The Broady Awards are The Word's own little awards for the best on the broadcast network television stations - ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, NBC and PBS. The stations you could hook an old-school antenna up and have access to watch. The networks that long ago (at least in the case of most of them) were the only options for TV watching. Despite receiving little love from the big television awards ceremonies and talk in the pop culture zeitgeist, the networks are still the most watched and feature many of the shows that are among the most-watched on television. These awards are solely for those networks and the shows on them. 

Below are the nominations for the 14th annual Broady Awards. The winners will be announced in the first week of August. 

The cineplexes across America will be a buzz this weekend with the biggest movie release day in quite some time with both Christopher Nolan’s latest “Oppenheimer,” a three-hour epic of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man tasked by the United States government with designing and building the atomic bomb, and Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” about America’s favorite plastic doll who comes to life to live among the real world. It’s an event that’s been billed by some as “Barbenheimer” and pre-bought tickets have been flying off the internet in preparation for the packed cinemas.

“Barbie” is projected to make around $100 million in its opening weekend at the box office. “Oppenheimer” will probably do somewhere in the $40-50 million range.

When it comes to “Barbie” you’re definitely going to have to contend with packed and likely sold-out showings for its opening weekend, but if you do get in at under two hours it should be a breezy watch, even if it's likely a bit more subversive that some might be expecting.

However, “Oppenheimer” at three hours and with such a serious tone there may be some interested in the film, like me, who may not want to fight both packed theaters and a three-hour runtime and might consider waiting for it to hit video-on-demand or streaming – which would certainly make Nolan cringe if he read that. I might catch it at the cinema sometime after opening weekend, but damn three hours is longer than baseball games are these days.

Anyway, if you’re going to wait for a while for “Oppenheimer” – or you just want a fantastic companion to the film – you should definitely check out the short-lived drama series “Manhattan,” which aired for two seasons on WGN America from 2014-2015. All 23 episodes of this exquisite series, created by Sam Shaw, can be streamed for free (with occasional ad interruption) on Tubi, which has gained in viewership lately as TV viewers flock to cheaper viewing options (and I’m sure those creepy rabbit Super Bowl commercials didn’t hurt). While there’s certainly a lot of dreck to scroll through on Tubi, there are also terrific, forgotten or little-watched gems like this period piece drama that aired on a network that doesn’t even exist anymore.

“Manhattan,” while featuring J. Robert Oppenheimer (played by Daniel London) himself in a recurring role, is more about the scientists working directly on the Manhattan Project to create the atomic bomb at Project X in the newly created desert town of Los Alamos, N.M., which the outside world knows little to nothing about for safety and security purposes.

“Manhattan” is based on history, but doesn’t intend to be historically accurate, which gives it some nice leeway as far as drama goes. Oppenheimer may actually be the only real-life character in the bunch in the few times he appears onscreen.

The series mostly focuses on the team of Dr. Frank Winter, played by the underrated John Benjamin Hickey, who leads a small group of scientists, basically considered the ‘B Team’ of the site, but also includes a rising star of a scientist prospect in Dr. Charlie Isaacs, played by Ashley Zukerman. The team also includes scientists played by Katja Herbers, who’d go on to her terrific starring role in Paramount+’s horror-drama “Evil,” and Michael Chernus, who has a key role in AppleTV’s excellent sci-fi/drama “Severance.” However, the biggest rising star of “Manhattan” was Rachel Brosnahan, who plays Dr. Issacs’ wife Abby. After the cancellation of “Manhattan,” Brosnahan would, of course, go on to the Emmy-winning titular character in Amazon Prime Video’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”

The series also features fantastic guest appearances at times from Daniel Stern, David Harbour (soon to go on to “Stranger Things” stardom), Richard Schiff, Griffin Dunne and William Petersen.

Part of what made “Manhattan” so intriguing is it not only showed these scientists working on the creation of the atomic bomb, but also their family life on the base. Olivia Williams’ portrayal of Dr. Liza Winter, a botanist who’s just as big of a star (if not more so) than her husband Frank in the world of academia but struggles to conform to life on the base.

