Yahoo News Emmys: Apple TV+’s ‘Schmigadoon!’ Moves Categories from Comedy Series to Scripted Variety Series (Exclusive)
Schmigadoon!, the acclaimed Apple TV+ musical-comedy program that debuted in 2021 and returned in 2023, is being repositioned in the Emmys race, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Indeed, the streamer has submitted the show not in the comedy series race in which it competed its first go-around, but instead in the scripted variety series category that was created last December 20 to recognize variety programs of at least six episodes that are “primarily scripted, or loosely- scripted improv” and consist of “discrete scenes, satire, musical numbers, monologues, comedy stand-ups, sketches, etc.”
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This means that Schmigadoon! — the six-episode second season of which has clocked in at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, eight points higher than its first season — will no longer be pitted against the likes of Ted Lasso, the Emmy juggernaut from the same streamer, to say nothing of FX’s The Bear, ABC’s Abbott Elementary, Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, HBO/Max’s Barry or Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Instead, it will now be up against the likes of HBO/Max’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and A Black Lady Sketch Show, NBC’s Saturday Night Live (that show’s creator and EP Lorne Michaels is also an EP of Schmigadoon!) and Paramount+’s revival of Inside Amy Schumer.
While both of the aforementioned categories are jam-packed with formidable contenders, this Emmys observer believes that Schmigadoon’s prospects of landing a series nom are considerably stronger today than they were yesterday.
The show’s first season was nominated for four Emmys — original music and lyrics; production design for a narrative program (half-hour); music composition for a series (original dramatic score); and choreography for scripted programming — taking home one statuette, for original music and lyrics.
Season two will remain eligible for two of those four awards — original music and lyrics (Jane Krakowski’s performance of “Bells and Whistles” was a total showstopper and seems likely to be nominated and perhaps win) and music composition for a series (original dramatic score). As for the other two? The show’s choreography and production design work will now be eligible in different categories, namely choreography for variety programming and production design for a variety or reality series.
Schmigadoon!’s reclassification will not impact its performers — performers from scripted variety series, such as Schmigadoon!’s leads, Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong, compete alongside performers who are entered for comedy series. (This means that Krakowski could land a sixth Emmy nom in the same category in which she landed her previous five, four for 30 Rock and one for Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: supporting actress in a comedy series.)
But the show’s reclassification will impact where its directing and writing is considered, as there are specific categories in existence that recognize directing and writing for variety series.
All Emmy submissions are due by May 9.
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