EMMY PREVIEW: Series Races

Finishing up my Emmy Preview, I am taking a look at the Outstanding Series races in Comedy, Drama and Limited Series. I will also list my most likely nominees in each category as of this moment. Stay tuned in July for my final Emmy nomination predictions.

This is the final post for the "season" for my blog but come back each day in July for my fourth annual Benjamonster Awards!

COMEDY

The competition in comedy is fierce with six of the eight nominees from last year returning. They are led by two time defending champion Ted Lasso, which is looking to win its third straight. The returns on Lasso seem to be diminishing with critics but there was some thought of that last year and then it dominated again. This year feels a little bit different in terms of public response though so while I think a nomination is assured, I don't think it is necessarily the frontrunner unless it pulls a Modern Family and keeps getting Emmys long after the public is ready to move on from the accolades. Its biggest competition is certainly Abbott Elementary, which had a sparkling second season and remains a feather in the cap of Broadcast TV. Last year at this time, the biggest threat to Ted Lasso seemed to be Barry but then Abbott came on strong over the summer of campaigning. It will be nominated again but I don't see it having a chance of a win. Ditto for 2018 winner The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and its final season. It has solid buzz from its final season, but I think it'll have to settle for a fifth nomination. Only Murders in the Building seems very likely to get its second nomination while the most vulnerable of last year's returnees is probably What We Do in the Shadows. Other nominees from previous years that are eligible include Cobra Kai and Emily in Paris. Both were surprise nominees in the weird COVID-impacted 2021 year and have virtually no chance of breaking back in. The final seasons of Atlanta and Dead to Me have a slightly better chance but it seems like their time has passed. So then we look to potential first time nominees. The lock among the newbies is The Bear, which was a sensation on the winter awards circuit and is certain to get a nomination. The next tier would be a trio of new series that could get in: Wednesday on Netflix, Poker Face on Peacock and Shrinking on Apple TV+. Wednesday had the most visibility as a hugely popular Netflix title, Poker Face was a breakthrough show for Peacock and the best reviewed of the three but Peacock as a platform hasn't done anything at the Emmys. Shrinking has the most Emmy names attached between its cast and creative team but didn't really break through as much. I think all three are hovering around the line between the nominees and the also-rans. Right now, I lean towards Poker Face as having the best chance. The next tier would be returning shows that have their fans but haven't been able to break through yet. That includes Schmigadoon, The Great and Reservation Dogs. I don't totally count out any of those shows but they have an uphill climb. Then there's longshots that would make some people happy but seem very unlikely to happen. That includes Ghosts, The Other Two and Somebody Somewhere.

Predicted Nominees

These are ranked in order of most likely to get a nomination.

1. Ted Lasso

2. Abbott Elementary

3. The Bear

4. Barry

5. Only Murders in the Building

6. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

7. What We Do in the Shadows

8. Poker Face

Just Missing:

9. Wednesday

10. Shrinking

EMMY PREVIEW: Lead Actor Races

Continuing my Emmy Preview, I am taking a look at the Outstanding Lead Actor races in Comedy, Drama and Limited Series. As with all other Emmy posts, I will also list my most likely nominees in each category as of now with the caveat that my final prediction list will come closer to the actual nominations announcement in July.

COMEDY

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series is interesting because it's one of only two major categories where all of last year's nominees are eligible again (the other is Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series). Jason Sudeikis is a two time defending champion for Ted Lasso. If this indeed proves to be Lasso's final season or at least the final season for Sudeikis, he'll be a threat to threepeat, but the backlash to Lasso seems even stronger this year so who knows. Last year, this was seen by many as a two man race between Sudeikis and Bill Hader for Barry. The two of them are locks and it really seems like the Only Murders in the Building duo Steve Martin and Martin Short are as well. Both are beloved in the industry and on the show. The other two nominees from last year feel less likely to repeat. Donald Glover still got in last year despite the drop off in interest in Atlanta and I could see that going a step further this year with Glover dropping out of contention. Nicholas Hoult was a surprise nominee for The Great last year and could repeat but also might step aside for someone new. At least one of those seem unlikely to repeat because there's a near lock for a newcomer in Jeremy Allen White for The Bear. After winning the Golden Globe and SAG, he'll definitely be a threat to Sudeikis and Hader and could even be considered the frontrunner. The other newcomer to watch is Jason Segel for Shrinking. Despite mixed reception to his performance, I think he has a pretty good chance. It seems hard to believe someone not already listed would break in but there is another former nominee in Ramy Youssef for Ramy. Nominated in 2020, I think his time for an Emmy nomination for his show has come and gone. Tulsa King has labeled itself a comedy so Sylvester Stallone is in the mix, but is very unlikely. And you can never count out Bob Odenkirk but he seems much more likely to get a Drama nomination for Better Call Saul than a comedy nomination for Lucky Hank. A few dark horses, and I mean very dark horses because I don't see them winning, are Mohammed Amer for Mo, Nathan Fielder for The Rehearsal and John Larroquette for a role that won him four Emmy awards in the 1980s on Night Court. 

