'Shōgun' scores 25 Emmy nominations; 'The Bear' sets comedy series record with 23

Usually late to the party — although admittedly these last couple of years in the TV industry haven't been much of a party — the Emmys finally acknowledged one of TV's best series Wednesday: FX's "Reservation Dogs."

The sort-of comedy from FX — a coming-of-age story about three teens on an Indian reservation in Oklahoma coming to terms with a friend's suicide (and which ended after season 3) — received nominations for best comedy and best actor (D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai).

In other surprises of the 76th Primetime Emmy Award nominations — announced Wednesday morning — Idris Elba and Matt Bomer got nods, too.

The major snub: "Masters of the Air," Apple TV +'s stirring tribute to the 100th Bombing Group during World War II. 

Elba, a four-time nominee (all for "Luther") was recognized for "Hijack," his otherwise largely overlooked thriller for Apple TV+. Bomer — nominated just once before for 2014's "A Normal Heart" — scored for "Fellow Travellers," the McCarthy-era Showtime drama about a pair of gay lovers. Jonathan Bailey, his co-star who received an Emmy nod in the supporting category for a limited series, said in a statement: "[F]or Matt and I to be nominated together as gay actors feels like the sort of progress that would have made the world an easier place to grow up in."

After these, all was expected, most notably a huge Emmy turnout for both "The Bear" (23 nominations) and FX's adaptation of James Clavell's 1975 novel, "Shōgun," with 25 nominations. In fact, "The Bear" — nominated for season 2, which began streaming June 2023 — surpassed the 2009 season of "30 Rock" for most-ever nominations for a TV comedy in a single year.

Winners will be announced Sept. 15.

Here are the major categories with a quick analysis:

DRAMA

"The Crown" (Netflix)
"Fallout" (Prime Video)
"The Gilded Age" (HBO)
"The Morning Show" (Apple TV+)
"Mr. & Mrs. Smith" (Prime Video)
"Shōgun" (FX)
"Slow Horses" (Apple TV+)
"3 Body Problem" (Netflix)

"The Gilded Age" — filmed around Long Island, including Old Westbury Gardens — had a superior second season, and might actually be the show to beat if "Shōgun" wasn't on this list. But it is, and "Shōgun" is indeed favored.

DRAMA/ACTOR

Idris Elba, "Hijack" (Apple TV+)
Donald Glover, "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" (Prime Video)
Walton Goggins, "Fallout" (Prime Video)
Gary Oldman, "Slow Horses" (Apple TV+)
Hiroyuki Sanada, "Shōgun" (FX)
Dominic West, "The Crown" (Prime Video)

Because Sanada was so good as Lord Toranaga — one of the five regents struggling for control of 17th century Japan — he's the obvious favorite. But because he was already a big movie star (from "The Last Samurai" to "John Wick: Chapter 4") that almost certainly makes him a lock to win. 

DRAMA/ACTRESS

Jennifer Aniston, "The Morning Show" (Apple TV+)
Carrie Coon, "The Gilded Age" (HBO/Max)
Maya Erskine, "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" (Prime Video)
Anna Sawai, "Shōgun (FX)
Imelda Staunton, "The Crown" (Netflix)
Reese Witherspoon, "The Morning Show" (Apple TV+)

New Zealand-born Sawai appears in another fine series that the Emmys have overlooked ("Pachinko") which may be helpful, but her role as Toda Mariko, the translator with conflicting loyalties to different cultures, should be way more than enough.

COMEDY

"Abbott Elementary" (ABC)
"The Bear" (FX)
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO/Max)
"Hacks" (HBO/Max)
"Only Murders in the Building" (Hulu)
"Palm Royale" (Apple TV+)
"Reservation Dogs" (FX)
"What We Do in the Shadows" (FX)

"The Bear," last year's winner, already feels like an easy repeat. It's a bitter disappointment to fans of "Hacks" (which recently wrapped its third and best season), or "Curb," or even "OMITB," which pivoted to the dark side last season in that vividly memorable homage to Broadway. "Reservation Dogs" would be the huge surprise winner here while "Abbott" — also nominated in '22 and '23 — would be the pleasant surprise. But don't expect any surprises. Remember, this is the Emmys.

COMEDY/ACTOR

Matt Berry, "What We Do in the Shadows" (FX)
Larry David, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO/Max)
Steve Martin, "Only Murders in the Building" (Hulu)
Martin Short, "Only Murders in the Building" (Hulu)
Jeremy Allen White, "The Bear" (FX)
D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, "Reservation Dogs" (FX)

White had a more self-assured performance in the second season than in the first (he also won for that), so the reasonable question is ,"Why not again?" At least David, who wrapped his classic this year, seemed philosophical about the matter in his statement to the press: “This is a sad day for actors everywhere. See? Anyone can do it!”

ACTRESS/COMEDY

Quinta Brunson, "Abbott Elementary" (ABC)
Ayo Edebiri, "The Bear" (FX)
Selena Gomez, "Only Murders in the Building" (Hulu)
Maya Rudolph, "Loot" (Apple TV+)
Jean Smart, "Hacks" (HBO/Max)
Kristen Wiig, "Palm Royale" (Apple TV+)

Perhaps the only surprise here is that two former "Saturday Night Live" cast members were nominated, but the battle still feels like the one between two former winners — Brunson (2023) and Smart ('21 and '22). Will Edebiri, who won in last year's supporting category, be the spoiler?

LIMITED/ANTHOLOGY

"Baby Reindeer" (Netflix)
"Fargo" (FX)
"Lessons in Chemistry" (Apple TV+)
"Ripley" (Netflix)
"True Detective: Night Country" (HBO/Max)

The limited series category is this year's most competitive, with all sorts of intriguing side stories and questions. A revived "True Detective" is back in the hunt, and so is "Fargo" which last got nominated way back in 2017. "Lessons" is the feel-good story here, while "Ripley" and "Baby Reindeer" — huge hits for Netflix — are tied as the feel-bad ones. In terms of sheer quality and beauty, "Ripley" is the best of this bunch, but expect "Lessons" — based on the 2022 Bonnie Garmus novel about the '60s-era feminist cooking show — to win.

LIMITED/ANTHOLOGY ACTOR 

Matt Bomer, "Fellow Travelers" (Showtime)
Richard Gadd, "Baby Reindeer" (Netflix)
Jon Hamm, "Fargo" (FX)
Tom Hollander, "Feud: Capote vs. the Swans" (FX)
Andrew Scott, "Ripley" (Netflix)

Absolutely any of these actors could win. Bomer and Hollander were superb, and Scott reminded the world (once again) why he's the most exciting actor working today. Gadd came out of nowhere to stun the world, while Hamm stunned "Fargo" fans. Winner? Probably Bomer, by a hair.

LIMITED/ANTHOLOGY ACTRESS

Jodie Foster, "True Detective: Night Country" (HBO/Max)
Brie Larson, "Lessons in Chemistry" (Apple TV+)
Juno Temple, "Fargo" (FX)
Sofía Vergara, "Griselda" (Netflix)
Naomi Watts, "Feud: Capote vs. the Swans" (FX)

In her statement, Larson called herself "the happiest woman in the world" and she'll probably be even happier this September. But the competition is certainly respectable, wouldn't you agree? This one's a true tossup.