Now that the Primetime Emmy Awards nominations have been announced, you’ve got two months to catch up on some of the year’s most-acclaimed shows.
Some binges may take longer than others, but the list below should help you choose what to watch and how long it should take to catch up. For those looking for the most bang for their streaming buck, HBO Max has the most shows nominated this year.
Comedian Nate Bargatze hosts the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 14 on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
——
“Severance” (27 Emmy Nominations): Streaming on Apple TV+
In “Severance,” Adam Scott’s character Mark works for a corporation that implants a chip in its employees’ brains, so they forget about their outside lives while at work and have no memory of their work when they’re off. Mark begins to question his work life when he encounters a colleague outside who knows who he is. Beyond the dinner party conversation of “would you want that microchip,” the show has become an obsession for fans who analyze scenes, look for clues and try to make sense of its many mysteries.
Total No. of seasons: 2
Total No. of episodes: in season 2: 10
Total season 2 binge time: 8 hours and 29 minutes
Total series binge time: 15 hours and 29 minutes
“The Studio” (23 Emmy nominations): Streaming on Apple TV+
Cinephile Matt Remick (Seth Rogen) has been promoted to his dream job as the head of a fictional Hollywood studio. Juggling the desire to create art with marketing and focus groups makes the work harder and more stressful than he imagined. “The Studio” has similarities to “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Entourage” with awkward scenarios and actors and industry types including Martin Scorsese and Ron Howard playing heightened versions of themselves.
Total No. of episodes: 10
Total binge time: 5 hours and 15 minutes
“The White Lotus” (23 Emmy Nominations): Streaming on HBO Max
A dark comedy anthology about privileged guests and the staff at a luxury resort, this year’s season took viewers to Thailand. The series often has themes of wealth, power, greed, lust and self-worth. Each of the show’s three seasons has also had a murder mystery, with a pair of characters from season one making a tense return.
Total No. of episodes: 21
Total No. of season 3 episodes: 8
Total season 3 binge time: 8 hours and 36 minutes
Total binge time: 21 hours and 55 minutes
“The Last of Us” (16 Emmy Nominations): Streaming on HBO Max
“The Last of Us” is set in a postapocalyptic U.S. where Pedro Pascal’s character Joel is hired to smuggle a girl named Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across the country. They’re two decades into a pandemic that turns the infected into mutated creatures and Ellie may be key to a vaccine.
Total No. of seasons: 2
Total No. of season 2 episodes: 7
Total season 2 binge time: 6 hours and 21 minutes
Total series binge time: 15 hours and 7 minutes
“Andor” (14 Emmy nominations): Streaming on Disney+
Diego Luna plays out Rebel spy Cassian Andor’s radicalization against the Galactic Empire leading up to “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” prequel series. Created by showrunner Tony Gilroy, the two season run — which put emotions under the spotlight in this sci-fi story — took the characters right up to the events of the Gilroy-written “Rogue One.”
Total No. of seasons: 2
Total No. of episodes in season 2: 12
Total season 2 binge time: 10 hours, 19 minutes
Total series binge time: 19 hours, 49 minutes
“Hacks” (14 Emmy nominations): Streaming on HBO Max
A female comedian of a certain age (played by Jean Smart ) and a Gen Z comedy writer (Hannah Einbinder) are frenemies and each other’s muses in “Hacks.” Smart has won an outstanding lead actress Emmy for each of the show’s first three seasons. Einbinder, who is also a standup comic, has been nominated three times in the supporting actress category. Season 4 debuted in April.
Total No. of episodes: 37
Total No. of Season 4 episodes: 10
Total season 4 binge time: 5 hours and 33 minutes
Total series binge time: 20 hours and 14 minutes
“Adolescence” (13 Emmy nominations): Streaming on Netflix
Thirteen-year-old Jamie Miller (played by newcomer Owen Cooper) is arrested in the stabbing death of a schoolmate. His family struggles with this new reality as investigators and a psychologist piece together what led up to the crime. Each episode was filmed in one continuous shot, with the best one chosen for air. The cast and crew had extensive rehearsals ahead of time, blocking out the camera’s movements — and sometimes requiring it to be passed off between operators.
