbott Elementary:” The Right Message at the Right Time

Julian Mitchell

The Secret Sauce of Emmy Success

Kieran Culkin as Roman Roy, Alan Ruck as Connor Roy, Brian Cox as Logan Roy, Matthew Macfadyen as Tom Wambsgans, Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy, Nicholas Braun as Greg Hirsch, and Sarah Snook as Shiv Roy in “Succession.” Cr: HBO
November 28, 2021

The Camera in “Succession” Is a Player in the Game

HBO’s “Succession” takes cues from Dogme95, cinema verité, and other styles that use documentary techniques to create fictional stories.
Adrian Pennington
Jean Smart as Deborah Vance in “Hacks.” Cr: Warner Media
September 19, 2021

Comedic Timing: Editing “Hacks”

“Hacks” editor Jessica Brunetto balances drama and comedy in the HBO Max series starring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder.
Julian Mitchell
Selena Gomez as Mabel Mora, Martin Short as Oliver, and Steve Martin as Charles in Episode 1 of “Only Murders in the Building.” Cr: Hulu
August 24, 2021

“Only Murders in the Building:” How to Make a (Very Amusing) Modern Mystery

Director of photography Chris Teague employs the Sony VENICE for Hulu’s new ten-episode, half-hour series mixing murder, mystery and comedy.
Jennifer Wolfe
Jason Sudeikis in “Ted Lasso,” now streaming on Apple TV+.
August 15, 2021

Editing “Ted Lasso:” Yes, It’s Exactly Like a Soccer Match

ACE editors A.J. Catoline and Melissa McCoy on editing “Ted Lasso” — it’s all about teamwork and passing the ball.
Adrian Pennington
Rosario Dawson as Bridget Meyer in episode 1 of “Dopesick.” Cr: Hulu
October 24, 2021

Hulu’s “Dopesick:” Danny Strong’s Tragic Timeline of the Opioid Crisis

Exploring the US’s ongoing opioid crisis, Danny Strong adapts author Beth Macy’s “Dopesick” for a nine-episode limited series at Hulu.
Julian Mitchell
“‘Atlanta’ is everywhere and nowhere,” says Stephen Glover, a writer and producer on season 3 of the series. LaKeith Stanfield as Darius, Zazie Beetz as Van, Donald Glover as Earnest “Earn” Marks, and Brian Tyree Henry as Alfred “Paper Boi” Miles. CR: Matthias Clamer/FX
March 22, 2022

How “Atlanta” Is “Everywhere and Nowhere”

Donald and Stephen Glover bring season 3 of “Atlanta” to FX and Hulu in what critics call “a true American masterpiece.”
Adrian Pennington
Inventing Anna. Julia Garner as Anna Delvery in episode 108 of Inventing Anna. Cr. Aaron Epstein/Netflix © 2021
March 8, 2022

Confidence Tricks: Why Scams and Scandals Make for Such Successful TV

Competing TV and streaming series focused on fraudsters, con-artists, fakers and cheats play to our fascination with wealth and power.
Michael Burns
Hulu’s limited series, “The Dropout,” isn’t the first project to examine Theranos, but showrunner Elizabeth Meriwether takes the topic and engages with the story on a different note by bringing it to a more human level. Amanda Seyfried as Elizabeth Holmes. Cr: Beth Dubber/Hulu
March 15, 2022

“The Dropout” Is a Slow-Motion Car Crash (and We Can’t Look Away)

Hulu’s “The Dropout” isn’t the first docuseries to examine Theranos, but showrunner Elizabeth Meriwether brings it to a more human level.
Adrian Pennington
With subliminal history lessons and a sprawling cast playing composite characters, HBO’s new series “The Gilded Age” is being called the “American Downton Abbey.” Christine Baranski as Agnes Van Rhijn. Cr: Warner Media
February 24, 2022

Entering “The Gilded Age”

Dubbed the “American Downton Abbey,” the new HBO series is set in a pivotal time in US history spanning 30 years of massive economic growth.
Julian Mitchell