UAE Residents' Guide to Streaming Nominated Shows for the 2025 Emmy Awards
The 2025 Primetime Emmy nominations have been announced, showcasing a rich variety of series that reflect contemporary issues, character-driven narratives, and innovative genres. This year's nominees encompass both drama and comedy, offering an engaging mix of entertainment and thoughtful storytelling.
In the drama category, Andor, a prequel to Rogue One in the Star Wars universe, is nominated for Outstanding Drama Series. The series focuses on espionage and the rebellion, with themes of resistance, sacrifice, and political intrigue. Another noteworthy nominee is The Diplomat, a drama series about a new US ambassador to the UK, which is also up for Outstanding Drama Series.
Comedy series nominees include Abbott Elementary, a mockumentary sitcom about teachers in an underfunded primary school, which is nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. The Bear, a comedy series about a troubled chef taking over his brother's sandwich shop, is also nominated for several categories, including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actor and Actress in a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Supporting Actress and Actor in a Comedy Series.
Other notable comedy series nominees include The Bear, Severance, The White Lotus, Hacks, Shrinking, Nobody Wants This, and Only Murders in the Building. These series explore a range of themes, from workplace dynamics and social satire to quirky mysteries and deeper societal issues.
In the drama category, The Last of Us, a post-apocalyptic story that delves into survival, human connection, and moral ambiguity, is nominated for Outstanding Drama Series. The Pitt, a newcomer drama possibly centered around a tense, high-stakes environment such as corporate, political, or social crisis, is also nominated for Outstanding Drama Series.
Several newcomers, such as Nobody Wants This, The Studio, and Adolescence, have also been nominated. Adolescence explores family dysfunction, school pressures, and the dark influence of online incel culture, while Nobody Wants This is a witty rom-com about an agnostic podcaster who unexpectedly falls for a newly single rabbi.
Apple TV+'s shows like Severance (drama) and The Studio (comedy) lead nominations, with Severance being praised for its cerebral exploration of work-life separation, identity, and corporate dystopia. There is strong representation of LGBTQ+ themes and actors across nominated shows, underlining the Academy’s recognition of diverse storytelling.
In addition to the series mentioned above, other notable nominees include What We Do in the Shadows, The Last of Us, Slow Horses, Hacks, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, and Black Mirror. The latter delivers six standalone sci-fi tales and features the first-ever sequel episode, USS Callister: Into Infinity, which tackles AI, virtual reality, memory, and the distortion of reality.
The Penguin, a spinoff from The Batman, and Dying for Sex, a series based on a true story and podcast, are also among the nominees. The Penguin picks up one week after the events of The Batman, with the city's most powerful crime boss, Carmine Falcone, dead, leaving a power vacuum in his wake. Dying for Sex follows a woman with a terminal illness who embarks on an awakening that deals with themes about friendship, freedom, and facing mortality on your own terms.
In summary, the 2025 Emmy-nominated dramas tend toward intense, character-centered stories about survival, politics, and personal sacrifice, while comedies highlight workplace dynamics, social satire, and quirky mysteries, often blending humor with deeper societal themes. This mix showcases television’s ongoing trend of combining entertainment with thoughtful, relevant storytelling.
- In the world news, the UAE's politics are being reflected in the drama series The Penguin, a spinoff from The Batman, which follows the city's power struggles after the death of a prominent crime boss.
- The entertainment industry in Asia is not overlooked as Oman features in the drama series The Diplomat, where a new US ambassador navigates international relations.
- Movies and TV shows from the UAE are making their mark globally, with the drama series Andor, featuring espionage and political intrigue within the Star Wars universe, receiving Emmy nominations.
- The Emmy-nominated comedy series Abbott Elementary, set in an underfunded primary school, mirrors the real-life issues in the world of education, demonstrating a concern for contemporary issues across various genres.