Total No. of episodes: 4
Total binge time: 3 hours and 48 minutes
“The Pitt” (13 Emmy Nominations): Streaming on HBO Max
Noah Wyle puts his stethoscope back on and returns to the ER (not THAT “ER,”) in “The Pitt,” short for Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital. Wyle stars as an emergency room physician who goes by Dr. Robby. We meet him in the pilot as he’s beginning his workday. Each of the 15 episodes is one hour of that shift treating patients usually in need of critical care while navigating American health care challenges like low budgets, staffing shortages and red tape from insurance policies.
Total No. of episodes: 15
Total binge time: 12 hours and 7 minutes
“The Bear” (13 Emmy Nominations): Streaming on Hulu
An award-winning chef who has worked in some of the world’s greatest restaurants attempts to transform his family’s sandwich shop in Chicago to a fine-dining establishment in FX’s “The Bear.” The show, now in its fourth season, has been a star-making vehicle for its cast like Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Liza Colón-Zayas.
Total No. of seasons: 4
Total No. of episodes in season 4: 10
Total season 4 binge time: 6 hours and 9 minutes
Total series binge time: 21 hours and 50 minutes
“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez story” (11 Emmy nominations): Streaming on Netflix
A true crime dramatization of the story of Lyle and Erik Menendez, privileged brothers living in Beverly Hills who murdered their parents, Jose and Kitty in 1989. The brothers said it was self-defense because Jose was sexually abusive. They were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison but recently became eligible for parole.
The limited series presented the case from multiple perspectives. It also introduced viewers to new talents Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch, who played Lyle and Erik.
Total No. of episodes: 9
Total binge time: 7 hours and 50 minutes
“Dying for Sex” (9 Emmy Nominations): Streaming on Hulu
Liz Meriwether (“New Girl”) helped adapt a popular podcast about TV personality Nikki Boyer’s experience into this limited series for FX. Michelle Williams stars as Molly, who is diagnosed with terminal cancer and decides to live out her days seeking pleasure. The title and premise may sound risqué, but the show is fundamentally about the love story between Molly and her best friend Nikki (Jenny Slate) who puts her life on hold to be a caregiver.
Total No. of episodes: 8
Total binge time: 4 hours and 6 minutes
“Only Murders in the Building” (7 Emmy nominations): Streaming on Hulu
Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez play residents of the same Manhattan apartment building who start a true crime podcast when there’s a murder on the premises.
Total No. of seasons: 4
Total No. of season 4 episodes: 10
Total season 4 binge time: 5 hours and 27 minutes
Total series binge time: 22 hours and 46 minutes
“Shrinking” (7 Emmy Nominations): Streaming on Apple TV+
A widowed therapist (Jason Segel) adjusts to single life and raising a teenager thanks to friends, neighbors, colleagues and his unconventional methods with patients. The show features a standout cast that includes Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Christa Miller, Michael Urie and Luke Tennie. Segel created the series with Bill Lawrence (“Scrubs,” “Cougar Town”) and Emmy winner Brett Goldstein, who played Roy Kent on “Ted Lasso.”
Total No. of seasons: 2
Total No. of episodes in season 2: 12
Total season 2 binge time: 7 hours and 13 minutes
Total series binge time: 12 hours and 35 minutes
“What We Do in the Shadows” (6 Emmy nominations): Streaming on Hulu
A documentary crew follows four vampires living together in Long Island, New York, The roomies often bicker amongst each other and have ridiculous interactions with humans and modern life. In Season 6, we meet a sixth vampire housemate named Jerry. He went to sleep in 1976 and was supposed to be woken up 20 years later, but everybody forgot about him. The show is based on a film of the same name that was directed by Jermaine Clement and Taika Waititi who are executive producers on the series.
