Potential Emmy winners for writing and direction: a rankings analysis by our awards expert
In the world of television, a standout episode is often marked by its unique storytelling and innovative direction. This year, one such episode has been nominated for an Emmy in the category of Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series – "The Studio's Oner," directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.
This episode, a continuous shot masterpiece, has been hailed as the most prominent Emmy-nominated "oner" of 2023. The single-take approach, a rare technique in television, adds a layer of tension and immersion that sets it apart from other episodes.
While other directing nominations for drama and limited series are available, such as Janus Metz for "Andor" and Jessica Lee Gagné for "Severance," "The Oner" is the only one specifically highlighted as an oner in the provided data.
In the writing category, Quita Brunson for Abbott Elementary ("Back To School") and Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky for Hacks ("A Slippery Slope") have been nominated, but there is no direct, explicit mention of specific writing nominations for episodes identified as oners in 2023.
Aside from "The Studio's Oner," other notable episodes this year include "The Pitt's" "2 p.m.," which left viewers feeling extremely emotional, and "The White Lotus's" "Full-Moon Party," which has left viewers ambivalent about the season.
In the realm of power rankings, James Burrows' work on "Mid-Century Modern" ranks 5th in comedy series directing, followed by Ayo Edebiri's work on "The Bear," Nathan Fielder's work on "The Rehearsal," and Lucia Aniello's work on "Hacks." Taking the top spot is Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg for "The Studio."
In the limited/TV movie directing category, Nicole Kassell's work on "Sirens" ranks 6th, Lesli Linka Glatter's work on "Zero Day" ranks 5th, and Shannon Murphy's work on "Dying for Sex" ranks 4th. No other rankings were provided for this category.
In the "The Pitt," the episode "7 a.m." introduced and established a large number of characters in a tight 53 minutes, while "Cent'Anni" is considered the series' best episode, with Cristin Milioti likely to win the Emmy for her performance in it.
As the Emmys approach, the writing and directing categories could provide A-list acceptance speeches from Ben Stiller and Seth Rogen, who have both been nominated. The "Severance" season finale, directed by Dan Erickson, is also likely to win in the Emmy race for its trippy and emotionally fraught storyline.
Glenn Whipp, a columnist for our website and host of The Envelope newsletter, has been providing insightful analysis on this year's Emmy nominations. Keep an eye out for his take on the upcoming awards ceremony.
- The technology-driven production of "The Studio's Oner," a Hollywood masterpiece, has been lauded as the most prominent Emmy-nominated "oner" of 2023, showcasing Los Angeles' continued influence in the world of entertainment and movies-and-tv.
- In contrast to "The Studio's Oner," which utilizes a rare single-take technique, other nominated directors like Janus Metz for "Andor" and Jessica Lee Gagné for "Severance" experiment with traditional storytelling methods in their celebrated episodes.
- As the Emmy race heats up, the combination of technology and entertainment innovation in Hollywood, such as Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's work on "The Studio's Oner," could potentially lead to exciting acceptance speeches from high-profile figures like Ben Stiller and Seth Rogen.
