‘The Gilded Age’ will follow in the Emmy footsteps of ‘Succession’ and score big for season 2
Before “Succession” set Emmy Awards records for its fourth and final season, it had a much more humble start. Its first season earned only five nominations, including three above-the-line bids for Drama Series, Directing, and Writing; it took home one for Jesse Armstrong’s season finale script. From those beginnings, it broke out in Season 2 with 18 nominations, winning seven including Best Drama Series.
Another HBO drama, “The Gilded Age,” is poised to have a similar awards path from a first season underdog to second season juggernaut. Folks may not realize that the Julian Fellowes series about the nouveau riche in 1880s New York City was nominated for and even won an Emmy for its first season for its period production design by Bob Shaw. Now that its second year just wrapped with a string of its best episodes yet, might it emerge triumphantly at the 2024 Emmys like Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) at the opening night at the Met Opera?
WATCH our exclusive video interview with production designer Bob Shaw, ‘The Gilded Age’ Season 2
The two shows had similar trajectories with critics, as both saw boosts in their notices from their first to second seasons. “Succession” saw an eight percentage point jump on Rotten Tomatoes from its freshman to sophomore outing, while “Gilded Age” leapt 14 points. Their second-year runs were also both certified fresh with scores above 90%.
WATCH our exclusive video interview with costume designer Kasia Walicka Maimone, ‘The Gilded Age’ Season 2
“The Gilded Age” could break through at the upcoming SAG Awards. After all, the guild head-scratchingly skunked “Succession” for its first two seasons yet nominated it for five prizes for Season 3 and awarded it the trophy for Drama Ensemble. “Gilded Age” similarly failed to earn a single nom for its first year, but according to our current combined odds, it cracks our top 12 drama ensemble contenders.
Whether or not “The Gilded Age” earns its first-ever above-the-line Emmy nominations in 2024, the series certainly deserves to expand its nominations tally below the line. Production designer Shaw and his team go above and beyond, especially in recreating the old Met Opera using and splicing together locations in Albany, NY, Philadelphia, PA and on their New York soundstage. And costumer Kasia Walicka Maimone upped the ante with the wardrobe for the ever-expanding ensemble, including a memorable Easter Sunday montage of incredible hats. The show has previously received recognition from the Casting Society of America, the Costume Designers Guild, and the Art Directors Guild, so watch out for a possible expansion in those corresponding Emmy categories.
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