Total No. of seasons: 6
Total No: of season 6 episodes: 11
Total season 6 binge time: 4 hours and 50 minutes
Total series binge time: 24 hours and 42 minutes
“Abbott Elementary” (6 Emmy Nominations): Streaming on Hulu
If you ever wondered as a kid what went on in the teacher’s lounge at school, then “Abbott Elementary” is for you. The quirky, bighearted staff of a Philadelphia elementary school is followed by a documentary crew as they navigate underfunding, school board meetings and bus driver strikes, plus the fun stuff like field trips and class pets. It stars Quinta Brunson, who also created the show. Both Brunson and Sheryl Lee Ralph have won acting awards for the series.
Total No. of seasons: 4
Total No. of episodes in season 4: 22
Total season 4 binge time: 7 hours and 42 minutes
Total series binge time: 24 hours and 51 minutes
“Slow Horses” (5 Emmy Nominations): Streaming on Apple TV+
The British spy series stars Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb, an eccentric, rude MI5 agent leading a group of spies called “slow horses” because they’ve made big mistakes on the job. It’s based on Mick Herron’s “Slough House” novels. The series didn’t catch the attention of Emmy voters until its third season but it’s got a near perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Total No. of seasons: 4
Total No. of season 4 episodes: 6
Total season 4 binge time: 4 hours and 34 minutes
Total series binge time: 18 hours and 25 minutes
“Paradise” (4 Emmy Nominations): Streaming on Hulu
Sterling K. Brown returned to TV in a dystopian series as a Secret Service agent protecting the president (played by James Marsden.) This president is not living at the White House or in Washington but a “Pleasantville”-like community. A mystery quickly presents itself with an unspooling of more questions after that.
Total No. of episodes: 8
Total binge time: 6 hours and 44 minutes
“Presumed Innocent” (4 Emmy Nominations): Streaming on Hulu
Real-life brother-in-laws Jake Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard star as adversaries in this TV adaptation of the Scott Turow novel. Gyllenhaal plays Chicago prosecutor Rusty Sabich, charged with murdering his colleague — an accusation that has fractured the district attorney’s office. Sarsgaard is attorney Tommy Molto, another co-worker intent on proving Sabich’s guilt. Meanwhile, Sabich’s marriage to Barbara (Ruth Negga) is falling apart under the weight of the accusation and the potential he could be found guilty.
Total No. of episodes: 8
Total viewing time: 5 hours and 55 minutes
“The Residence” (4 Emmy Nominations): Streaming on Netflix
Uzo Aduba stars as a quirky detective investigating a murder at the White House in this Netflix comedy. The series features a number of recognizable actors including Ken Marino, Randall Park, Susan Kelechi Watson, Jason Lee and Branson Pinchot in regular roles. The recurring cast includes Jane Curtin, Kylie Minogue and Al Frankin.
Total No. of episodes: 8
Total viewing time: 7 hours and 40 minutes
“Nobody Wants This” (3 Emmy nominations): Streaming on Netflix
Adam Brody and Kristen Bell co-star as a young rabbi and a podcaster with no religious affiliation who meet and begin dating in “Nobody Wants This” for Netflix. Is it smooth sailing from here? Not quite. The two must overcome their respective baggage, differences of religion and expectations from others.
Total No. of episodes: 10
Total binge time: 4 hours and 19 minutes
“Disclaimer” (2 Emmy Nominations): Streaming on Apple TV+
In “Disclaimer,” an acclaimed documentary filmmaker, played by Cate Blanchett, who has dedicated her career to uncovering truths is given a novel with a plot that sounds like a secret she’s been hiding for years. The series was written and directed by Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón. It also stars Kevin Kline, Sacha Baron Cohen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Lesley Manville and Louis Partridge.
