Jul 9, 2020

For your consideration: an animated show that should be nominated for an Emmy.

Organizers have acknowledged that this year's Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, to be held on September 20, may be a little different from previous years due to the ongoing turmoil caused by the coronavirus. Expect the lineup of nominees to be a little different than usual.

Over the years, the award's animation category has proven to be fairly strong for new works and not influenced by cultural trends. Anyone counting the nominations for "The Simpsons" and "South Park" can see this. Last year, "Bojack Horseman," the most cutting-edge animated show of the last few years, finally became a finalist for the Best Animated Program award in its fifth season. It lost to "The Simpsons.

"BoJack" could win again this year, and the fact that its sixth and final season is its final season may increase its chances. Then again, as this op-ed in The Hollywood Reporter suggests, its bleak vision of showbiz may be too unpalatable to the Emmy audience. Nevertheless, in a sense, the choice of winners is secondary to the list of nominees, giving voters a chance to spotlight five worthy new shows from this bumper year.

To catch the eye of viewers and spark discussion, we have listed nine new programs that we hope will be of interest to the public. Voters, please take a look. Readers, let us know in the comments below which shows deserve to be nominated. However, please don't tell us that "The Simpsons" deserves another shot.

Apple TV+'s flagship animated series, "Central Park," from the creators of Emmy regular "Bob's Burgers," would increase its chances. The opening was well received.

"Solar Opposites" is a Hulu original co-produced by Justin Rowand of Rick and Morty. This is another fairly well-received show with established talent that has a good chance.

Crossing Swords combines the medieval setting of Game of Thrones, the toilet humor of Robot Chicken (with the same creators), and the graphic design of Duploset. The show premiered on Hulu last month and a second season is already in the works.

"Midnight Gospel" is an anarchic space trip from "Adventure Time" favorite Pendleton Ward. This Netflix show is based on comedian Duncan Trussell's popular podcast.

"Primal" is an action-packed Adult Swim show directed by Genndy Tartakovsky about the unlikely friendship between a caveman and a dinosaur. The theatrically edited version was nominated for an Academy Award. It's a tour de force, but the lack of dialogue may unnerve voters.

"Undone," an ambitious psychological drama from the writer of "Bojack. Director Hisko Halsing uses amazing animation techniques, notably rotoscoping. It is the most entertaining of Amazon's animated productions.

"Duncanville" is a familiar Fox sitcom about dysfunctional families, awkward teenagers, and more. The brainchild of Amy Poehler and the writers of The Simpsons, the show is indebted to Springfield's Yellow Family, but features wilder energy and incest jokes.

"Bless the Hearts" is another Fox family comedy, this time set in a working-class North Carolina family. The film boasts a stellar cast of talent, including creator Emily Spivey (SNL veteran), producers Chris Miller and Phil Lord ("The Lego Movie"), and actors Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig.

With certainly deliberate timing, Hulu has launched an innovative way to promote the show, the Hilarious Animated Hulu Awards (HAHA). Noting that nearly 40% of its viewers watch adult animated programming each month, Hulu celebrates these shows by hosting a number of novel "awards" (Best Fart Performance, Most Insulting Insult, etc.) that are voted on by the public. Click here to vote.

Voting for the Primetime Emmy Awards will close on July 13. Nominations will be announced on July 28. Top image, left to right: "Undone," "Primal," and "The Midnight Gospel."