For a while there, “The Bear” could do no wrong.
Hulu’s shockingly good series about the travails of a Chicago restaurant was an overnight hit. Everyone was watching and talking about it.
Jeremy Allen White, the star who plays Carmy the chef, instantly on Best Actor prizes galore. The show was winning Best show. The problem is, “The Bear” called itself a comedy, which it is not. It’s a drama. It took a minute for everyone to catch up on that little fact.
This past Sunday, “The Bear” was ignored at the SAG Awards. White lost to Martin Short, and the show lost to “Only Murders in the Building” as Best Ensemble.
A couple of weeks earlier, the CRitics Choice Association gave “The Bear” — formerly a big winner — only one nomination, for Lisa Colon Zayas as Best Supporting Actress. She lost. She should have won something, but her featured episode was a drama. There were no laughs.
The CCA gave “Hacks,” a comedy, the award for Best Comedy.
In January, the ‘drama/comedy’ thing hadn’t reached a pitch point yet. The Golden Globes — which doesn’t care about categories — gave “The Bear” a lot of accolades.
But last September’s Emmy Awards got the ball rolling. They gave Best Comedy to “Hacks,” which is very funny. But “The Bear” was snubbed.
That “The Bear” is a drama has finally caught up with voters of these awards. A comedy would have to mean laughs, or at least chuckles. But it’s an intense drama, and people have finally figured that out. Frankly, it’s often the best drama on TV.
Because of its release schedule, “The Bear” runs behind the Emmys by a year. So in September, “The Bear” will be in contention for the season it ran last summer. It might behoove Hulu to reclassify it, as actual comedies are going to knock “The Bear” out. And that would be a shame.