The series is also kept very suspenseful by the constant threat of German or Japanese spies infiltrating the group of scientists to learn their secrets in the race to become the first nation in World War II to build and perhaps drop the bomb.

The intrigue, drama and historical aspects of “Manhattan” made for a riveting television series that I wish had lasted longer than its two seasons and had it been elsewhere and not a network that was trying late in its run to become sort of like a competitor to AMC’s “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad,” et all, may have succeeded in bringing in more viewers. The critical reception was always favorable.

If you never saw “Manhattan” the first time around – and the odds are you didn’t – there’s never been a better time to revisit it than now during “Oppenheimer” mania. So, fire up that Tubi app and enjoy! 

​When it was announced there was going to be a prequel series to the epic “Game of Thrones,” I was skeptical for multiple reasons. The original had been the drama with the most Emmys wins in history with 59. It was very beloved by the Television Academy and by fans alike. However, the last season was a big disappointment. Could the prequel live up to the original during its golden years? It turns out I had nothing to worry about. “House of the Dragon,” which takes place 200 years before the events of “Game of Thrones,” is just as epic. The production value is so high: fantastic performances, great storytelling, beautiful sets and exquisite costumes. I was worried, though, that the Emmys might have some fatigue with the series. However, Emmy nominations came out and while they are definitely not as enamored with ‘HOD’ the way they were with ‘GOT,’ it still managed to get a Best Drama Series nomination. I was disappointed that none of its cast members could break through but happy for this nomination. TG

​The first season of “The Bear,” an FX on Hulu production, was my favorite TV show of 2022. The series sees acclaimed chef Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) taking over the family restaurant following the death of his older brother and trying to keep it afloat with the help of his new inexperienced sous chef Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) and despite the hindrances of his “cousin” Richie Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). White, Edebiri and Moss-Bachrach all appeared in the top-5 of my favorite TV performances of 2022 and I’m thrilled to see each of them nominated in their respective categories. “The Bear” received 13 total nominations for its first season, including the coveted Outstanding Comedy Series. White is the most likely winner of the four on this list. JS

​The final season of HBO’s “Barry” has been my favorite TV series of 2023 thus far with the series wrapping in a grim and dramatic way despite being a nominee for Outstanding Comedy Series, though its funniest moments are maybe the funniest on television period. The show’s final season received 11 nominations, but other than for comedy series, the two I’d like to shout out the most are Anthony Carrigan for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his hilarious and in the final season tragic performance of Noho Hank and Bill Hader for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for the series finale “wow.” Hader directed the entire final season of “Barry” and most of the show’s penultimate season and has proven himself to have a keen eye for it that could see him as one of the up-and-coming auteurs of his generation. JS

​I rarely find shows that I consider “binge-worthy.” With life being as busy as it is, a show has to really grab me and not let go. “Wednesday,” Netflix’s series following the young Wednesday Adams going off to school and solving a mystery got its hooks into me almost immediately. The phenomenal Jenna Ortega, who plays Wednesday, was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series as well. Both are very deserving of nominations! The show had other phenomenal performances that I wish would have been recognized such as Gwendolyn Christie as the principal and Christina Ricci as one of the teachers. The mystery of the show keeps you in suspense and the writers have you not being able to wait to see what happens next. I am just so thrilled for the show to get the recognition that it did. TG

​Despite it being pretty damn good and about one of the most famous couples in music history, “George and Tammy,” the Showtime limited series which aired late in 2022, didn’t seem to get much recognition. The performances from Jessica Chastain as country music’s first lady Tammy Wynette and Michael Shannon as her alcoholic husband and hitmaker George Jones were terrific leading both to be nominated for performed in a limited series, but the series itself was noticeably snubbed for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, which may hurt Chastain and Shannon’s chances at victory. JS

