Allow me to quote myself for a second. From a June “Awards Circuit” column: “Since this is the last chance for ‘Reservation Dogs’ to get some Emmy awards attention, it would be a shame if it didn’t finally get some long overdue recognition.”
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We did it, kids. “Reservation Dogs,” which had been virtually ignored by TV Academy voters for the first two seasons, finally got some Emmy nomination love right as it ends its run. And it gives me renewed faith in the fact that sometimes the media can make a real difference in shining a spotlight on deserved shows and performers.
After all, we’ve all been tubthumping for “Reservation Dogs” since it first went on the air at FX. It’s a special show, and I was reminded of that again while watching an FYC screening of the finale at Vidiots in Eagle Rock. I’d seen the last episode several times — and yet watching it once more with an auditorium full of fans, I was holding back tears all over again.
That “Rez Dogs” column was one of the easiest for me to write in Phase 1, because it was quite simply from the heart, and written with plenty of passion. And also, with a bit of anger — as in, “what the hell, Academy? Do I need to come down there and vote for you?!”
On Emmy nomination morning, as Tony Hale and Sheryl Lee Ralph were still reciting the categories on a YouTube stream, the TV Academy accidentally post the nominations early. That gave us an early glimpse — and when I saw “Reservation Dogs” listed under outstanding comedy, I shrieked.
And that wasn’t all — in one of the biggest surprises of the morning, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, who plays Bear on the series, was nominated in the outstanding lead actor field — opposite titans like Steve Martin, Martin Short and Larry David. (“Rez Dogs” scored four noms total this year, including picture editing and cinematography for a single-camera series).
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Wow. Sometimes we can become evangelicals for the TV series and stars that really mean something to us, and this was one of those moments where it actually made a difference.
“I’m sorry that the that the Academy doesn’t give out an Emmy for most impactful television criticism,” FX boss John Landgraf told me the morning of the nominations — as he clearly gets how much the press support of “Reservation Dogs” pushed it over the Emmy hump. “Because I have to say, this is one where the show earned it of course — but the critics really lifted this one up. We’ve had that before, we had a big groundswell of support for ‘Better Things,’ which was a much beloved show that never made it into this circle. It often doesn’t happen, so I don’t at all take it for granted. I’m really grateful that the voters saw fit to recognize the show. It’s not only a great show, it’s a historic show.”
I’ve now seen this happen several times with the Emmy nominations, which is why when people ask me whether all this FYC press makes a difference, I have countless examples I can point to. Before “Reservation Dogs,” I was probably such a stan for “Better Call Saul” star Rhea Seehorn that I was dangerously close to being a member of her PR team. We eventually put Seehorn on the cover of Variety in 2022, and made the strong case that Emmy voters were sleeping on what she was doing on the show. And a few months later, voters finally responded and gave her a nomination in drama supporting actress. (She was also nominated in 2023).
Of course, our power only goes so far. TV Academy members knew how great “Better Call Saul” was, and if they didn’t, us entertainment reporters were there to constantly remind them. The show scored 53 nominations throughout its run, but ended its run with 0 wins. It remains a crime that Bob Odenkirk never won an Emmy for playing Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman. (In comparison, they know what they’re doing at the Peabody Awards, which honored “Reservation Dogs” and “Better Call Saul” twice.)
At least we’ll always have Tatiana Maslany. “Orphan Black” was a sleeper hit that critics and industry reporters embraced — singling out Maslany’s deft skill at playing multiple clones with very different personalities. I do believe our raves put enough of a spotlight on Maslany that she won the drama actress Emmy in 2016. Now, let’s see if we can do the same for “Reservation Dogs.”
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