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The Undoing

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For the album, see The Undoing (album).

The Undoing
Genre
Created byDavid E. Kelley
Based onYou Should Have Known
by Jean Hanff Korelitz
Written byDavid E. Kelley
Directed bySusanne Bier
Starring
Music byEvgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine
Opening theme"Dream a Little Dream of Me" by Nicole Kidman
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes6
Production
Executive producers
Producer
  • Deb Dyer
CinematographyAnthony Dod Mantle
EditorBen Lester
Running time50–67 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkHBO
ReleaseOctober 25 (2020-10-25) –
November 29, 2020 (2020-11-29)

The Undoing is an American mystery psychological thriller television miniseries based on the 2014 novel You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz. It was written and produced by David E. Kelley and directed by Susanne Bier. The miniseries stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant and premiered on HBO on October 25, 2020.[3]

The Undoing was the first HBO show to gain viewership every week over the course of the season, and was the biggest American series to launch on Sky in the United Kingdom, beating the record previously held by Game of Thrones.[4] It was the most-watched show on HBO in 2020.[5] The series received generally positive reviews, with critics praising the performances (particularly Kidman and Grant), cinematography and production design, but some criticizing the writing, pace and characterization.

Cast and characters

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Episodes

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
1"The Undoing"Susanne BierDavid E. KelleyOctober 25, 2020 (2020-10-25)0.676[8]
Grace Fraser is a successful psychologist who lives in Manhattan with her husband Jonathan, an oncologist, and their young son Henry, who attends the elite Reardon School. Grace helps some of the other Reardon parents plan an auction event, where she meets an enigmatic woman named Elena. Grace continues to encounter Elena over the next several days: once in a gym bathroom, where a nude Elena approaches her and remarks on her "kindness," and later at the auction itself, where Grace finds Elena crying in the bathroom and consoles her. As she leaves the event, Elena kisses Grace on the lips in the elevator. The next day, Elena's body is discovered in her artist's studio by her young son, also a Reardon student. The police rule the case a murder and question Grace and her friends; Elena's husband is noted as a potential suspect. Grace attempts to reach Jonathan, who is supposedly at an oncology conference in Cleveland, but finds that he has left his smartphone in the nightstand by their bed. Unable to trace her husband's whereabouts, Grace becomes paranoid and experiences visions of the scene of Elena's murder.
2"The Missing"Susanne BierDavid E. KelleyNovember 1, 2020 (2020-11-01)0.799[9]
Grace becomes increasingly worried about her husband and tries to locate him. A visit and questioning from Detective Joe Mendoza reveal that Jonathan is no longer employed at the hospital. His termination stems from allegations of inappropriate contact with Elena. It is determined that Elena's husband, Fernando, has an alibi, making Jonathan the prime suspect. Upon her return home, Grace finds the police conducting a search and seizure and is informed that they intend to perform a paternity test on Elena's infant daughter. To avoid media attention, Grace takes Henry to their beach house. There, Jonathan surprises Grace and admits to his infidelity but insists he did not murder Elena. As Jonathan hugs Henry, Grace calls the police.
3"Do No Harm"Susanne BierDavid E. KelleyNovember 8, 2020 (2020-11-08)0.899[10]
The police arrive via helicopter and arrest Jonathan. The detectives reveal Jonathan is the father of Elena's daughter. There is a short court hearing, and he goes to jail. Fernando confronts Grace. Grace later informs the police, and says that she felt threatened. The police indicate that Grace is also a suspect, and she asks why. The police then show a video from an outside camera around the place of the murder, on the night of the murder. The video shows Grace walking at night.
4"See No Evil"Susanne BierDavid E. KelleyNovember 15, 2020 (2020-11-15)1.122[11]
Further camera footage shows Grace walking by the same neighborhood numerous times the night of the murder, ruling her out as a suspect. Grace's father Franklin Reinhardt reluctantly arranges Jonathan's bail and hires Haley Fitzgerald as their defense attorney for the trial. The detectives reveal to Grace that Elena had developed an obsession with her through partially nude paintings. Jonathan tries to reason with Fernando regarding Elena's murder. Fernando wants nothing to do with Jonathan, but he allows Jonathan to tend to his and Elena's daughter. Haley arranges a television interview with Jonathan to help shape his public image for the trial. Jonathan claims to know who might have killed Elena.
5"Trial by Fury"Susanne BierDavid E. KelleyNovember 22, 2020 (2020-11-22)1.277[12]
The court case against Jonathan continues. His lawyer seeks to create reasonable doubt over Jonathan's guilt and suggests that Fernando could be a suspect but that the police dismissed this possibility. When she cross examines Fernando she asks if his wife was seeing a psychiatrist, which she was, and also if he is seeing one, which he denies. She then questions the detective who admits that he did not consider Fernando as a suspect and lies that there was no one else. The lawyer then shows the video of Grace. Jonathan reveals to Grace that he accidentally left the door open when he was 14, inadvertently causing his 4-year-old sister to be killed by a car. Grace calls his mother Janet, who says Jonathan never showed remorse or grief and estranged himself from his family when he grew up. Grace finds the hammer murder weapon in her son's violin case.
6"The Bloody Truth"Susanne BierDavid E. KelleyNovember 29, 2020 (2020-11-29)1.811[13]
Henry reveals he found the hammer in the fireplace at the family beach house and hid it to keep his father from being arrested. During the trial, Jonathan gives his testimony, admitting his infidelity, but insisting his innocence over Elena's murder. Haley brings Miguel to the stand, where Miguel suggests Fernando had been abusive towards Elena. Grace requests to take the stand and after claiming Jonathan to be a person of empathy, the prosecutor gets her to reveal her conversation with his mother. Jonathan and Haley realize Grace asked to take the stand as a ploy to allow her to suggest her belief in Jonathan's guilt. With Jonathan's conviction all but guaranteed, he asks Henry to breakfast before the verdict, only for it to be a ruse for Jonathan to escape with Henry. Flashbacks reveal Jonathan murdered Elena after ordering her to stay away from his family. After being chased by police and almost getting hit by a truck, Jonathan threatens to jump off a bridge and commit suicide. Grace arrives via helicopter to rescue Henry and the police arrest Jonathan.

