ABC’s dearly departed sitcom “Black-ish” recently ended its eight-season run in April with the Johnson family packing up and leaving their beloved Sherman Oaks home in favor of a new chapter in a more inclusive Black neighborhood. (See our gallery of the 30 best TV families of all time.) The series concluded on a poignant note for Andre “Dre” Johnson, played by Anthony Anderson, as he also transitioned to a freelance position that would allow him to spend more time with family. Hey Emmy voters, now’s the time to finally reward Anderson for the last season of “Black-ish.”
SEE ‘Black-ish’ star Anthony Anderson disappointed it’s over: ‘We have more stories to tell’
The actor has been nominated at the Emmys every single year since the ABC sitcom completed its first season in 2015, but he has yet to win. He has scored an impressive seven Best Comedy Actor nominations in a row, plus four additional bids for producing when “Black-ish” earned Best Comedy Series nominations in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2021. That’s 11 losses for Anderson, but are voters finally ready to give him an Emmy hug for the show’s farewell season?
This final season also gives Dre the opportunity to reconcile with his eldest son, Junior (Marcus Scribner), with whom he has had a contentious relationship, and make peace with his place in the world. Balancing both comedic and dramatic material, Anderson will likely find himself a top contender at the Emmys for this final season.
While Anderson has always been a bridesmaid in Best Comedy Actor, he may now have one of the strongest narratives to win for his final season. Previous champs like Jason Sudeikis (“Ted Lasso”), Bill Hader (“Barry”) and Donald Glover (“Atlanta”) will be in the mix this year, but all three have collected multiple Emmys at this point. Steve Martin and Martin Short may split the “Only Murders in the Building” vote, assuming both are nominated. If Anderson lands a spot in Comedy Actor, it’s possible that voters will feel the urgency to give it to him on his last go-round, as they have with multiple actors in recent years.
The best-case scenario for Anderson is if the same voters who gave a goodbye hug to Sarah Jessica Parker (“Sex and the City”), Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”) and Matthew Rhys (“The Americans”) for their shows’ final seasons are looking to do the same for the “Black-ish” star. Unfortunately, the Emmys can be frustratingly unsentimental, to which perennial Emmy losers Martin Sheen (“The West Wing”), Steve Carell (“The Office”), Hugh Laurie (“House”) and Amy Poehler (“Parks and Recreation”) can attest.
Anderson is currently a bubble contender for an Emmy nomination, landing in sixth place in our latest odds, but if he gets in, ABC should make it known that this will be the last shot to reward the actor in a role that voters have loved since 2015.
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