“Mrs. Davis” may be one of the most surprising and unconventional new series of the spring — and now it’s making a surprising and unconventional move in the Emmy race as well. As the Television Academy deadline for category submissions ends today, Peacock has decided to make a last-minute shift and move the series into the limited/anthology series categories.
Betty Gilpin stars in “Mrs. Davis” as Simone, a sometimes nun who takes on her nemesis, the artificial intelligence being known only as “Mrs. Davis,” and strikes a deal with the algorithm — which promises to shut down if Simone finds and destroys the holy grail. This exploration of faith and technology comes from executive producers Tara Hernandez (“The Big Bang Theory”) and Damon Lindelof (“The Leftovers”).
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Emmy predictions in all categories.
“Mrs. Davis” finishes its eight-episode run with the finale “The Final Intercut: So I’m Your Horse,” on May 18. The episode wraps up the story, and insiders said that complete beginning/middle/end is one reason “Mrs. Davis” shifted to limited. As of now, there are no plans on the books for a second season of “Mrs. Davis,” but it’s believed that the show would return, if at all, with new stories and new characters.
Moving “Mrs. Davis” to limited also absolves the show of questions of whether it was more suited for the drama or comedy races. Although a dramatic story filled with existential questions, “Mrs. Davis” is also filled with absurdity and plenty of comedy — hence the debate from the beginning over where the show should compete.
Of course, the limited race is also not nearly as competitive with top-shelf titles the way the drama competition is — giving perhaps “Mrs. Davis” a better shot at some awards attention. The show has earned critical raves, including a positive nod from Variety’s Alison Herman, who noted that “’Mrs. Davis’ has a playful tone that helps counter its metaphysical scope.” The show is currently “certified fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 90% score.
As part of the shift to limited/anthology, Gilpin will now compete in lead actress in a limited series. Entering in supporting actor in a limited series are Jake McDorman, Andy McQueen, Chris Diamantopoulos, Tom Wlaschiha, David Arquette and Ben Chaplin. In supporting actress in a limited series will be Elizabeth Marvel, Katja Herbers, Margo Martindale and Mathilde Ollivier.
Warner Bros. TV is the studio behind the Peacock series. Besides exec producers Hernandez and Lindelof, others include exec producer/director Owen Harris (“Black Mirror: San Junipero”) and exec producer/director Alethea Jones (“Evil”).
In limited/anthology, “Mrs. Davis” will now face off with contenders including Netflix’s “Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” Apple TV+’s “Black Bird,” Prime Video’s “Daisy Jones and the Six,” HBO’s “White House Plumbers” and Netflix’s “Beef” — another show that could have gone into drama or comedy before settling on limited.
