As we head into Emmy week and celebrate this season’s bounty of top-notch televised entertainment, can we put to bed the fallacy that Hollywood has somehow run out of ideas?
Even a cursory glance at the comedy, drama and limited/anthology series races proves that it’s just not true. The lion’s share of every category features nominees that are based on original ideas — not existing intellectual property.
In drama, the sensation that is HBO Max’s “The Pitt” carries plenty of DNA from TV’s best medical series — but it is an original idea created by R. Scott Gemmill, complete with unique beats and modern takes on the disastrous U.S. healthcare system.
Among the other drama nominees, Hulu’s “Paradise” is a post-apocalyptic storyline concocted by Dan Fogelman; Jonathan Tropper came up with the concept for his Apple TV series “Your Friends and Neighbors” (he’s on a roll, having also created Apple’s “Lucky”); Debora Cahn was the mind behind the idea for Netflix’s “The Diplomat”; only Vince Gilligan could conceive something so unique as Apple TV’s “Pluribus”; and Julian Fellowes, who knows a thing or two about historic eras thanks to projects like “Downton Abbey,” came up with HBO Max’s “The Gilded Age.”
That leaves just two drama series nominees mined from IP: Apple TV’s “Slow Horses” is based on the “Slough House” novels written by Mick Herron and adapted for TV by Will Smith. (No, not that Will Smith.) And HBO Max’s “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” comes from George R.R. Martin’s “Tales of Dunk and Egg” novellas, part of his larger “Game of Thrones” universe.
Comedy also boasts plenty of originals, starting with newbie “Widow’s Bay,” Apple’s horror comedy that comes from writer Katie Dippold and has been the poster child this season of how original ideas can be hugely rewarded. Its chief competitor for the top prize, HBO Max’s “Hacks,” winds down its five-season run as the tremendously successful brainchild of Jen Statsky, Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello.
Also in the mix: Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel and Brett Goldstein came up with Apple TV’s “Shrinking,” while Netflix’s “Nobody Wants This” was not only created by Erin Foster but is based on her life. Steve Martin and John Hoffman originated Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building,” Quinta Brunson was inspired by her teacher mother in creating ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” and Christopher Storer is behind “The Bear.”
Just one Emmy-nominated comedy comes from IP: Apple TV’s “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” which David E. Kelley adapted from the 2024 novel by Rufi Thorpe.
And that brings us to limited/anthology, which is typically the place where adaptations thrive. But not this year. Both of the frontrunners, Netflix’s “Beef” (created by Lee Sung Jin) and HBO Max’s “DTF St. Louis” (from Steven Conrad), are original. As is Netflix’s “The Beast in Me,” created by Gabe Rotter.
Peacock’s “All Her Fault” was adapted from the 2021 novel by Andrea Mara, so score one for IP. I’m not sure where to put FX’s “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette,” since I suppose it’s based on real-life IP and inspired by a biography, so perhaps we’ll call that one a wash.
As we wrap up Emmy season, I wanted to end on a positive note. We’re awash in A.I. slop, social media doom scrolling, debate over the future of our industry and so much negativity coming out of the real world. So let’s find some comfort in how we’re still living in an amazing era of creativity in TV.
That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with IP. As a matter of fact, we’re seeing some extremely creative ways to reimagine existing franchises — “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe,” “Lanterns” and the new “A Different World” all have fresh takes on familiar stories.
But for this Emmy season, no matter who takes the Emmy on Sept. 14 — “The Pitt” or “Pluribus”? (Probably “The Pitt.”) “Hacks” or “Widow’s Bay”? (My heart says “Hacks”; my gut says “Widow’s Bay”) “Beef” or “DTF St. Louis”? (Oof, my answer changes hourly) — originality wins.