From Fleabag to Succession to When They See Us, it has been an outstanding year for television, and there’s a lot to celebrate (and a lot not to celebrate, too) about 2019’s Emmy nominee lineup. But sci-fi fans were confused to find out that Stranger Things had been snubbed this year — especially since the show’s first two seasons earned a total of 10 Primetime Emmy nominations.
Stranger Things 3, which premiered July 4, broke the internet and made Netflix history. The streaming platform announced that a record 26.4 million users watched the season the weekend of its release, and 824,000 binged all eight episodes on the day of its debut. So, why didn’t it make the cut for any nominations? All because of timing.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
According to the official Emmys rules, there’s an annual year-long eligibility period, and in 2019, nominated shows had to air between June 1, 2018 and May 31, 2019. Stranger Things missed the deadline by just over a month — but if it doesn’t earn any noms in 2020, we’ll definitely have some words to exchange with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, and the Duffer brothers were all nominated for Primetime Emmys two years in a row for their roles in Stranger Things. The show has also won awards for outstanding casting, theme music, and sound editing.
As for the future of the fan favorite show, Netflix hasn’t confirmed Stranger Things 4 yet, but producer Shawn Levy pretty much has, and the cast seems confident they will be returning to Hawkins, IN. Based off of the show’s typical hiatus between seasons, we might be able to expect a fall 2020 season 4.
The 71st Primetime Emmys will air September 22.