Even Disney+ bosses were surprised by The Mandalorian’s Emmy noms

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With genre series so frequently snubbed at awards shows, The Mandalorian’s 15 Emmy nominations came as a pleasant surprise, and not just to fans.

The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards are only a month away, and the list of nominees is about what you’d expect for most categories. There were a few that stood out, however, and none more so than The Mandalorian, which snagged 15 nominations, including one for Outstanding Drama Series.

Few expected a live-action Star Wars show to get this kind of awards recognition, particularly after only one season. And the fans weren’t the only ones pleasantly surprised. Disney+ content and marketing president Ricky Strauss spoke with Variety about how the show’s nominations took even the execs at the company by surprise. Awards were the last thing on their minds. “I always found that when you’re working on creative storytelling, especially in filmed entertainment, if you have awards in your line of scope, then that’s never a good start,” Strauss said.

"We definitely want to support our nominations and we will. And we want to support the talent that has made that show so successful. It was just truly a gift, and a real pleasure to be nominated by the Academy, especially when that wasn’t certainly part of our first- year plans. But it’s been a very humbling year across the board for Disney+, that’s for sure."

Whether The Mandalorian takes home Emmy gold or not, it’s a big step forward for the Star Wars franchise, and for science fiction as a whole.

And fans have more to look forward to beyond the ceremony, as the show’s second season is set to arrive on Disney+ in October. Wouldn’t it be a kick if the show followed up a win for Outstanding Drama with a legendarily good sophomore season?

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