8 of the best Emmy nominated Jewish shows on Netflix, Amazon and BBC iPlayer!

Unorthodox

The hit Netflix drama based on the 2012 memoir by Deborah Feldman of the same name, came away with eight nominations, including best limited series.

Anna Winger was nominated for writing, Maria Schrader for directing and Israeli star Shira Haas, who learnt Yiddish for the role, was nominated for lead actress in a limited series or movie. The show is also in the running for casting, costumes, music composition and theme music.

The drama revolves around Esty (Haas), who runs away from her arranged marriage and her strictly-Orthodox community in Brooklyn, and moves to Berlin, where she adapts to a secular life. But when husband Yanky (Amit Rahav) discovers she is pregnant, he embarks on a journey to find her.

Unorthodox is available to watch now on Netflix

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

The third season of the award-winning Amazon Prime Video show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel scored 20 nominations, including for outstanding comedy series and lead actress Rachel Brosnahan in her portrayal of Midge Maisel.

Jewish actress Alex Borstein was nominated again in the best supporting actress category and will compete against her follow Maisel star Marin Hinkle. Amy Sherman-Palladino was nominated for directing an episode, as was her husband and co-creator Dan Palladino.

The three series of The Marvelous. Mrs Maisel are available on Amazon Prime Vid

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Mrs. America

Dahvi Waller’s dazzling drama about the feminists who campaigned for the Equal Rights Amendment – and the Conservative women who opposed it – landed 10 nominations at this year’s Emmys, including best limited series.

The show, featuring leading 1970s Jewish feminists, received supporting actress nominations for Margo Martindale as Bella Abzug and Tracey Ullman as Betty Friedan, as well as lead actress for Cate Blanchett, who played conservative leader Phyllis Schlafly.  

Mrs. America is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer

Schitt’s Creek

The quirky comedy series, created by real-life father and son Eugene and Dan Levy, walked away with 15 nominations for its critically acclaimed final season.

Schitt’s Creek was nominated for best comedy series, and all four stars were recognised: Eugene Levy, for lead actor in a comedy series; Catherine O’Hara, lead actress; Dan Levy, supporting actor; and Annie Murphy, supporting actress. The younger Levy was nominated as well for writing the final episode, Happy Ending, and for his direction of the episode.

Schitt’s Creek revolves around video store magnate Johnny Rose (Eugene) and his grown-up son David (played by Dan), alongside wife and former soap star Moira (O’Hara) and daughter Alexis (Murphy).  The Roses lose their fortune after being defrauded and are forced to rebuild their lives with their sole asset: a small town named Schitt’s Creek they bought as a joke.

All six series of Schitt’s Creek are available to watch now on Netflix

Dead to Me

Liz Feldman’s dark Netflix comedy, which has been renewed for a third series, landed four nominations, including best comedy series.Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini go head-to-head in the lead actress category. The show is also in the running for best casting.

Dead To Me follows Jen (Applegate), a sardonic widow determined to track down her husband’s hit-and-run killer and her unlikely friendship with Judy (Cardellini), a happy-go-lucky woman who has recently suffered her own loss.

The first two series of Dead To Me are available to watch now on Netflix

What We Do In The Shadows

Taika Waititi’s vampire mockumentary comedy earned eight nominations for the Jewish Māori director, writer and actor, alongside co-creator Jemaine Clement, including one for outstanding comedy series.

Set in Staten Island, What We Do in the Shadows follows the lives of centuries-old vampires interacting with the modern world and other supernatural beings.

What We Do In The Shadows is available to view on BBC iPlayer

Black Mitzvah

Actress Tiffany Haddish’s Netflix special has received a nomination for outstanding variety special.

The Girls Trip star’s father was an Ethiopian-Jewish refugee from Eritrea, leading her in later years to reclaim her Jewish heritage. As she approached 40, Haddish studied Torah and celebrated her batmitzvah last December, which was officiated by comedian Sarah Silverman’s sister, Rabbi Susan Silverman.

“[What] I love about Judaism [is] it’s all about sharing your stories , questioning and learning from each other,” she said.

Black Mitzvah is available to watch now on Netflix

The Good Place

Writer Michael Schur’s comedy, The Good Place, swept up seven nominations, including for best writing and best comedy. Actress Maya Rudolph also received a nomination for guest actress in a comedy series role and will compete against herself in the same category for her appearance on Saturday Night Live.

In the show, Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) arrives in the afterlife and is welcomed by Michael (Ted Danson) to ‘The Good Place’, an exclusive, Heaven-like utopia he designed. But she realises she must hide her morally imperfect behaviour.

The Good Place is available to watch now on Netflix