Sometimes, you watch a show like The Wire and later discover that despite being almost universally acclaimed and often considered one of the best–if not the best–shows of all time, it never won an Emmy of any kind. How in the world does that happen? The classic, available to stream on HBO Max, is hardly alone with the dubious distinction of being a great show with no Emmys. This is a list dedicated to shows just like The Wire.
It's worth noting that we're talking about Primetime Emmys here, not Creative Arts Emmys. Some of these shows have won the latter.
Parks And Recreation
For seven seasons, Parks and Recreation made fans laugh on NBC. With an all-star cast that included Amy Poehler, Chris Pratt, Aubry Plaza, Nick Offerman, Aziz Ansari, and Rob Lowe, the show was one of the top-rated sitcoms of its era. Still, it never managed to win an Emmy, somehow, despite eight nominations.
Chappelle’s Show
Although it only ran on Comedy Central for three seasons, Chappelle’s Show took the world by storm, and you could argue it changed sketch shows forever. There are still countless memes based on the jokes on the show, and people still quote it all the time. It was nominated for two Emmys, but didn't win either.
Better Call Saul
There may not be a show on the list of Emmy snubs that gets its fans fired up about that fact more than fans of Better Call Saul. In six seasons, the critically acclaimed show, which was beloved by fans, was nominated for 30 Emmys, including multiple times for Outstanding Drama, but never won one. It's one of the most egregious examples of a true prestige show that didn't run on HBO on this list.
Star Trek
It's well known that Star Trek wasn't the most popular show when it first aired in the mid-'60s. Still, it's kind of crazy that the groundbreaking show was nominated for 13 Emmys during its brief three-season run, but never won one. Getting shut out for an Emmy certainly hasn't dampened the show's cultural influence or its popularity.
Yellowstone
One of the more recent shows on this list, Yellowstone, wrapped up its very successful run in late 2024 without winning an Emmy. The show has always been somewhat politically divisive, but you can't deny that it's a really great show. During its five-season run, the Kevin Costner-led show was never even nominated for a Primetime Emmy. Costner did win a Golden Globe, though.
Good Times
One of the most groundbreaking sitcoms of all time, Good Times, was probably a little too radical for the Emmys. The show wasn't just funny, it was also heartwarming and poignant. IT still couldn't win an Emmy, and that's not "dy-no-mite!"
Blue Bloods
Tom Selleck is an Emmy winner. He won for Best Lead in a Drama in 1984 for his legendary character Thomas Magnum in Magnum P.I. He was never even nominated for his equally legendary role as Frank Reagan in Blue Bloods. In fact, Blue Bloods never won an Emmy of any kind despite 14 great seasons and legions of fans, who are still upset the show was canceled.
Grace And Frankie
Legends Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin starred in Grace and Frankie for seven wonderful seasons that you can watch with a Netflix subscription. Netflix is no stranger to winning Emmys, but this excellent never won one. Both Fonda and Tomlin were nominated multiple times, coming away empty each time. That's okay, they are still two of the greatest of all time.
Enlightened
A decade before Mike White kept the nation in suspense with his White Lotus series on HBO, he created Enlightened, starring Laura Dern. It's a completely unappreciated show that deserved more Emmy love than it ever got.
Veronica Mars
Kristen Bell became a hero to millions when she starred as the detective Veronica Mars in the show of the same name. It's a show that is famous for its die-hard fan support, but that support didn't translate to Emmy Awards, sadly.
My So-Called Life
Of all the shows on this list, My So-Called Life is the easiest to understand why it didn't win an Emmy. Despite being a show that helped launch the careers of stars Claire Danes and Jared Leto, the show only lasted 19 episodes and only really found its fanbase after the show was canceled.
Empire
Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson led an all-star cast in the music industry drama Empire, which despite critical acclaim and running for six seasons, the show was never bestowed with an Emmy. Howard and Henson alone should have more multiple awards, if you ask fans. Henson was nominated twice, at least, but that doesn't make up for not winning any.
The Wire
There is no small contingent of people who will argue that not only was The Wire the best show on TV when it first ran in the early '00s, but it's the best television show of all time. For five seasons, the show suffered from poor ratings, but in the years since, it's found its fanbase and more. In fact, despite all the praise it receives today, it was only ever nominated twice. Clay Davis might have something to say about that.
The Good Place
Kristen Bell and Ted Danson starred in The Good Place. It's a show that struggled to find an audience for reasons that are hard to pinpoint. It's a really funny show, and it was unique in its premise and its humor. That might be why it never managed to win an Emmy, despite certainly being deserving of some.
Narcos
Netflix's Narcos is a fantastic example of a truly great peak-era TV show that somehow got snubbed by the Emmys. There was a lot of competition, sure, but Narcos was a step above many of those shows. Wagner Moura's performance as Pablo Escobar should've won every award there was, and Pedro Pascal was fantastic as well. Maybe the content scared the voters off, or that the show was bilingual, but no matter what, it should have won something.
