Remember: These Shows Are Not (Yet) Eligible for Emmys

The following article is an excerpt from the new edition of “IndieWire’s The Lead Up,” a weekly newsletter in which our Awards Editor Marcus Jones takes readers on the awards trail, interviewing key figures responsible for some of the most compelling stories of the season, and offering predictions on who will win. Subscribe here to receive the newsletter in your inbox each week.

With Emmy nominations voting officially closed, I figured I’d get ahead of some complaints about what did not make the cut now that we’re at a point in time where the kids have no sense of traditional TV schedules.

For those of you who remember linear television, the four broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, and CBS) would start a new season of their major TV series in the fall, and wrap them up before summer starts. The traditional TV schedule that the Emmys follow is similar to a public school schedule. That nuance has been lost to the sporadic nature of streaming releases, where summer is not always a dumping ground anymore. In fact, in the case of Prime Video, it’s the streaming service’s time to shine.

But with all apologies to an “Every Year After” or “Elle” (not “Off Campus,” which was actually Emmys eligible this season), I’m using this time between voting and nominations to highlight some series that many may feel deserve Emmy nominations, but will have to wait until next spring to be considered for them.

“The Bear” Season 5 (FX)

‘The Bear’ on FX.FX

This is a bit of a cheat, since the Emmy-winning FX series created by Christopher Storer, and starring Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri, is likely to garner some more nominations come July 8, but this gives me the perfect opportunity to write about the new phenomenon of using a new season as awards campaign material for the previous season. Though this final season of the Chicago restaurant dramedy just missed out on airing during the voting period this year, the Outstanding Comedy Series winner famously has had several instances where new episodes have swayed Television Academy members to award actors from the show, even if technically, the particular episode they submitted was not the main one spotlighting them. Think Ebon Moss-Bachrach winning Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for “The Bear” Season 1, after voters had seen the Season 2 episode “Forks,” or Liza Colón-Zayas winning for her performance in Season 2, after voters saw the Season 3 episode “Napkins.” It’s a whole thing that sounds confusing on paper, but has really been effective for the FX on Hulu hit.

“Cape Fear” (Apple TV)

‘Cape Fear’ on Apple TV.Apple TV

To a certain extent, the TV season currently up for Emmys missed out on a starry blockbuster limited series like this new take on the 1957 novel “The Executioners” by John D. MacDonald, which was adapted into a film by J. Lee Thompson in 1962, and Martin Scorsese in 1991. The highlight of this new series with creator Nick Antosca at the helm is how it takes inspiration from all the versions of the story that came before it, and yet still leaves room for plenty of liberties to be taken. Neither Javier Bardem, Amy Adams, nor Patrick Wilson have won an Emmy, despite being nominated before. It’s a long runway, but expect this psychological thriller to make like Season 1 of “Presumed Innocent,” another novel turned film turned TV series from Apple TV, and receive some love from the Television Academy next summer.

“Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed” (Apple TV)

‘Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed’ on Apple TV.Apple TV

Though this unique comedic thriller series premiered prior to the eligibility deadline, it did not finish its first season in time to be considered at the 2026 Emmys. But that may work in its favor. The murder mystery has so far flown under the radar, despite having Emmy winner Tatiana Maslany as the lead, but just received a ringing endorsement from author extraordinaire Stephen King. Television Academy members and the general public alike have almost a full year to decide if the show, which also stars Jake Johnson and Brandon Flynn, lives up to its name before it’s up for Emmy nominations consideration.

“Office Romance” (Netflix)

‘Office Romance’ on Netflix.Netflix

The Emmy category for Outstanding Movie has been quite a debacle over the last few years, with no consensus on what makes a “TV movie” in our streaming era, but it doesn’t have to be. Why shouldn’t Netflix push more of its premium romantic comedies to an awards-voting audience? This one, about a CEO and her special counsel trying to abide by anti-fraternization rules, especially has Emmys potential being written by and starring Brett Goldstein, who won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for “Ted Lasso,” and continues to consistently be nominated as one of the co-creators of fellow Apple TV series “Shrinking.” This film is also not only superstar multihyphenate Jennifer Lopez in her element, but also more proof that Betty Gilpin is well overdue for an Emmy (or any kind of) award.

“The Vampire Lestat” (AMC)

‘The Vampire Lestat’ on AMC.Sophie Giraud/AMC

Last but not least is the Anne Rice adaptation formerly known as “Interview with the Vampire.” The long-awaited third season of the supernatural AMC drama has now put Sam Reid front and center as Lestat de Lioncourt. The previous seasons were mentioned as major Emmys snubs, with the perception that they were eligible the same year they were airing, but that has so far not been the case. Now that the show, which has proven to be delightfully more subversive than the 90s and aughts films covering the same material, is also streaming on Netflix, there is a lot of hope that “Lestat” will finally linger in the minds of voters long enough to finally receive some awards love.

See IndieWire’s full list of 2026 Emmy predictions, complete with frontrunners, contenders, and long shots on our website. As a reminder, my email is [email protected] if you’d like to share any feedback.