Predicted Nominees

These are ranked in order of most likely to get a nomination.

1. Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso

2. Jeremy Allen White, The Bear

3. Bill Hader, Barry

4. Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building

5. Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building

6. Jason Segel, Shrinking

Just Missing:

7. Donald Glover, Atlanta

8. Nicholas Hoult, The Great

EMMY PREVIEW: Lead Actress Races

Continuing my Emmy Preview, I am taking a look at the Outstanding Lead Actress races in Comedy, Drama and Limited Series. As I did with the Supporting categories last week, I will also list my most likely nominees in each category as of now with the caveat that my final prediction list will come closer to the actual nominations announcement in July.

COMEDY

This is a competitive category even with two-time defending champion Jean Smart not in the mix this year. With Smart ineligible, the leading contender could be Quinta Brunson for Abbott Elementary. Brunson already won a Writing award last year and is probably the frontrunner. She's a lock for a nomination but there are many contenders for a win. There is one returning winner, Rachel Brosnahan won in this category in 2018 and will be looking for her fifth and final nomination for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. It seems like Brosnahan's time to win might have passed, but she has received a lot of acclaim for the show's final season. Another final season contender is Christina Applegate for Dead to Me. Nominated twice before, Applegate has the compelling story of fighting through her MS diagnosis to get the final season completed. Her Dead to Me co-star Linda Cardellini could return as well but I don't like her chances as much. Elle Fanning snuck into this category last year for The Great and could return but the new competition will make things tough. The new competition is led by Jenna Ortega, who is the best chance for Wednesday to get above the line recognition. Natasha Lyonne won a lot of acclaim for Poker Face and the series seems to have broken through in a way no previous Peacock series has. But it's still a Peacock show so we'll see if it can actually make some noise. There's an interesting case with Selena Gomez. Despite the love for Only Murders in the Building across the board last year, Gomez was snubbed. She had a meatier storyline this year and I think she's teetering right on the edge of getting a nomination. It seems hard to imagine anyone besides the names listed above getting in but there are some dark horses. Both Cecily Strong for Schmigadoon and Bridget Everett for Somebody Somewhere have their fans but I'm not sure either show is buzzy enough to break through. Some unlikely dark horses include Natasia Demetriou for What We Do in the Shadows, Kerry Washington for UnPrisoned and Maya Rudolph for Loot.

Predicted Nominees

These are ranked in order of most likely to get a nomination.

1. Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

2. Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

3. Christina Applegate, Dead to Me

4. Jenna Ortega, Wednesday

5. Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face

6. Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building

Just Missing:

7. Elle Fanning, The Great

8. Linda Cardellini, Dead to Me

THE FRIDAY FIVE: Top 5 TV News Stories of the Week Ending 5/5/23

Here's a look at the Top 5 TV news stories this week!

#1 - WRITER'S STRIKE HAS BEGUN

The biggest potential news in the industry for months is now official. The WGA and AMPTP were unable to come to an agreement and the Writer's Strike began at midnight on Tuesday. Immediately impacted were the late night talk shows, which have all shut down for now as well as Saturday Night Live, which has cancelled the final three episodes of its season that were scheduled to be hosted by Pete Davidson, Kieran Culkin and Jennifer Coolidge. Next to be impacted will likely be the Upfronts with networks hesitant to announce fall schedules (not that it's as big a deal as it used to be, but still). Streamers likely have a lot in the pipeline but they'll be impacted too if it goes on too long. Of course the streamers are a big reason this strike is happening as the TV models have changed and so has compensation for writers in a world where 22 episode seasons and big syndication deals are quickly becoming a thing of the past. With the two sides far apart, a prolonged strike seems likely - hopefully it won't be as long as the devastating 2007-08 strike that lasted 100 days. 

EMMY PREVIEW: Supporting Actor Races

Continuing my Emmy Preview, I am taking a look at the Outstanding Supporting Actor races in Comedy, Drama and Limited Series. As with yesterday, I will also list my most likely nominees in each category as of now with the caveat that my final prediction list will come closer to the actual nominations announcement in July.

