Strike-Delayed Emmys Shake-Up: Why Is ‘The Bear’ Season 1 Competing After Season 2 Swept Golden Globes?

After sweeping the comedy categories at the Golden Globes, The Bear will look to do the same at the 75th Emmy Awards on Monday night, but for a different season of the series.

While Season 2 will run through the awards circuit for every other major awards show this year, it is Season 1 that will be competing for the Emmys — one of several shows experiencing this type of confusion as a result of the delayed Emmys due to last year’s writers and actors strikes.

While eligibility for the Golden Globes and guild awards, including the SAG Awards, corresponds to the calendar year, the Emmys has an eligibility period that runs from June to May. Usually, the Emmys wraps up a year of awards for any given season of TV.

That’s why The Bear Season 1, which debuted in June 2022, won its two Golden Globes at the 80th ceremony in January 2023. Had the Emmys been in September, The Bear Season 1 would have finished its awards run before Season 2, which debuted in June 2023 and will be able to compete at the 76th Emmy Awards, hit the circuit.

While the new episodes would have always been available while Season 1 competed in the Emmys, they would not have been up for awards at different ceremonies within a week of each other.

Only Murders in the Building and The Crown are in a similar predicament, competing for different seasons at the Emmys than the other awards shows over the next few months.

Elizabeth Debicki won a Golden Globe for her performance as Princess Diana in the final season of The Crown last week. She’s also nominated for Best Actress in a Drama Series at the Emmys, but for her performance in Season 5. Season 6 will be eligible later this year.

In fact, unlike The Bear, the final season of The Crown would not have even debuted when Season 5 competed, had the Emmys been in September as planned.

Same goes for Only Murders in the Building. Season 2 will be competing for the Emmys, but Season 3 already competed at the Golden Globes and will be up again in February for the SAG Awards.

All will be set right again once the 76th Emmys roll around, which will allow these series to compete for the most recent seasons in question.

As Deadline reported, Season 3 of The Bear is set to begin production in early 2024, which could set up for another summer release, meaning it could be on Hulu prior to the 76th Emmys. However, if all goes as planned, Season 2 will have wrapped its awards run before Season 3 competes.

The 75th Emmy Awards air Monday January 15 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Fox.