Production

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Development

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On March 12, 2018, it was announced that HBO had given the production a series order. The miniseries was written by David E. Kelley who also serves as executive producer alongside Nicole Kidman, Per Saari, and Bruna Papandrea. Production companies involved in the series include Blossom Films, Made Up Stories, and David E. Kelley Productions.[14][15][16] On November 7, 2018, it was reported that Susanne Bier would direct every episode of the series and serve as an executive producer.[17] On March 8, 2020, it was announced that the series was set to premiere on May 10, 2020.[18] However, it was later delayed to October 25, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[19][3]

Casting

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Alongside the initial series announcement, it was confirmed that, in addition to executive producing the series, Nicole Kidman had been cast in the series' lead female role.[14][15][16] In November 2018, it was announced that Hugh Grant and Donald Sutherland had been cast in starring roles.[20][21] On January 28, 2019, it was reported that Noah Jupe had joined the main cast.[22] In March, Fala Chen, Édgar Ramírez, Lily Rabe, Ismael Cruz Córdova and Matilda De Angelis were added to the cast.[23][24][25] In April 2019, it was announced that Noma Dumezweni had joined the cast.[26] Also in April 2019, it was announced that Michael Devine had joined the cast.[27]

Filming

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The show filmed in New York City and Kingston, New York.[28][29] Planned filming on Shelter Island, New York, was canceled due to objections from residents, and therefore the beach and beach house scenes were instead filmed on the North Fork of Long Island.[30]

Reception

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Critical response

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On Rotten Tomatoes, the miniseries holds an approval rating of 75% based on 90 reviews, with an average rating of 7.20/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "The Undoing is a beautifully shot mystery that benefits greatly from Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant's performances—if only its story was as strong as its star power."[31] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 64 out of 100 based on 32 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[32]

Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly gave the series a 'B' grade and wrote, "Through all of the misdirects, the characters' dumb decisions, the dreamy detours, The Undoing kept me guessing—and, of course, gloating over everyone's misfortune."[33] Reviewing the miniseries for Rolling Stone, Alan Sepinwall gave it 2 out of 5 stars and said, "It's all extremely rote, like an expanded version of the mid-budget Nineties movie that would have starred Kidman and Grant at their respective heights of celebrity."[34]

Assessing the series as a whole following the finale, Roxana Hadadi of Vulture unfavorably compared The Undoing to David E. Kelley's previous series, Big Little Lies (also starring Kidman), stating, "Kelley re-created the elitism of Big Little Lies when adapting You Should Have Known into The Undoing, but neither its introspective spirit nor its curiosity about the inner lives of women." Hadadi particularly criticized the series for its inconsistent and shallow characterization of its protagonist, Grace Fraser, compared to Kidman's Big Little Lies character, Celeste Wright: "In prioritizing unbelievable twists rather than steady character development, Kelley re-creates Grace as a shell of Celeste, making her the hollow center of The Undoing. Grace wears the same kind of clothes as Celeste, and has access to the same powerful allies as Celeste, and lives in the same sort of mansions as Celeste. But Kidman’s performance here is mostly one of wide, shocked eyes and blank, inexpressive despair; her Grace rarely, if ever, talks about herself, her emotions, or her decisions."[35] Eve Gerber of The Atlantic criticized the series for glamorizing domestic violence, noting that critical discussion about the series largely avoided the subject and instead focused more on the series' production values, makeup and costuming.[36]

