2020
Nominees: The Queens Gambit, Mrs. America, Bad Education, Small Axe, Good Lord Bird, Stateless
More than any other sport, baseball loves its stats. With that in mind, this 6-part, SBNation miniseries doesn't go the traditional 'talking heads' interviewed route found in other docs. No, appropriately enough, numbers tell the story. This is Mariners history as relayed through stats and graphs, with lines and arrows and newspaper clippings. And while that sounds like it would lend itself to a telling that's cold and remote, it actually generated a lot of warmth and intimacy. The data and charts were fascinating, the quirky oddball stories they chose to highlight, a hoot, the presentation of the legends who graced this team, from The Kid to The Big Unit to Ichiro and King Felix, were inspirational. In addition, the production explores the nature of fandom and asks, are championships all that matter?
Best Lead Performances: Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queens Gambit & Joshua Caleb Johnson, Good Lord Bird
Other Notable Actors: Cate Blanchet, Sarah Paulson and truly, all the cast of Mrs. America * Shira Haas, Unorthodox * Yvonne Strahovski, Asher Keddie, Stateless * Letitia Wright, Malachi Kirby, John Boyega, Steve Toussaint, Sheyi Cole, Kenyah Sandy, Amarah Jae St. Aubyn, Small Axe * Hugh Jackman, Allison Janney, Bad Education * Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True
The first animated series to earn this award, is a pretty wild ride, imaginative with a lot of heart - From wiki... "Midway through a seemingly endless summer vacation day, Nagara and his class are suddenly transported to an alternate dimension, which they refer to as "This World". Over time, while trying to get back home, they realize that they have individual supernatural abilities. However, they also find it difficult to navigate their own interpersonal relationships."
Notable Actors: Himesh Patel, Matilda Lawler, Station Eleven * Margaret Qualley & Andie Macdowell, Maid * Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Kathryn Hahn, Teyonah Parris, WandaVision * Doona Bae, The Silent Sea * Jessica Chastain & Oscar Isaac, Scenes from a Marriage * Michael Keaton, Dopesick * Thuso Mbedu, Aaron Pierre, William Jackson Harper, Underground Railroad
2021
Sonny Boy (Shingo Natsume & 7 others - Japan)
Nominees: WandaVision, The Innocent, The Silent Sea, Maid, Tear Along the Dotted Line, The Underground Railroad, The Heike Story
Notable Actors: Himesh Patel, Matilda Lawler, Station Eleven * Margaret Qualley & Andie Macdowell, Maid * Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Kathryn Hahn, Teyonah Parris, WandaVision * Doona Bae, The Silent Sea * Jessica Chastain & Oscar Isaac, Scenes from a Marriage * Michael Keaton, Dopesick * Thuso Mbedu, Aaron Pierre, William Jackson Harper, Underground Railroad
2022
The Dropout (Michael Showalter, Francesca Gregorini, Erica Watson - USA)
Nominees: Under the Banner of Heaven, George Carlin's American Dream, The 7 Lives of Lea, The English
A biographical crime drama that documents the downfall of biotechnology company Theranos and its founder Elizabeth Holmes - Many a miniseries will open with a bang, but fail to sustain that momentum over the course of its run, that was not the case with The Dropout - watching the escalation of lie after lie delivers tension, and it was interesting how I went from rooting for her, to shifting my allegiance to those who exposed the corruption (especially the 2 who former employees). Seyfried's incredible and fascinating to watch. I love the final bit, where Elizabeth drops the professional voice, she created for herself, and sounds like her old self.
Notable Actors: Jessica Biel, Candy * Amanda Seyfried, Naveen Andrews, The Dropout * Colin Firth, Toni Collette, The Staircase * Andrew Garfield, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Under the Banner of Heaven * Emily Blunt, Chaske Spencer, The English * Paul Walter Hauser, Black Bird * Jessica Chastain, Michael Shannon, George & Tammy
2023
Nominees: The History of the Minnesota Vikings, Beef, The Curse, Lessons in Chemistry
Cringe was King in 2023, with top rated minis, Beef and The Curse taking me down some uncomfortable paths, a little too uncomfortable to be honest, I also felt they could ebb and flow; the final episode of The Curse in particular, took the wind out of its sails, I didn't care for it. So, I'm going with something that delighted start to finish. I was mad for RoboCop when it was released, still am. And while I've seen plenty behind the scenes supplements, this 4-part, nearly 5-hour doc digs even deeper, and gives face time to those I'd not often heard from. Years in the making and extremely detailed, you learn everything from casting considerations to troubles on the set as well as trivia galore. As a RoboFan, I couldn't be more pleased with the results.
Notable Actors: Emma Stone & Nathan Fielder, The Curse * Steven Yeun & Ali Wong, Beef * Brie Larson, Lessons in Chemistry
2024
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Nominees:
Notable Actors:
Winners Count: There are 56 Miniseries, 15 made for TV movies, with 11 of these being docs.
