Julie and the Phantoms hit Netflix back in September 2020 as an original musical series that delivered representation, comedy, drama, and toe-tappingly catchy songs to tell a heartfelt (and occasionally heartbreaking) story. Although the show has since amassed a fandom that has been waiting more than half a year for news of what comes next, Netflix has yet to renew the show. Now that Julie and the Phantoms has won multiple Emmys and is in the running for more, however, I say that Netflix needs to officially order Season 2 as soon as possible.
First things first: Julie and the Phantoms was nominated for an impressive five awards at the first round of the Daytime Emmys, and Variety reports that the show took the top prize in Outstanding Original Song, Outstanding Multiple Camera Editing, and Outstanding Costume Design/Styling. Notably, Julie and the Phantoms was actually nominated for three pieces in Outstanding Original Song, winning for the emotional “Unsaid Emily” but also scoring nominations for “I Got The Music” and “The Other Side of Hollywood.”
Finally in the first batch of nominations, the show was nominated for Outstanding Casting For A Drama Or Daytime Fiction program (losing to ABC’s General Hospital) and Outstanding Hairstyling For A Drama Or Daytime Fiction Program (losing to fellow Netflix project The Letter for the King). But even getting named is a nice honor for Julie and the Phantoms, and the latest batch of Emmy noms reveals that the show might not be done raking in the trophies.
In the second wave of nominations for Daytime Emmys which have yet to be awarded (via Variety), Julie and the Phantoms has received nods in three more categories, and they're big ones. Julie and the Phantoms is up for Outstanding Young Adult Series, Cheyenne Jackson is up for Outstanding Performance By A Supporting Actor for his role as the villainous Caleb Covington, and Madison Reyes is in the running for Outstanding Younger Performer for what was her showbiz debut as Julie Molina. These big nominations coming on the heels of three wins just show that Julie and the Phantoms was a critical hit as well as popular.
Basically, even though fans have been actively hoping for a second season for months now and making pushes on social media, the Emmy wins have brought Julie and the Phantoms back into the limelight, reminded of the critical acclaim, and proved that it’s not just those of us who have had the songs stuck in our heads since last fall who appreciate what the show delivered. With people having a reason to talk about Julie and the Phantoms again, why not seize the opportunity to order Season 2?
The show certainly left the door open for the story to continue, even if the cliffhanger wasn’t exactly life-and-death. Still, there are plenty of unanswered questions, both for the future of the Phantoms on this earthly plane and for Julie herself as she continues her journey as a teenage girl growing up without her mom, (mostly) keeping a massive secret, and growing to love a group of ghosts that nobody else can see most of the time. (Unless the finale changed the rules about people seeing the guys.)
Although I for one would have preferred a renewal much earlier – as in, as soon as the final credits rolled on the finale and I hit Google to find out if Season 2 was on the way and I’d just missed the announcement – the timing couldn’t be better after the impressive Emmy wins and new nominations for Netflix to renew Julie and the Phantoms Season 2. In fact, in my dream scenario, Netflix would order another two seasons to film back-to-back so that the main cast members don’t visibly age out of their roles. Teenager Madison Reyes is one thing, but Charlie Gillespie, Owen Patrick Joyner, and Jeremy Shada shouldn’t be visibly aging as ghosts, right?
At the time of writing, however, there is still no news on a Season 2 of Julie and the Phantoms, but the latest nominations at least bode well for the first season continuing to get the accolades that I think fans can all agree that it deserves. For now, you can always watch and rewatch Julie and the Phantoms Season 1 streaming on Netflix. Plus, our 2021 summer TV premiere schedule can help you find some more viewing options to pass the time.
