Doctor Who lands first Emmy nomination for TV series in 62 years – and one with a twist
The long-running series has finally been acknowledged by the Emmys, but not in the way you might expect...
Doctor Who has landed its first Emmy nomination for the TV series in 62 years – and in an unexpected category. As the Doctor says himself, there’s always a twist…
The BBC sci-fi has been recognised by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in the latest Emmy nominations, which were announced yesterday (Tuesday 15th July).
While Doctor Who’s actors, showrunner Russell T Davies, and even technical elements were sadly not acknowledged, the team managed to bag a nomination for Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming.
In last year's episode The Devil’s Chord, the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and his companion Ruby (Millie Gibson) enjoyed a huge '60s dance break to original track There’s Always a Twist after visiting the Beatles at Abbey Road.
While at the famous studio, the pair came face-to-face against the evil, music-stealing Maestro (Jinkx Monsoon), who grows stronger by draining sound and music from around them.
After defeating Maestro and restoring music to the world, the Doctor and Ruby dance through the studio halls, canteen, and across the famous zebra crossing before heading home.
Strictly Come Dancing stars Shirley Ballas and Johannes Radebe also make cameo appearances as the pair's dance partners while dancing in the hallway.
Jack Murphy was choreographer for the routine, which saw the pair sing and dance with Cilla Black, the Beatles, and a team of backing dancers.
Murphy will be going up against his own work in the category, with Bridgerton’s Butterfly Ball scene also in the nominations.
The other scenes in the category include Severance’s Ballad of Ambrose and Gunnel, multiple routines from Will Trent, and two pieces from Étoile.
The sci-fi series had never previously been acknowledged by the Emmys, as it has only qualified for nominations since the BBC partnered up with Disney+ two years ago.
It's worth noting, however, that while this is new territory for the TV show, the franchise did pick up an Emmy nomination in 2020 for Outstanding Derivative Interactive Program for its VR game Doctor Who: The Runaway.
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Authors
Tilly Pearce is a freelance TV journalist whose coverage ranges from reality shows like Love Is Blind to sci-fi shows like Fallout. She is an NCTJ Gold Standard accredited journalist, who has previously worked as Deputy TV Editor (maternity cover) at Digital Spy, and Deputy TV & Showbiz Editor at Daily Express US.