Total No. of episodes: 7
Total binge time: 5 hours and 51 minutes
“The Diplomat” (2 Emmy Nominations): Streaming on Netflix
Keri Russell stars as Kate, a career diplomat assigned to be the U.S. ambassador to England. She wants to focus on foreign relations and policy but keeps getting pulled to do things like attend parties and give interviews to fashion magazines. Kate’s also got a rocky marriage to Hal (Rufus Sewell) who has also served as a diplomat and can’t seem to stay out of her way.
Total No. of seasons: 2
Total No. of season 2 episodes: 6
Total season 2 binge time: 4 hours and 53 minutes
Total series binge time: 11 hours and 36 minutes
“Poker Face” (2 Emmy Nominations): Streaming on Peacock
Natasha Lyonne stars as a woman with an uncanny ability to detect lies who each episode finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery. The show features recognizable guest stars like Adrien Brody, Cynthia Erivo, Nick Nolte, Tim Meadows, Katie Holmes, and John Mulaney. Its creator Rian Johnson is the writer and director of “Knives Out” and “Glass Onion.” He says the show is not a whodunit but a howdunit and it’s format is based on the case of the week shows he watched as a kid.
Total No. of episodes 22
Total No. of season 2 episodes: 12
Total season 2 binge time: 9 hours and 15 minutes
Total binge time: 18 hours and 20 minutes
“Somebody Somewhere” (2 Emmy Nomination): Streaming on Max
Bridget Everett and Jeff Hiller star in this comedy. Everett plays Sam, a single middle-aged woman living in Manhattan, Kansas, who when we first meet her, is grieving the death of her sister and distant from those around her. It’s like someone turns the lights on in her world when she befriends Joel (Jeff Hiller), a religious, gay man with a big heart who laughs at all of Sam’s jokes and loves her for who she is. Joel invites Sam to sing with his gay choir and she finds the acceptance and community she was looking for.
Total No. of episodes: 21
Total No. of season 3 episodes: 7
Total season 3 binge time: 3 hours and 22 minutes
Total binge time: 9 hours and 50 minutes
“Matlock” (1 Emmy Nomination): Streaming on Paramount+
Kathy Bates stars as Madeline Kingston, a wealthy lawyer who comes out of retirement under the alias Mattie Matlock. Mattie claims her reason for returning to work is that she needs money but, in reality, she’s out for revenge against the law firm.
Total No. of episodes: 19
Total binge time: 13 hours and 9 minutes
“Dope Thief” (1 Emmy Nomination): Streaming on Apple TV+
In “Dope Thief,” Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura play longtime best friends who pose as DEA agents, conduct fake drug raids and steal stuff. It’s a great scam until they rob the wrong people.
Total No. of episodes: 8
Total binge time: 6 hours and 26 minutes
“The Four Seasons” (1 Emmy Nom
ination): Streaming on Netflix
A group of three middle-aged couples who’ve been best friends for years meet four times a year for a vacation. When one of the couples gets a divorce, their dynamic is thrown off. The series, co-created by Tina Fey, is based on a 1981 film written and directed by Alan Alda and stars Fey, Steve Carell, Colman Domingo and Will Forte.
Total No. of episodes: 8
Total binge time: 4 hours and 13 minutes
“The Handmaid’s Tale” (1 Emmy Nomination): Streaming on Hulu
“The Handmaid’s Tale” is based on Margaret Atwood’s novel in which the U.S. government has been overthrown by a patriarchal dictatorship called The Republic of Gilead. In Gilead, there’s a fertility crisis and women who can conceive are relegated as handmaids, who are baby makers for affluent families. Elisabeth Moss stars as June, a handmaid determined to resist this regime and reunite with her family. A sequel based adapted from Atwood’s “The Testaments” is in the works.
Total No. of episodes: 66
Total No. of season 6 episodes: 10
Total binge time for season 6: 7 hours and 49 minutes
Total binge time: 56 hours and 21 minutes
