HBO Max is mounting an ambitious Emmy campaign for “Neighbors,” the A24 docuseries produced by Josh Safdie that transformed ordinary disputes between neighbors into one of the season’s most discussed unscripted titles. The network has submitted the six-episode series in 10 categories, including outstanding unstructured reality program, as it looks to turn critical buzz into awards recognition.
Created and directed by Harrison Fishman and Dylan Redford, “Neighbors” spent more than two years following feuding neighbors across the United States. The series centers on escalating conflicts over fences, surveillance cameras, backyard animals and one widely discussed swimsuit, using those disputes to present a portrait of modern American tension through a verité lens. Each episode combines multiple stories in an anthology-style format, giving the show a different rhythm from HBO Max’s earlier nonfiction projects.
The campaign also reflects Josh Safdie’s evolving role in television and film production. He is listed among the executive producers on “Neighbors” alongside longtime collaborators Ronald Bronstein and Eli Bush, as well as John Paul Lopez-Ali, Jonathan Hausfater, Chris Bowyer, Harrison Fishman, Dylan Redford, Samuel Fishman and Brendan McHugh. Andy Ruse and Max Allman are co-executive producers, with Natalie Teter producing and Rachel Walden receiving a produced-by credit. The push is centered on Episode 106, “Yellow Thong Bikini,” which is being entered in nearly every craft category.
The series carries additional Hollywood lineage through Dylan Redford, who is credited as co-creator, director, editor, cinematographer, production sound mixer, main title editor and motion design director. Redford is the grandson of Robert Redford, the Oscar-winning actor and founder of the Sundance Film Festival, adding another notable name to the production’s profile.
For HBO, an Emmy nomination would mark a rare return to the reality field. The network has not had a reality series nomination in six years, since “We’re Here” in 2020, and “Neighbors” would be only the fourth reality title ever nominated by HBO, following “Project Greenlight” and “Taxicab Confessions.” That makes the campaign especially significant for the platform, which is using a broadly relatable premise to appeal to Emmy voters.
The first season of “Neighbors” is currently streaming on HBO Max. Emmy nomination-round voting runs from June 11 to June 22, and the official nominations for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will be announced on July 8.
