The Emmys, a prestigious awards show, has been criticized for excluding international TV shows from the main competition. This year, the Canadian-made, HBO Max-distributed series 'Heated Rivalry' was notably absent from the drama series nominees, despite its popularity and critical acclaim. The show's star, Connor Storrie, became the year's sole Saturday Night Live performer nominee, highlighting the issue of international TV being overlooked. The problem is especially evident in the limited series category, where shows like 'The Beast in Me', 'All Her Fault', 'Beef', 'Love Story', and 'DTF St. Louis' were not eligible for the Primetime Emmys, despite their quality. This exclusion is due to the Emmys' rules, which require American involvement in co-production for these shows to be considered. This limitation is further exacerbated by the Emmys' separate International ceremony, which lacks the visibility of the main event. The issue is not limited to Canada; shows like 'Mussolini: Son of the Century', directed by Oscar nominee Joe Wright, and 'Families Like Ours', directed by Thomas Vinterberg, were also ineligible due to their non-American production. The Emmys' rules are outdated, and the potential merger of the Academy and National Academy organizations could address this issue. The Emmys' exclusion of international TV shows is a missed opportunity to celebrate diverse and high-quality content. The Emmys should expand its parameters to include more international shows, as the Oscars have done, to increase the mean quality of nominated work and bring attention to great international TV. This change would benefit the industry and viewers alike, as it would introduce more amazing TV shows to a global audience.
