I May Destroy You: Emily In Paris writer slates Globes snub for Michaela Coel drama

Fans of British TV drama I May Destroy You on both sides of the Atlantic have expressed "rage" over the show's snub at the Golden Globe nominations.

Deborah Copaken, a writer for Netflix's Emily in Paris, said her excitement at their two nominations was "tempered by my rage over [Michaela] Coel's snub".

I May Destroy You, written by, starring and co-directed by Coel, charts the fallout from a sexual assault after protagonist Arabella's drink is spiked.

Copaken praised it as "sheer genius".

She wrote in The Guardian: "'That show,' I told everyone who would listen, 'deserves to win all the awards.' When it didn't, I was stunned. I May Destroy You was not only my favourite show of 2020. It's my favourite show ever.

"It takes the complicated issue of a rape - I'm a sexual assault survivor myself - and infuses it with heart, humour, pathos and a story constructed so well, I had to watch it twice, just to understand how Coel did it."

The Golden Globes are voted for by 90 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, who are all international journalists based in California.

The television categories at the ceremony are split into comedy and drama, so Emily In Paris was not in direct competition with I May Destroy You.

However, many fans expressed disappointment that the Lily Collins series had been recognised while Coel's more critically acclaimed drama missed out.

When I May Destroy You debuted on the BBC last June, The Daily Telegraph's Anita Singh wrote: "Coel has pulled off the seemingly impossible by creating a drama that is frequently funny.

"We have seen the aftermath of rape on television many times - the scene in the shower, the visit to police, the swabs, examinations and interviews. I May Destroy You is not like that. What Coel seems to be saying is that trauma doesn't erase the essence of you."

In contrast, Darren Star, the creator of Netflix's Emily in Paris, defended the show following criticism its view of the city was idealised and clichéd.

In her article, Copaken said: "I tried to avoid reading its criticism, but I don't live under a rock. It never occurred to me that our show would be nominated."

Coel's character Arabella goes through a range of emotions in I May Destroy You, including humour, to process what has happened to her, which the writer and actress said mirrors the experience she went through.

The actress and writer previously told the BBC she wanted to reflect this in the drama, saying: "We respond to trauma and triggering situations in many different ways, it's not always a pity party."

I May Destroy You was among former US President Barack Obama's list of TV series he enjoyed last year.

Alice Lowe, who wrote, starred in and directed the film Prevenge, said Coel's series "dwarfed" the other shows nominated by the Golden Globes.

Writer Akilah Green, whose shows include A Black Lady Sketch Show and Black Monday, admitted the drama "sent almost every writer I've talked to about it back to the lab", while Coronation Street and Beautiful Thing writer Jonathan Harvey said: "I May Destroy You was the standout TV drama of the year. Hopefully Bafta will appreciate how lucky we are to have this home-grown talent."

Shameless and The Phantom of the Opera star Emmy Rossum added: "I May Destroy You is the best show of the year. It's not even debatable."

Rachel Zegler, the US actress starring in the upcoming film West Side Story, also voiced her support, saying the drama was "one of the greatest series I have ever seen and you all should go watch it immediately".

US comic Kathy Griffin said there was a plus to the show being snubbed, commenting the "upside" was that "more people will discover Michaela Coen's masterpiece. Such a riveting series".

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