Want to win an Emmy? Here’s the one month you absolutely can’t launch your show

Spring or summer? Fall or winter? When is the optimal time to launch a show if you’re in the hunt for some Emmys? And which month should you stay away from at all costs?

In the crowded landscape of Peak TV, getting a series noticed by the Television Academy is perhaps the biggest obstacle for an awards campaign. The presumption might be to premiere a project in the spring months of March, April, or May to stay top of mind and be one of the last shows voters see before the May 31 eligibility deadline. But is that actually the case? Gold Derby analyzed the past decade of Emmy-winning comedies, dramas, and limited series to see whether a specific time period truly gives a show an advantage.

More from Gold Derby

Spring

Just last year, the spring strategy paid off for all three of the top programs. Best Drama Series winner Shōgun, Best Comedy Series champion Hacks, and Best Limited Series victor Baby Reindeer all had episodes airing within those pivotal months. While Shōgun and Baby Reindeer were new to the field, Hacks was on its third, and arguably best, season ever, suggesting that voters definitely watched.

Other springtime success stories from recent years include Succession and Beef in 2023, Chernobyl in 2019; The Handmaid’s Tale and Big Little Lies in 2017; The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story in 2016; Game of Thrones in 2015, 2016, and 2019; and Veep in 2015, 2016, and 2017.

Summer

But spring doesn’t always yield flowers. The first season of The Bear utilized a completely different strategy of dropping all of its episodes in June 2022, almost a full year before voting was to take place in 2023. The second season followed the same release path, which meant TV Academy members were voting for Season 1 to win Best Comedy Series while they were enjoying Season 2.

Additional programs that won top Emmys this decade after airing in the summer months of June, July, or August were The White Lotus in 2022 and Game of Thrones in 2018. Plus, Ted Lasso won twice in 2021 and 2022 after starting its seasons in the summer and rolling them over into the fall.

Fall

Speaking of which, the fall months of September, October, or November are the traditional launchpad for broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC). Many of the Emmy winners from the pre-streaming era debuted in those months and continued airing throughout the winter and spring.

But in this new world, it’s not as common for fall shows to go on to win Emmy Awards. Notable exceptions include Succession in 2020 and 2022; The Crown and The Queen’s Gambit in 2021; Watchmen in 2020; The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel in 2018; and Olive Kitteridge in 2015.

Winter

Unsurprisingly, the holiday month of December appears to be a dead time, with no Emmy-winning dramas, comedies, or limited series debuting in that time period over the past 10 years. (Network executives have families, too!)

However, two programs — Schitt’s Creek in 2020 and The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story in 2018 — found success on the awards beat after dropping the bulk of their episodes in the new year months of January and/or February, proving that winter is still in play.

What does it all mean?

Admittedly, we’re caught off guard by how many recent examples there are of Emmy-winning shows premiering across all four seasons. In 2024 and 2023, spring proved to be the best strategy. But in 2022 and 2021, it was summer and fall. If we learned anything, it’s that a great show can break through at any time… as long as it’s not December.

According to the current Gold Derby Emmy odds, the Best Drama Series race is between Severance and The Pitt, both of which straddled the winter and spring months. The Best Comedy Series frontrunners are The Studio and Hacks, a pair of spring shows. And the Best Limited Series favorites are Adolescence from March, and The Penguin from September-November.

Here’s a look back at the airdates of Emmy-winning series from the past 10 years:

2024

• Best Drama Series: Shōgun Season 1 (Feb. 27 to April 23)

• Best Comedy Series: Hacks Season 3 (May 2 to May 30)

• Best Limited Series: Baby Reindeer (April 11)

2023

• Best Drama Series: Succession Season 4 (March 26 to May 28)

• Best Comedy Series: The Bear Season 1 (June 23)

• Best Limited Series: Beef (April 6)

2022

• Best Drama Series: Succession Season 3 (Oct. 17 to Dec. 12)

• Best Comedy Series: Ted Lasso Season 2 (July 23 to Oct. 8)

• Best Limited Series: The White Lotus Season 1 (July 11 to Aug. 15)

2021

• Best Drama Series: The Crown Season 4 (Nov. 15)

• Best Comedy Series: Ted Lasso Season 1 (Aug. 14 to Oct. 2)

• Best Limited Series: The Queen’s Gambit (Oct. 23)

2020

• Best Drama Series: Succession Season 2 (Aug. 11 to Oct. 13)

• Best Comedy Series: Schitt’s Creek Season 6 (Jan. 7 to April 7)

• Best Limited Series: Watchmen (Oct. 20 to Dec. 15)

2019

• Best Drama Series: Game of Thrones Season 8 (April 14 to May 19)

• Best Comedy Series: Fleabag Season 2 (March 4 to April 8)

• Best Limited Series: Chernobyl (May 6 to June 3)

2018

• Best Drama Series: Game of Thrones Season 7 (July 16 to Aug. 27)

• Best Comedy Series: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 1 (Nov. 29; the pilot debuted as a stand-alone March 17)

• Best Limited Series: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (Jan. 17 to March 21)

2017

• Best Drama Series: The Handmaid’s Tale Season 1 (April 26 to June 14)

• Best Comedy Series: Veep Season 6 (April 16 to June 25)

• Best Limited Series: Big Little Lies Season 1 (Feb. 19 to April 2)

2016

• Best Drama Series: Game of Thrones Season 6 (April 24 to June 26)

• Best Comedy Series: Veep Season 5 (April 24 to June 26)

• Best Limited Series: The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (Feb. 2 to April 5)

2015

• Best Drama Series: Game of Thrones Season 5 (April 12 to June 14)

• Best Comedy Series: Veep Season 4 (April 12 to June 14)

• Best Limited Series: Olive Kitteridge (Nov. 2 to Nov. 3)

Best of Gold Derby

Sign up for Gold Derby’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.