Yahoo News TV’s Best Ensembles: Who Would We Nominate for a Best Cast Emmy?
Emmy voters are currently making some tough decisions about the past year in TV… and we want to give them one more tough decision to make.
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The Emmys have been celebrating TV’s best actors and actresses for decades now with individual acting categories, but sometimes, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Some of our favorite TV shows have stellar casts that run eight or 10 deep with quality performances, and some of these shows even get left out in the cold when Emmy nominations roll around, simply because they’re so uniformly rich in talent that none of the actors tower above the rest.
We’re ready to help put an end to this injustice, though, so with Emmy nomination voting underway, we here at TVLine are proposing a Best Cast Emmy, similar to the Screen Actors Guild awards for best performance by an ensemble, to honor a TV show’s full cast — the big-name stars along with the supporting gems who often don’t get the kudos they deserve. To kick things off, we’re looking back at the past 12 months in TV (specifically, all the shows eligible for this September’s Emmys) and putting up 12 nominees for the proposed Best Cast Emmy, which draws from all scripted series: comedy, drama and limited series.
Read on to see which casts we’d nominate and why, and be sure to hit the comments to cast (ha!) a vote for your favorite TV ensemble.
Abbott Elementary (ABC)
The cast of ABC’s schoolhouse comedy is like an honor roll from top to bottom, starting with Emmy winners Quinta Brunson and Sheryl Lee Ralph. But the straight A’s don’t stop there: Tyler James Williams brings a well-honed deadpan to Gregory, Chris Perfetti deserves more accolades as the always eager Jacob and Janelle James might be the funniest person on TV right now as wild-card principal Ava. Add in guest stars like Zack Fox as Janine’s hilariously obnoxious ex Tariq, and Abbott has stacked up quite the impressive transcript. — Dave Nemetz
The Bear (Hulu)
Hulu’s restaurant dramedy has already collected plenty of Emmy gold, including acting wins for stars Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. But like a superior meal, The Bear is made up of many different ingredients working together in harmony. (Or in inspired chaos, as is often the case on this show.) From Lionel Boyce as studious pastry chef Marcus to Liza Colón-Zayas as tough but tender line cook Tina to Matty Matheson as goofy pal Neil Fak — not to mention stunning guest turns like Jamie Lee Curtis as Carmy’s unhinged mom — The Bear’s cast is chock full of memorable performances that each add a unique flavor to the mix. — D.N.
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
We could “yada yada yada” our way through praise for Curb’s main stars, from the perennially prickly Larry David to the outrageously funny J.B. Smoove to the gloriously obscene Susie Essman. But Curb also welcomed a wide array of fun guest stars in its final season, highlighted by Vince Vaughn stealing scenes left and right as motormouthed pal Freddy Funkhouser. Plus, sitcom great Jerry Seinfeld came back to lend his old pal a hand in the finale, and the late Richard Lewis put an emphatic exclamation mark on his decades-long role as Larry’s reluctant confidant. — D.N.
Evil (Paramount+)
Evil is a show about weirdos, and the supernatural series’ central trio — Mike Colter as Catholic priest David, Katja Herbers as agnostic psychologist Kristen and Aasif Mandvi as pragmatic scientist Ben — is very good at making us believe these particular weirdos are co-workers who really love each other. Andrea Martin lends gravitas as no-nonsense nun Sister Andrea. Michael Emerson, as diabolical lackey Leland, swings entertainingly between spine-chilling and hilarious. And as Kristen’s vociferous kids, Brooklyn Shuck, Skylar Gray, Maddy Crocco and Dalya Knapp lend a freewheeling feel to the whole shebang. The combined effect is an ensemble that’s sinfully good. — Kimberly Roots
The Fall of the House of Usher (Netflix)
This one’s a little bit of a ringer, given how frequently many of the actors in Mike Flanagan’s troupe have worked together (with great success) in his past projects. Nevertheless, there’s no denying that the horror auteur’s most recent Netflix series had a deep bench that played quite nicely together. Bruce Greenwood, as a pharma magnate facing his past sins, anchored a cast featuring the executive producer’s stalwarts like Rahul Kohli, Kate Siegel, Henry Thomas and Carla Gugino as well as stellar new additions like Mary McDonnell and Mark Hamill. The performances, infused with a refreshing sense of play, were moving, funny and memorable — here’s hoping Flanagan’s players continue together, in one form or another, because they’re really, really good as a team. — K.R.