The Leftovers
HBO dominated prestige TV in the early 2000s with shows like The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Six Feet Under, and The Leftovers. Unlike the previous two, the latter never won an Emmy. It seemed like it would be the next show in line to collect all the Emmys like the other shows on the network, but alas, it wasn't to be, and they were left behind.
The Brady Bunch
Okay, okay, this one is a bit of a stretch to wonder why it never won an Emmy, but come on, who doesn't love The Brady Bunch? Multiple generations have grown up watching the show now, and there isn't a person in America who isn't aware of this classic family sitcom. It's a perfect example of critics and Emmy voters disagreeing with viewers.
The Comeback
Of all the shows that former cast members of Friends have starred in over the years, maybe the most underappreciated is The Comeback starring Lisa Kudrow. It wasn't an immediate hit when it hit HBO in 2005 for 13 episodes, but it proved enduring, and it returned for a second season in 2014. Don't call it a comeback...
Newhart
The '80s classic Newhart, starring Bob Newhart, features one of the greatest finales in television history. It was also nominated for an astounding 25 Emmys. It never won, though. It's almost too ridiculous to believe that a show this good and with this many nominations never won one. Adding insult to injury, Bob Newhart's first hit sitcom, The Bob Newhart Show, never won one, either.
Parenthood
NBC's Parenthood, which was very loosely based on the 1989 movie starring Steve Martin, was a bit of a surprise hit on the Peacock Network. The show, like the movie, had just the right combination of laughs and tear-jerking moments, and it did so successfully for six seasons. Despite having all the ingredients of a multiple Emmy-winning show, it was completely shut out. In fact, it was only nominated for one, and that was a guest star (Josh Ritter).
NCIS
For decades, NCIS ruled the ratings. Despite more than 20 seasons on the air, the show has never won an Emmy. It's one of the most popular shows ever, yet it's only ever been nominated for three Emmys, total. Wild.
Hannibal
Horror shows, like horror movies, often have a difficult time show business' biggest awards, and Hannibal is no exception. Despite being a fantastic (and really scary) show, it never won an Emmy.
Oz
One of the earliest examples of prestige TV is Oz. The show is one of the hardest-hitting, raw shows in TV history, with an amazing cast. It was probably a little ahead of its time, however, as it really never got the accolades it deserved when it was on the air. That includes never winning an Emmy.
Leave It To Beaver
We had to include this one. Leave It To Beaver is a show that basically invented and defined the family sitcom, and yet it never got the appreciation it deserved from the Emmys. The awards were still pretty new when the show was on the air, but it was incredibly popular, yet ignored by the Emmys.
Supernatural
Few shows in television history have a fan base as dedicated as Supernatural. For 15 seasons, the show kept them coming back for more, through casting changes, and even a network change, the fans kept showing their love. The Emmys never did, sadly.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
The quirkiness and enduring humor of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt would seemingly be enough to win at least one Emmy. Ellie Kemper's performance as Schmidt herself was also certainly good enough to win one. Alas, over three seasons and a remarkable twenty nominations, it won none.
New Girl
146 episodes. Seven seasons. Zero Emmys. Such is the fate of New Girl. Zooey Deschanel played the titular new girl, and even though she was widely praised for her comedic performance, she didn't win an Emmy, nor did the show. It was nominated five times, including Deschanel once for Lead Actress, but walked away empty-handed.
Mindhunter
It's a crying shame that Mindhunter only ran for two seasons. It's a prime example of Netflix canceled without a proper ending. While fans are still holding hope that the show could be revived one day, for now, we'll have to live with just the two excellent seasons. Despite how good those seasons are, they didn't win any Emmys.
Sons Of Anarchy
While many might say that Sons of Anarchy never deserved to win an Emmy, that's not fair. The show had some tremendous moments, like Opie's death, and frankly, the finale. It's one show that actually ended really well. For 92 episodes over seven seasons, we laughed, cried, and bled with SAMCRO, but the show never grabbed voters, it seems. It did receive a few Creative Arts Emmy nominations, but it was never nominated for a Primetime Emmy.
Bates Motel
As horror shows go, Bates Motel is among the best ever. For five seasons, the show scared the pants off fans, but it seems to have never scared the Emmy voters into getting an award. Vera Farmiga was nominated a couple of times, but alas, walked away without a win.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
It's hard to fathom just how popular and enduring It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is. It first aired way back in 2015. Now, the stars own football teams in England. It's just crazy, but not as crazy as how the gang has never won even one Emmy.
Gilmore Girls
One of the most enduringly popular shows on this list, Gilmore Girls is still as popular as ever with its fans, despite being off the air for more than 15 years. Fans still keep on the lookout for shows with the Gilmore Girls cast members, but none of those stars won an Emmy for the show. In fact, the show was completely shut out, just like the rest of the shows on this list.
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