Nick Offerman should have an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his iconic portrayal of Ron Swanson on the NBC sitcom, “Parks and Recreation” but during the show’s seven seasons, Offerman was never even nominated. When I sat down and watched the HBO drama “The Last of Us” and saw Offerman’s performance as Bill, I immediately thought how upset I would be if he wasn’t nominated for the Emmy for this performance. Now, I’m going to be really upset if he doesn’t win! In “The Last of Us,” Offerman plays Bill, a man who is secluded during a worldwide pandemic and finds love unexpectedly with a traveler he takes in named Frank. It is such a beautiful love story. Watching Bill’s tough exterior become vulnerable is truly touching to watch. TG

​Disney+’s first live concert event “Elton John Farewell: Live from Dodgers Stadium,” which aired Nov. 20, 2022, and marked the Rock Hall of Famer’s final American concert was the best live concert special aired on TV that I’ve seen in many years. Elton John performed the majority of his classic hits during that wonderful evening of music from the site of one of his most memorable shows in his heyday. If Elton John were to win the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) he would become the 19th person to win the coveted EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar & Tony). Elton John is a five-time Grammy Award winner, a two-time Oscar winner (for Best Original Song) and a Tony winner for the Best Original Score of “Aida” in 2000. JS

I have always been a huge Mayim Bialik fan. Her performance as Amy Fowler on CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory” was deserving of an Emmy win but none of her nominations translated into one. One of the main reasons I am excited for her with this nomination is all of the hate she has been getting. Since Alex Trebek passed away, Ken Jennings and Bialik have been sharing hosting duties of the veteran game show “Jeopardy” but many fans have been brutal towards her, preferring Jennings. Bialik does a fantastic job and I prefer her over Jennings, personally. That is why I was so excited to see her nominated for Outstanding Game Show Host. She can show the haters that she is being recognized for the work they are bashing. One of her competitors in the category is actually Jennings. Will one of the “Jeopardy” hosts win? We will have to wait to see…….”What is?” TG

​Every Halloween since I was a child, I remember watching “Hocus Pocus.” The story of the three Sanderson sisters: Winnie, Mary and Sarah trying to live forever to continue their witchy shenanigans has captivated audiences for years. It is crazy to think that the original was a box office dud. This was mainly due to the fact that Disney put the movie out in July instead of November of 1993 to avoid collision with their other film, “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” The original did become a cult hit though and fans were overjoyed when it was announced that there would be a sequel. I was so excited but so worried it would let me down. While the film wasn’t as great as the original, it really did a fantastic job of telling a new story with just the right amount of nostalgic ingredients. I was excited to see its nomination for Outstanding Television Movie. I cannot wait for a potential “Hocus Pocus 3”.  TG

​I just love that Weird Al Yankovic is now a multi-time Emmy Award nominee. He’s received three nominations for his work on The Roku Channel original “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” a parody biopic about his start in music parodies, the first as a co-producer of the film for Outstanding Television Movie, the second for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for “Now You Know,” written specifically for the film, and the one I’ve chosen to spotlight here, Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie with co-writer and director Eric Appel. JS

​The first thing I looked for on Wednesday when I awoke and clicked on the Emmy Award nominations was for Sarah Goldberg’s name in the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy category – though I swear, she should be in the lead actress category – and when I didn’t see it I wanted to riot at where the Television Academy headquarters is Jan. 6 style. Goldberg gave the best performance I’ve seen on television thus far in 2023 and the fact that she can’t find her way into a seven-person category is dumbfounding. The fact that she was only nominated once over four seasons is infuriating. She wound up in many ways being the best performer of the series featuring nothing but great performances. JS

​“The Crown” has always been an Emmy darling. During its previous season, it managed to win Drama Series, Actor In A Drama Series for Josh O’Connor, Best Actress for Olivia Colman, Supporting Actor for Tobias Menzies, and Supporting Actress for Gillian Anderson. In all four prior seasons of “The Crown,” the actress playing Queen Elizabeth II has been nominated for Best Actress in a Drama Series. Claire Foy and Olivia Colman were both nominated for both seasons they portrayed the Queen. Imelda Staunton took over for season five and just became the first Queen actress snubbed on Emmy nominations morning. This is not because Staunton doesn’t do a great job. She was a perfect successor to Foy and Colman. This past season wasn’t the best of the series but this was still quite a shock. TG

