Why 'Ponies' Deserves Emmy Love as a Comedy
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- "Ponies" is a Peacock spy series set in 1970s Cold War-era Moscow, starring Emilia Clarke as studious widow Bea and Haley Lu Richardson as street-smart Twila, two women who are underestimated by U.S. surveillance and end up uncovering dirt on both superpowers.
- Peacock is submitting "Ponies" for Emmy consideration in the comedy categories — a tactic the article calls "the show's biggest covert operation yet" — despite the show mixing serious espionage with dramedy elements.
- Female spy TV leads have historically struggled at the Emmys: Sandra Oh never won for "Killing Eve," Keri Russell never won for "The Americans," and the actresses from Apple TV's "Slow Horses" have never even been nominated, while Barbara Bain's 1960s "Mission: Impossible" wins and Claire Danes's two "Homeland" wins are noted as exceptions.
- Harriet Walter plays Manya Caplan, a Russian-born Holocaust survivor and Bea's protective grandmother who speaks Russian on screen and returns to her war-era village in the season finale to reconnect with a childhood friend.
- Supporting cast includes Adrian Lester as handler Dane Walter, Lili Walters as pragmatic Muscovite Ivanna, and "Better Call Saul" alum Patrick Fabian in a brief role as George H.W. Bush wearing a "horrible toupee."
- Nicholas Podany and Vic Michaelis emerged as fan favorites for playing mid-level CIA agent Ray Szymanski and his office-running wife Cheryl, whom the piece compares to "Mad Men's" Joan Holloway.
Why it matters: If the comedy-category gambit pays off, "Ponies" could break a decades-long Emmy blind spot for female-driven spy shows — shows like "The Americans" and "Killing Eve" that won critical praise but no lead-actress trophies. The strategy benefits Peacock by sidestepping a lead drama actress field where the show's dramedy tone would be a tougher sell.