Fargo (FX)
FX’s crime anthology has given us some fantastic casts over the years, but Season 5 might have been its best yet, led by Juno Temple as Minnesota mom Dot Lyon and Jon Hamm as swaggering sheriff Roy Tillman. Jennifer Jason Leigh was a hoot as icy billionaire Lorraine, Lamorne Morris was a beacon of virtue as cop Witt Farr and Sam Spruell was a fascinating enigma as otherworldly hit man Ole Munch. We almost hate that Fargo is an anthology, because that means we won’t get to spend any more time out in the cold with this sparkling ensemble. — D.N.
Ghosts (CBS)
From the livings to the spirits, the hit CBS comedy has one of TV’s most delightful ensembles. The cast’s chemistry shines through in their interplay, which is even more impressive when you consider that Utkarsh Ambudkar’s human character, Jay, usually can’t interact with the ghostly dwellers. On top of its deep bench of talented series regulars — which includes but is not limited to TVLine Dream Emmy nominee Rebecca Wisocky, Richie Moriarty and Brandon Scott Jones — the show also boasts a memorable troupe of recurring players such as the basement ghosts (led by the hilarious Betsy Sodaro) and fun guest stars like Lamorne Morris as Alberta’s love interest. — Vlada Gelman
The Gilded Age (HBO)
Excess is the name of the game on The Gilded Age, from its breathtaking sets to its decadent costuming, but nothing about HBO’s period drama is more awe-inspiring than its sprawling ensemble cast: an ever-expanding collection of seasoned TV and film veterans, New York theater favorites and a few incredibly promising newcomers. Powerhouse performances from greats like Christine Baranski and Carrie Coon elevate petty societal squabbles into poetic acts of war. Frankly, an actress would be lucky to get a job as one of their housekeepers without at least a Tony Award nomination (or two) under her belt. — Andy Swift
Reservation Dogs (Hulu)
Hulu’s wonderfully low-key comedy about a close-knit group of Native teens in Oklahoma has so many amazing acting gems tucked inside, we don’t have time to properly celebrate them all. The core four stars are a rock-solid foundation, with Devery Jacobs doing dazzling work as conflicted teen Elora. But Reservation Dogs is all about community, and the cast is filled with eccentric locals like Zahn McClarnon as kindly cop Officer Big and Gary Farmer as the perpetually stoned Uncle Brownie. Throw in Oscar-nominated guest stars like Ethan Hawke as Elora’s absentee dad and Lily Gladstone as Willie Jack’s convict aunt Hokti, and we have an ensemble that’s positively teeming with talent. — D.N.
Shōgun (FX)
We were blown away by the epic spectacle and scale of FX’s samurai drama, but we were even more blown away by the cast, stacked with talented Japanese actors getting a much-deserved spotlight. Anna Sawai was stunning as translator Mariko, and Hiroyuki Sanada had incredible gravitas as Lord Toranaga, but Shōgun excelled in the smaller supporting roles as well, especially Tadanobu Asano as scruffy rogue Yabushige and Moeka Hoshi as mournful handmaiden Fuji. Their performances, and a dozen others, were essential to bringing feudal Japan to vivid life. — D.N.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+)
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds really outdid itself with Season 2, and great performances from the show’s marvelous ensemble were a huge part of that. Spock’s accidental human transformation proved that Ethan Peck is as funny as he is charming, while Rebecca Romijn and Babs Olusanmokun stole the air from our lungs in gut-wrenching scenes that illuminated Number One and Dr. Mbenga’s inner struggles. And don’t get us started on Celia Rose Gooding’s powerhouse vocals as Uhura in that stellar musical episode. This gifted crew showed up and showed out, and we’d sooner drink an Orion Hurricane before an important meeting than stop singing their well-deserved praises. — Keisha Hatchett
What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
The weirdo vampires on FX’s undead comedy are so delightful, it’s impossible to pick a favorite. Kayvan Novak is blissfully thickheaded as Nandor, and Matt Berry and Natasia Demetriou are deliciously lascivious as Laszlo and Nadja. Harvey Guillén brings the perfect blend of humor and pathos as loyal familiar Guillermo, and Mark Proksch is a laugh riot as lethally dull energy vampire Colin Robinson. Shadows is also a fertile playground for excellent guest stars like Kristen Schaal as The Guide, Doug Jones as regal vamp Baron Afanas and Vanessa Bayer as weepy emotional vampire Evie. Whatever wild comedic misadventures come their way, they’re all eager to sink their teeth into them. — D.N.
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