As I mentioned in the Comedy portion of my Emmy preview, in years past, I have considered animated sitcoms alongside their live-action counterparts, but this year I decided to consider them separately, because there really are enough fundamental differences between the two mediums. But the Emmy categorization isn’t really conducive to honoring animated shows in the same way that live-action shows are.
The nominees in Outstanding Animated Program are for single episodes, as opposed to the series as a whole. But for the purposes of this wishlist, I am imagining what nominees would be deserving if the category were Outstanding Animated Series instead of Program:
Among the animated series I watched regularly in 2013-14, Rick and Morty set a hefty standard for itself in Season 1; Bob’s Burgers continued to be one of the most satisfyingly optimistic shows on television; Archer was mostly successful with its season-long Archer: Vice storyline; American Dad! remained a shining beacon of absurd experimentalism; and Futurama delighted hearts and minds with its second final season.
Jeff Malone is a voracious entertainment consumer and entertainment creator. He currently resides in New York City, where he is working on a Master’s in Media Studies at The New School. In addition to his pieces on TMRzoo.com, you can check out his blog (jmunney.wordpress.com), where he provides regular coverage of Community and Saturday Night Live, as well as other television, film, music, and the rest of pop culture.