When I first saw the Emmy nominations on Wednesday and saw that Hulu’s (FX Production) “Reservation Dogs,” not only wasn’t nominated for Best Comedy Series, which let’s face it wasn’t a huge shock, though it should be!, but was only nominated for a single nomination (Sound Editing) of any kind I angrily tweeted: “What does ‘Reservation Dogs’ have to do to get noticed by the Emmys? Do they have to be white?” Not only is the show great for representation on television in that it stars and is written by an entirely indigenous cast and crew, but it’s generally one of the best, funniest and warmest shows on TV. Everywhere you look on this show are people who should be worthy of Emmy love: Devery Jacobs, D’Pharoah Woon-A-Tai, Paulina Alexis, Lane Factor, Zahn McClarnon and the terrific writing staff. JS

The original actress to play Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in HBO’s “Game of Thrones” made us fall in love with the character. After five episodes of the first season, actress Emma D’Arcy ages up and takes over the character. Milly Alcock’s performance of Rhaenyra was so fantastic that I was not happy to see her go. In my opinion, Emma D’Arcy doesn’t live up to her. Alcock shows us the beginning of the power struggle that ensues later on and we see her devastation that just because of her gender that she is not considered worthy to lead the nation. Everyone is looking for a man to lead but her father wants her to rule. Alcock conveys all of these complex emotions to near perfection. She will likely not get another chance for a nomination, so I hate she did not get this recognition. TG

Matt Smith secured a nomination for playing Prince Phillip in Netflix’s “The Crown” for Best Supporting Actor a few years ago. He is someone the Emmys are familiar with and he is starring in a big-budget epic prequel series to a beloved show. Smith plays Daemon, the brother of the King who believes he should be the heir. His brother, King Aegon, believes this honor belongs to his daughter, Rhaenyra. Smith plays a villainous performance to perfection. We understand Daemon’s motivation and anger and watch him endure multiple complex situations. He is a character you love to hate which is sometimes hard for an actor to convey. It would have been great to see Smith ride some of the “House of the Dragon” love into a nomination. TG

“Atlanta,” which was no stranger to Emmy love in its early seasons, was almost completely left out (it got one nomination for cinematography), which isn’t all that surprising as for some reason the cultural zeitgeist didn’t feel like returning to the series after a lengthy hiatus. The snub that pisses me off the most is that of Brian Tyree Henry, whose performance as Alfred “Paper Boi” Miles in the series is one of the greatest performances on television, period, over the last decade. The fact that the Emmys only nominated him once over four seasons and he doesn’t have the tag “Emmy Winner” by his name is almost criminal. JS

​So, this one isn’t a shocker in the least. I read a handful of articles predicting the Emmy nominees and listened to a few podcasts doing the same and not one mentioned Ego Nwodim, one of the standout cast members currently on “Saturday Night Live.” Nwodim is comedy gold each and every time she appears on the screen during the legendary live sketch comedy show and her debut of a new character, Lisa from Temecula, this season was the funniest sketch of the year. This is the first year since 2013 that ‘SNL’ didn’t have a single nominee in the Supporting Actress in a Comedy category. JS

Who doesn’t love Kristin Chenoweth? Whether she is playing the original Galinda on Broadway’s “Wicked” or Olive Snook in her Emmy-winning performance on ABC’s “Pushing Daisies,” Chenoweth always delights us even when she is playing the villain. She was phenomenal as Maleficent in the Disney original movie, “Descendants” and she is equally brilliant in Apple TV’s musical comedy series, “Schmigadoon!” Chenoweth brings so much joy to the world in her performances and as the mayor’s wife, Mildred Clayton, she delivers the camp to perfection. It would have been great to see her nominated. TG