Ratings

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Viewership and ratings per episode of The Undoing
No. Title Air date Rating
(18–49)		 Viewers
(millions)		 DVR viewers
(millions)		 Total viewers
(millions)
1 "The Undoing" October 25, 2020 0.08 0.676[8] — —
2 "The Missing" November 1, 2020 0.07 0.799[9] — —
3 "Do No Harm" November 8, 2020 0.12 0.899[10] — —
4 "See No Evil" November 15, 2020 0.15 1.122[11] 1.01 2.13[37]
5 "Trial by Fury" November 22, 2020 0.14 1.277[12] 0.99 2.26[38]
6 "The Bloody Truth" November 29, 2020 0.24 1.811[13] 1.06 2.87[39]

Audience viewership

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The series gained traction as the season continued and broke records. For HBO, the show made history as the network's first original series to gain viewership every week over the course of the season and the finale was the most-watched night on the network since the Season 2 finale of Big Little Lies.[40] It became HBO's most-watched show of 2020, surpassing the audience of Big Little Lies.[5] It also became the biggest U.S. show to launch on Sky in the U.K, beating the record previously held by Game of Thrones.[4]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2020 Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Limited Series The Undoing Nominated [41]
Best Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie Hugh Grant Nominated
Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie Donald Sutherland Won
Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Limited Series Susanne Bier Nominated [42]
Golden Globe Awards Best Limited Series or Television Film The Undoing Nominated [43]
Best Actor – Limited Series or Television Film Hugh Grant Nominated
Best Actress – Limited Series or Television Film Nicole Kidman Nominated
Best Supporting Actor – Television Donald Sutherland Nominated
Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards Best Broadcast Network or Cable Limited Series, Anthology Series or Live-Action Television Movie The Undoing Nominated [44]
Best Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or Television Movie Hugh Grant Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Nominated [45]
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More) Lester Cohen, Doug Huszti and Keri Lederman Nominated
Producers Guild of America Awards David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Limited Series Television Susanne Bier, David E. Kelley, Per Saari, Nicole Kidman, Bruna Papandrea, Stephen Garrett, Celia D. Costas and Deb Dyer Nominated [46]
Satellite Awards Best Miniseries & Limited Series The Undoing Nominated [47]
Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Film Hugh Grant Nominated
Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Film Nicole Kidman Nominated
Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film Donald Sutherland Nominated
Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film Noma Dumezweni Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series Hugh Grant Nominated [48]
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series Nicole Kidman Nominated

