2024 Emmy nominations: All the yays, nays and amazing newcomers

Yes indeed, chef! “The Bear,” the FX on Hulu series set in a Chicago restaurant, earned a chef's-kiss 23 nominations when the 2024 Emmy nods were announced Wednesday morning.

That beats the previous record for comedy nominations in a single year, specifically the 22 received in 2009 by “30 Rock.” But it's not as many as FX's "Shogun," which nabbed the most this year for any show with a whopping 25.

What else is noteworthy about the contenders for the 76th Emmy Awards, which will air Sept. 15 on ABC? Here’s a look at what else the top awards for television content on broadcast, cable and streaming got so right — and so wrong.

So right: “Reservation Dogs,” which was canceled, finally got its first nomination for best comedy and a first nod for lead actor  D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, who plays Bear SmallHill. It’s about time. The innovative series about young Indigenous teens on an Oklahoma reservation already has two Peabody Awards and two Independent Spirit Awards for its excellence.

So right: In another encouraging sign for Indigenous representation, Lily Gladstone of Hulu’s “Under the Bridge” and Kali Reis of HBO/Max’s “True Detective: Night Country” are competing for the top prize for best supporting actress in a limited or anthology series.

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So wrong: Yes, we love “The Bear” and we absolutely adore the fact that, among its nearly two dozen nods, Lionel Boyce (pastry chef Marcus) and Liza Colon-Zayas (sous-chef Tina) were recognized in the supporting acting categories. But please, Emmys people, somebody needs to acknowledge that the show isn’t a comedy. It’s barely a dramedy at times. Did you see the “Fishes” episode? Have you recovered yet?

So right: Three cheers to Walton Goggins, a consistent standout in everything from FX’s “Justified” (which earned him a supporting actor nod in 2011) to HBO’s “Vice Principals” to John Bronco in the hilarious short films about a fake Ford SUV pitchman.  The underrated actor joined the lead actor in a drama category for the first time for playing the noseless Ghoul in Amazon Prime Video’s “Fallout.”

So wrong: "Manhunt" should be in the running for best limited or anthology series. The AppleTV+ series was as gripping as a true-crime documentary in its depiction of the search for President Abraham Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth. And Tobias Menzies, who led the case as haunted Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, should have made it into the lead actor category.

So right: The amazing Kristen Wiig scored a lead actress in a comedy nod for AppleTV+’s “Palm Royale” and a guest actress in a comedy nomination for hosting “Saturday Night Live,” where she earned her Five-Timers Club jacket.

So wrong: Ryan Gosling, so superb in the blockbuster “Barbie," is more than Kenough. But did Gosling really deserve a guest actor in a comedy nomination for laughing his way through all the skits as a “Saturday Night Live” host? Not that we can blame him for breaking during the Beavis and Butthead look-alikes sketch.

So right: Maya Rudolph is so nice they nominated her twice — and twice more. The brilliant funny lady is up for best actress in a comedy for "Loot," guest actress in a comedy for "Saturday Night Live," music and lyrics for her "SNL" song about motherhood and voice-over artist for "Big Mouth." She's a quadruple threat!

So right: Michigan can root for TV movie nominee “Unfrosted,” the parody history of the birth of Pop-Tarts in Cereal City, aka Battle Creek. Because so many critics slammed the harmless diversion of the Jerry Seinfeld film, it needs a little TLC.

So right: Carol Burnett is the best argument against ageism. Counting her new nomination for supporting actress in a comedy for “Palm Royale,” the 91-year-old legend now has a total of 25 Emmy nominations, seven Emmy awards and one Emmys Hall of Fame honor.

So wrong: What, no “John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A.” among the talk show contenders? The Netflix livestream was the weirdest, most unpredictable, least explicable entertainment we’ve seen in ages — and it needs to return soon.

So right: Selena Gomez got her first Emmy nomination for acting? At last, somebody remembered that it takes a pretty remarkable performer to play the straight woman to Steve Martin and Martin Short in Hulu's "Only Murders in the Building" and help their antics seems even funnier in their desperation.

So right: Speaking of first-time nods, the Emmy Awards broke its own cautious mold this time in honoring about three dozen first-time nominees in the performing categories. Among the nice surprises were Eric André (“The Eric Andre Show”), Jonathan Bailey (“Fellow Travelers”), John Hawkes (“True Detective: Night Country”), Aja Naomi King (“Lessons in Chemistry” , Tracy Letts (“Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty”), Lamorne Morris (“Fargo”) and the divine Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“Only Murders in the Building”).

So wrong: Happy for AppleTV+’s British spy thriller “Slow Horses” for its surprise inclusion in the best drama category. Bummed that Disney+’s “Ahsoka” didn’t make it, even with its thrilling combination of action and emotion.

So right: Treat Williams got a posthumous nomination for supporting actor in a limited or anthology series with FX’s “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans.” It honors not just his portrayal of powerful CBS executive Bill Paley, but also a lifetime of compelling work.

So right: Kudos to the Emmys for singling out Naomi Watts’ delicately muted as Paley’s wife, Babe, in “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans” for the best actress in a limited or anthology series category. While best supporting actress nominee Diane Lane was the splashier swan as socialite Slim Keith, Watts quietly captured the pain of Babe’s tragic split from Truman Capote.

So wrong: Carrie Preston brought some actual critical buzz to the geriatric CBS lineup with her “The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight” spin-off “Elsbeth.” But playing the quirky trial attorney didn’t get her a best actress category spot. No drama sparkle this year for the former Tiffany network.

So right: Among non-“Bear” chefs, Kristen Kish (who grew up in the Grand Rapids region) deserves congratulations for her reality competition host nod for Bravo’s “Top Chef.” Wisely, Kish realized that Padma Lakshmi was irreplaceable, so she brought her own fresh, more relaxed spirit to the job.

Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@freepress.com.