​Sometimes you really want a show or performer to be recognized with award nominations because you know it’s sort of a hidden gem that more people should be familiar with. Now, it seems wild for a show that airs on HBO, especially one that aired directly after the final seasons of “Succession” and “Barry” could be considered a hidden gem, but that’s exactly how Bridget Everett’s comedy “Somebody Somewhere” feels. The series, which recently finished airing its second season, sees Everett in the starring role as Sam, who returns to her small Kansas hometown following the death of her sister and has to cope with the loss. Jeff Hiller really should’ve been considered for Supporting Actor in a Comedy too for his wonderful performance as Sam’s best friend Joel, but Everett not getting a nomination hurts more because it feels like her show. JS

For 23 years, every summer, we have come to “expect the unexpected.” This CBS summer staple has always been a show full of drama, competitions, tears, fights, HOH competitions, Power of Veto competitions, and known for its host Julie Chen, also known as the Chenbot. This series has always been one of my favorite competition programs. It is exceedingly difficult to play a game like this and it is fun to watch all the houseguests do their best to manipulate their way to a half million dollars. I cannot believe it has never even managed to get a nomination. It may not be the Emmys’ cup of tea but it should be. TG

Brandi Carlile: In the Canyon Haze (Max) – Saturday, July 1 at 7 p.m.
Brandi Carlile is one of the best singer-songwriters in all of music and can out-sing any and everyone. I’ve loved seeing her rise in recognition and popularity over the last few years thanks to powerhouse performances on television like at the Grammy Awards and on “Saturday Night Live.” I’m super pumped to see her have a concert film via HBO and Max. “Brandi Carlile: In the Canyon Haze” premieres Saturday, July 1 at 7 p.m. and sees the nine-time Grammy-winner performing last September from the storied Laurel Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles, which was home to music icons like Joni Mitchell, one of Carlile’s biggest influences. If you’re a fan, I know you’ll be watching. If you’re not familiar with Carlile please watch and your jaw with drop. 

The Afterparty: Season 2 (AppleTV+) – Wednesday, July 12
I have to admit I was only so-so on the first season of AppleTV+’s whodunnit mystery-comedy “The Afterparty,” which premiered in early 2022. But the things I appreciated about the first season – among them Sam Richardson and Tiffany Haddish – are returning for the second season. Season two sees Richardson’s Aniq and his girlfriend Zoe (Zoe Chao) in the middle of yet another murder mystery when the groom winds up dead at Zoe’s sister’s wedding. Haddish once again shows up at Det. Danner to help solve the case. Zach Woods, Poppy Liu, Elizabeth Perkins, Jack Whitehall, Vivian Wu, Ken Jeong, John Cho and Paul Walter Hauser have joined the cast for season two.  

Full Circle (Max) – Thursday, July 13
“Full Circle,” the latest TV series from prolific creator and director Steven Soderbergh and written by Ed Solomon, sees an investigation into a botched kidnapping in New York City and the secrets it uncovers. The six-episode miniseries debuts on Max on Thursday, July 13, and features a terrific cast of Claire Danes, Zazie Beets, Timothy Olyphant, Dennis Quaid and Jharrel Jerome. 

Stephen Curry: Underrated (AppleTV+) – Friday, July 21
Multiple-time NBA M.V.P. and champion Stephen Curry is one of the most popular and likable athletes in all of sports. AppleTV+’s “Stephen Curry: Underrated,” tells his story from an undersized player at a small college to changing the entire way the game of basketball is played in the NBA. Peter Nicks directs this documentary, which Apple says, “blends cinema verité, archival footage and on-camera interviews.”   

Jim Gaffigan: Dark Pale (Amazon Prime Video) – Tuesday, July 25
Jim Gaffigan is one of the funniest stand-up comedians of all time and he’s also one of the busiest and most prolific comedians, seemingly having a new concert special on an annual basis. Gaffigan’s latest special (his 10th), “Jim Gaffigan: Dark Pale,” premiere on Amazon Prime Video on Tuesday, July 25. It’s sure to be a laugh riot, as all of his specials are.