Notes

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References

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  1. ^ Peters, Fletcher (October 26, 2020). "Who Sings 'The Undoing' Theme Song?". Decider. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  2. ^ Puentes, Patricia (October 25, 2020). "The Undoing: Nicole Kidman back on HBO in gripping new psychological thriller". CNET. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Highfill, Samantha (August 6, 2020). "Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant face 'ugly truths' in exclusive The Undoing trailer". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Ritman, Alex (November 30, 2020). "'The Undoing' Beats 'Game of Thrones' to Become Sky's Biggest U.S. Series Launch". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 14, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Zorrilla, Mónica Marie (February 17, 2021). "'The Undoing' Becomes HBO's Most-Watched Series of 2020, Surpasses 'Big Little Lies' Audience (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on February 17, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  6. ^ Lee, Ashley (January 16, 2020). "How a Sherman Oaks teen debated her way into 'What the Constitution Means to Me' cast". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  7. ^ "Sofie Gråbøl Unravels HBO Mystery Of The Undoing". NordicDrama.com. January 25, 2020. Archived from the original on February 28, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  8. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (October 27, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.25.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (November 3, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.1.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  10. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (November 10, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.8.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  11. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (November 17, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.15.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  12. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (November 24, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.2.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  13. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (December 2, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.29.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  14. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (March 12, 2018). "HBO Orders 'The Undoing' Limited Series With 'BLL's Nicole Kidman Starring & David E. Kelley Writing". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 14, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  15. ^ a b Goldberg, Lesley (March 12, 2018). "Nicole Kidman to Star in HBO Limited Series 'The Undoing' From David E. Kelley". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 13, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  16. ^ a b Holloway, Daniel (March 12, 2018). "Nicole Kidman, David E. Kelley Reunite for 'The Undoing' at HBO". Variety. Archived from the original on March 13, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  17. ^ Porter, Rick (November 7, 2018). "Nicole Kidman HBO Limited Series Names 'Night Manager' Emmy Winner as Director". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  18. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (March 8, 2020). "'The Undoing' Trailer: HBO Sets Premiere Date For Nicole Kidman And Hugh Grant's Chilling Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  19. ^ Auisello, Michael (March 26, 2020). "The Undoing Delayed: HBO Pushes Nicole Kidman Limited Series to Fall Due to Coronavirus Pandemic". TVLine. Archived from the original on April 2, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  20. ^ O'Connell, Michael (November 15, 2018). "Hugh Grant Joins Nicole Kidman in HBO's 'The Undoing'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  21. ^ Petski, Denise (November 28, 2018). "Donald Sutherland To Star In HBO Limited Series 'The Undoing'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  22. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 28, 2019). "'The Undoing': Noah Jupe To Star In HBO Limited Series With Nicole Kidman". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 29, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  23. ^ "Fala Chen makes drama comeback with HBO miniseries". Mediacorp. March 15, 2019. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  24. ^ Petski, Denise (March 27, 2019). "'The Undoing': Edgar Ramirez & Lily Rabe Cast In HBO Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  25. ^ Petski, Denise (March 28, 2019). "'The Undoing': Ismael Cruz Cordova & Matilda De Angelis Join HBO Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  26. ^ Petski, Denise (April 2, 2019). "'The Undoing': Noma Dumezweni Cast In HBO Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  27. ^ "The Undoing: Cast and Details for Nicole Kidman HBO Limited Series". Den of Geek. Retrieved December 27, 2019.[permanent dead link]
  28. ^ Welch, Rebecca (January 2, 2019). "Forest Whitaker Is Teaming With Netflix (and Santa Claus)". Backstage. Archived from the original on January 23, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  29. ^ Barry, John W. (June 24, 2019). "Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, Donald Sutherland: HBO filming in Ulster this week". The Poughkeepsie Journal. Archived from the original on June 24, 2019. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  30. ^ Duboff, Josh (May 28, 2019). "Shelter Island Says Nope to Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant's New HBO Show". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  31. ^ "The Undoing: Season 1 (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  32. ^ "The Undoing: Season 1". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 3, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  33. ^ Baldwin, Kristen (October 12, 2020). "Rich people suffer beautifully in The Undoing, HBO's latest thriller: Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 25, 2020. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  34. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (October 21, 2020). "'The Undoing': Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, and That Old Familiar Feeling". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  35. ^ Hadadi, Roxana (December 4, 2020). "The Undoing Took All the Wrong Cues From Big Little Lies". The Vulture. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  36. ^ Gerber, Eve (December 2, 2020). "The Dangerous Blind Spot of The Undoing". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  37. ^ Porter, Rick (November 24, 2020). "'This Is Us' Outpaces Premiere's 7-Day Gains in Week 8". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  38. ^ Porter, Rick (December 2, 2020). "'Big Sky' Premiere Doubles Audience in 7-Day Ratings". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  39. ^ Porter, Rick (December 8, 2020). "'The Good Doctor' Leads 7-Day Ratings Gains for Thanksgiving Week". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  40. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (December 1, 2020). "'The Undoing' Finale Draws Largest HBO Audience Since 'Big Little Lies' Closer, Boosts HBO Max Engagement". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  41. ^ Schneider, Michael (January 18, 2021). "'Ozark,' 'The Crown' and Netflix Lead 26th Annual Critics' Choice Awards TV Nominations". Variety. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  42. ^ Lewis, Hilary (March 8, 2021). "DGA Awards: 'Ted Lasso,' 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' Score Two TV Nominations Apiece". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 11, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  43. ^ Oganesyan, Natalie; Moreau, Jordan (February 3, 2021). "Golden Globes 2021: The Complete Nominations List". Variety. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  44. ^ "Ted Lasso, The Handmaid's Tale, and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist lead Inaugural HCA TV Awards Nominations – Hollywood Critics Association". Archived from the original on April 10, 2022. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  45. ^ Greene, Steve (July 13, 2021). "2021 Emmy Nominations: Netflix and HBO Lead a Field of Surprises". Indiewire. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  46. ^ Hill, Libby (March 8, 2021). "'Bridgerton' and 'Ted Lasso' Among PGA Awards TV Nominees". Indiewire. Archived from the original on March 9, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  47. ^ Van Blaricom, Mirjana (February 1, 2021). "25th Satellite Awards Nominees for Motion Pictures and Television Announced". International Press Academy. Archived from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  48. ^ "Screen Actors Guild 2021: The Complete Nominations List". sagawards.org. February 4, 2021. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
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