The 2022 Primetime Emmy Awards nominations for Outstanding Limited Series dropped in July, per Variety, and drew mixed reactions within its nominees. Hulu nearly swept the nominations with three of the five nominated shows released on the streaming service. Netflix and HBO Max shows rounded out the last of the nominations. While Hulu statistically has the best chance to win, many think that it will be HBO Max’s The White Lotus, which has since been renewed for a second season with an entirely new cast, making it still eligible for the category.
The nominations are as follows: the addictive Hulu docu-seriesThe Dropout, the based on the real-life opioid crisis Dopesick, the biopic Pam & Tommy, the based on a true story of a wannabe heiress Inventing Anna, and the vacation gone wrong The White Lotus. The nominations range from serious genres to suspense, and give voters a lot to think about regarding who will win. Last year, Netflix’s hit show The Queen’s Gambit took home the Emmy for Outstanding Limited Series in 2021. The 74th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will air on September 12, 2022, on NBC. For a closer look into all the nominations, check out this list from Cinema Blend. Until the winners are announced, here is a closer look into the five nominations and how we rank them.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
5 Inventing Anna (Netflix)
Netflix
Inventing Anna was certainly a surprise addition to the nominations, with most predicting Maid or The Staircase to round out the category. The nine-episode miniseries is based on the true story of Anna Delvey, an Instagram-legend and supposed German heiress who swindled her way into New York’s social society and into their pockets. Julia Garner stars as Delvey and plays opposite Anna Chlumsky’s Vivian Kent, a journalist who wants to write about Delvey as a way to save her reputation. The two form a love-hate bond as Kent tries to uncover the many secrets behind Delvey.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
Inventing Anna is based on the New York Magazine article “How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People,” written by Jessica Pressler, who actually served as a producer for the series. Chlumsky’s character is based on Pressler, though her name was changed for the purpose of the series. The series was nominated for two additional Emmy, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series for Garner and Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series of Movie.
4 Pam & Tommy (Hulu)
Disney Platform Distribution
Pam & Tommy covers the whirlwind relationship between Pamela Anderson and Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee. From their first 96 hours together to their marriage and then the following years, the series covers the ups and downs, including their scandalous sex tape, which was accidentally stolen when a disgruntled worker stole a safe as repayment for work he did that he was never paid for. The series tells the story from both Pam and Tommy’s, and then Rand’s, points of view.
Pam & Tommy was nominated for a whopping ten nominations, including acting nods for Lily James and Sebastian Stan, who star as Pam and Tommy respectively, as well as one for Seth Rogen, who played Rand Gauthier, the man who leaked Pam and Tommy’s sex tape. The show was a perfect mix of the two points of view that offered many comedic yet serious moments.
3 The Dropout (Hulu)
An unexpectedly great limited series that premiered in 2022 was Hulu’s The Dropout. True to the trend, this limited series is also based on a true story, this one of Elizabeth Holmes, the former CEO of Theranos, a billion-dollar health technology company. Holmes was a college dropout who started her own tech company that ended up earning billions. The concept of her company was that they would revolutionize the diagnosis of diseases with a radical blood test.
The Dropout was nominated for six Emmys, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Amanda Seyfried and Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series or Movie. The eight-episode series is a dramatic account of Holmes’s rise and fall, and subsequent trial. From its actors to the storyline, this miniseries is a must-watch and definitely earned at least the Emmy nomination.
2 Dopesick (Hulu)
Fans believe Hulu’s best chance at winning an Emmy in this category is from its show Dopesick, which is based on the real-life American opioid crisis. The series provides points of view from boardrooms of a big pharma company to corrupt doctors, the DEA, and a distressed Virginia mining community. Backed by a stellar cast, most of whom received their own Emmy nominations for the performances, the series effectively shows in real time the current opioid crisis.
Dopesick was nominated for 14 Emmys, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Michael Keaton and five Emmys for Outstanding Supporting Actress (and Actor) in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. From speculation to today, Dopesick’s continued success has made it a front-runner to win at least a few of its fourteen nominations.
1 The White Lotus (HBO Max)
HBO Entertainment
The White Lotus features a newlywed couple, a family and her friend, a lady who just lost her mother, and a few of the staff of the hotel where all of these people are staying. The hotel, named The White Lotus, follows the exploits of these people during the course of a week’s stay at the tropical resort. From poop-filled suitcases to an accidental murder, the series is full of comedy and contains depictions of real-life matters — such as coping with the death of a loved one.
With the most Emmy nominations on this list, it’s no secret that The White Lotus is a front-runner to win the Emmy for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. With 20 nominations, many expect The White Lotus to win big at this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards. From Outstanding Supporting Actress (and Actor) in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie to Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, the hit show can certainly take home a few of the coveted awards.
