Place Your Bets: The 69th Emmy Nominations Are Out

Matters of race and religion, questions of faith and humanity, stereotypes circling gender and sexuality, glimpses of a dystopian future, supernatural entities, royal conflicts & more - were all laid out on our TV screens. Some came with laughs, some with tears and a lot were followed by deep afterthoughts.

This year for TV audiences was full of surprises. First with the quality of the shows itself, and now, these very same cutting-edge shows make it to the list of nominees. 2017 Emmy Awards not only had a bigger ballot as compared to the previous years, but unparalleled new shows have taken over categories like Outstanding Drama and Comedy.

The most Emmy nominated series of all time - Saturday Night Live tied with new comer 'Westworld' with 22 nominations across categories. However, there were quite a few snubs that people are not happy with. Long standing shows like Modern Family and House of Cards claim their spot in the Best Comedy and Best Drama Series, leaving no room for shows like Catastrophe or The Leftovers. While the shows may have been audience's favorites, their recurring presence even after dull seasons makes you question the credibility of the awards. Disappointment comes with every award season. It's felt more so this year because some networks have gone out of their way to make shows that don't fit the taste of the masses but have still managed to become favourites and been acclaimed critically.

Here's a list of the shows that made the cut:

Best Comedy Series:

Atlanta: Donald Grover's Atlanta in which he also acts, is the story of the local rap scene in Atlanta. Earn, played by Donald Grover manages his cousin Alfred Miles - an upcoming rapper.

Master of None: Aziz Ansari's Master of None came back for Season 2 this year. What also came along were questions on immigration, race, sex, family and relationships, commendable cinematic touches and delicious plates of pasta.

Watch on Netflix.

black-ish: An advertising executive, a doctor wife, four kids - an upper-middle class Black family trying to fit in a very 'white' world around them.

Silicon Valley: Running in it's fourth season, this show about four techies trying to make it big in Silicon Valley with many losses and a few wins is still going strong. Geeks, entrepreneurs, lovers of intelligent comedy - everyone's hooked on to it.

Watch on Hotstar.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Ellie Kemper as Kimmy Schmidt with her gay roommate Titus is trying to reclaim her life in modern day New York City after being rescued from a cult she was a part of for the last 15 years.

Watch on Netflix.

Veep: Where you have 'House of Cards' on one side, showing you all the dirt and scum that floats around in The White House, Veep gives the very same politics a humorous spin with Julia Louis Dreyfus as Vice President of The United States - Selina Meyer.

Watch on Hotstar.

Modern Family: The Dunphys and The Pritchets and their day-to-day life in California, that involves their children, their spouses, their work - all, but slightly dysfunctional. Pick any season, any episode, you'll always find something to laugh at.

Watch on Hotstar.

Best Drama Series:

The Crown: Giving us a dose of British Aristocracy after Downton Abbey, The Crown is the story of Queen Elizabeth II from the time she stepped into her father's shoes - King George II at the age of 25 to the present day. Politics, romance and royalty like never seen before.

Watch on Netflix.

The Handmaid's Tale: Margaret Atwood's dystopian version of the United States is where fundamentalists rule 'Gilead' (a part of U.S), environmental disasters have left women sterile, the fertile ones forced into sexual servitude, and a woman -Offred on a journey to survive and to find the daughter taken from her.

Watch on Hulu.

Westworld: A technical marvel, based on the 1973 movie of the same name, this HBO original is set in a futuristic theme park that let's you play with life like robots and story-lines that revolve around violence and sex. However, the game is not so simple. What lies at the center of the park is what everyone is after.

Watch on Hotstar.

Stranger Things: Taking us back to the 1980s this Netflix orignal is set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. There are some strange things known to have occured in this town. The disappearance of a little boy, scientific research, paranormal activities, ghosts and a girl with psychokinetic powers. It's the kids, the gripping narrative, the nostalgia and the chilling music that has earned this show a place in the 'Best Drama Category'.

Watch on Netflix.

This Is Us: NBC's tearjerker - This Is Us is the story of several people who share the same birthdays, but are different in many ways. It's a show about how their lives are intertwined and how these four characters are connected. You can expect a lot of plot twists and obviously lots of tissues too.

Watch on Hotstar.

House of Cards: The race to The White House holds no bars. Kevin Spacey as Frank J Underwood and Robin Wright as Clair Underwood in this Netflix Original are shown as ruthless as one could imagine and will stop at nothing to get what they want. Politics, lies, deception, corruption, fraud, abuse of power and Kevin Spacey's monologues are what makes this political drama interesting.

Watch on Netflix.

Better Call Saul: A prequel to hit series Breaking Bad, Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould give you 'Better Call Saul'. Set in the Breaking Bad universe, the show follows the story of Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) from a small time attorney to Saul Goodman, a morally challenged criminal lawyer.

Watch on Netflix.

Here's the entire list of the 69th Emmy Nominations:

Outstanding Limited Series or Movie

Feud: Betty and Joan (Watch on Hotstar)

The Night Of (Watch on Hotstar)

Big Little Lies (Watch on Hotstar)

Fargo (Watch on Netflix)

Genius

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Anthony Anderson (Black-ish)

Aziz Ansari (Master of None)

Zach Galifianakis (Baskets)

Donald Glover (Atlanta)

William H. Macy (Shameless)

Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Pamela Adlon (Better Things)

Jane Fonda (Grace and Frankie)

Allison Janney (Mom)

Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)

Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish)

Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Viola Davis (How to Get Away With Murder)

Claire Foy (The Crown)

Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale)

Keri Russell (The Americans)

Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld)

Robin Wright (House of Cards)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us)

Anthony Hopkins (Westworld)

Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul)

Matthew Rhys (The Americans)

Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan)

Kevin Spacey (House of Cards)

Milo Ventimiglia (This Is Us)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Pamela Adlon (Better Things)

Jane Fonda (Grace and Frankie)

Allison Janney (Mom)

Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)

Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish)

Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Carrie Coon (Fargo)

Felicity Huffman (American Crime)

Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies)

Jessica Lange (Feud: Bette and Joan)

Susan Sarandon (Feud: Bette and Joan)

Reese Witherspoon (Big Little Lies)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Riz Ahmed (The Night Of)

Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock)

Robert De Niro (The Wizard of Lies)

Ewan McGregor (Fargo)

Geoffrey Rush (Genius)

John Turturro (The Night Of)