COMEDY

There's a chance this category could be full of Ted Lasso and Barry actors again with all of last year's nominees eligible again. Leading the pack is the defending two time winner Brett Goldstein, who could easily threepeat as one of Ted Lasso's most popular characters. He's not the only previous winner likely to get a nomination though with former winners Henry Winkler for Barry and Tony Shalhoub for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel likely to get nominations for their farewell runs. This category had three nominees for Ted Lasso last year and four in 2021 so you have to see past nominees Nick Mohammed, Toheeb Jimoh, Brendan Hunt and Jeremy Swift all as possibilities and maybe even Phil Dunster. I am just not convinced that Ted Lasso will have the haul it has had the past couple years. Then there's those other Barry co-stars too. Anthony Carrigan seems like a likely nominee while there's a chance Stephen Root could sneak back in. I think Abbott Elementary is likely to have a big year so I think Tyler James Williams is a lock while Chris Perfetti or even William Stanford Davis could sneak in. Saturday Night Live is always a threat for nominations but Kenan Thompson was left out last year. He could get back in but the competition is stiff so the more likely scenario is a repeat nomination for Bowen Yang. There's one more former nominee in the mix too as Brian Tyree Henry could sneak in for the final season of Atlanta but it seems like Atlanta's time has come and gone. Among new nominees, one to watch out for is Harrison Ford for Shrinking. The veteran actor has given an acclaimed performance in the role and could easily get a nod. The Bear could be a big player on nominations morning and if that's the case, I wouldn't count out Ebon Moss-Bachrach. James Marsden was well-liked on Dead to Me but the competition seems too fierce for him to get it. And I wouldn't totally rule out a posthumous nomination for Leslie Jordan for Call Me Kat but I don't think that will actually happen. A few dark horses are Titus Burgess for Schmigadoon, Harvey Guillen for What We Do in the Shadows and Brandon Scott Jones for Ghosts.

Predicted Nominees

These are ranked in order of most likely to get a nomination.

1. Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso

2. Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary

3. Henry Winkler, Barry

4. Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

5. Anthony Carrigan, Barry

6. Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live

7. Harrison Ford, Shrinking

8. Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear

Just Missing:

9. Nick Mohammed, Ted Lasso

10. Chris Perfetti, Abbott Elementary

EMMY PREVIEW: Supporting Actress Races

This week and next week, I will take a look at each of the main Emmy acting races as well as the Series races. I will also list my most likely nominees in each category. I will caveat that this is still early and these are my projections as of now. A lot can change between now and mid-July when the Emmy nominations are announced. I will post my final predictions the week of the Emmy nominations but here's how I see things right now.

Today, I am looking at Outstanding Supporting Actress categories in Comedy, Drama and Limited Series.

COMEDY

Supporting Actress is a crowded field with a lot of potential returning nominees. The field is led by the previous two winners, 2022's Sheryl Lee Ralph for Abbott Elementary and 2021's Hannah Waddingham for Ted Lasso. Both ladies are locked for nominations and could each be a threat to return to the winner's circle with Ralph a more likely repeat. Another former winner is in the mix too. Alex Borstein won for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel in 2018 and 2019. She seems very likely to get another nomination for the show's final season but I don't think she's a threat to win. Ralph was a surprise winner last year as many thought the award might go to her Abbott Elementary co-star Janelle James, who seems certain to get nominated again but is tracking behind Ralph this time around. If Abbott has a really big showing, I wouldn't count out Lisa Ann Walter also getting in. Speaking of co-stars, Waddingham's co-star Juno Temple could get a third consecutive nomination though her storyline this season has been criticized by many. And while she only appeared in a handful of episodes before her departure, I certainly wouldn't count out a farewell nomination for Cecily Strong for Saturday Night Live. Then there's the Sarah Goldberg question. The Barry co-star was a surprise snub last season after receiving a nomination in 2019. We'll have to see if the strong reaction to her snub last year gets her back in this time. Zazie Beetz was nominated for Atlanta way back in 2018 and could get back in but it seems like her time has passed. Ditto for Marin Hinkle, who was nominated twice before for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel but missed last year. Among potential new nominees, the best bet is Ayo Edebiri for The Bear. The series seems likely to get a lot of nominations which should help Edebiri. The chances for Shrinking are a little more up in the air but Jessica Williams certainly has a chance. Most people seem to think Wednesday will be confined to Jenna Ortega with an outside chance for Series as far as above the line nominations, but if it overperforms, I wouldn't count out Gwendoline Christie. The Saturday Night Live nominations seem to be dwindling but Ego Nwodim or Heidi Gardner would be the best bets outside of Strong. Schmigadoon has moved over to Variety Series but the actors stay in this category and there is some buzz for Jane Krakowski with less of a chance for Kristin Chenoweth. Dark horses include Molly Shannon for The Other Two and Michaela Jae Rodriguez for Loot, but their shows don't seem to have broken through enough for a nomination. It's hard to imagine anyone else not mentioned getting in but Sarah Niles was a huge surprise last year so I'll throw out a couple more dark horses: Danielle Pinnock for Ghosts, Jayne Houdyshell for Only Murders in the Building and Christa Miller for Shrinking.

Predicted Nominees

These are ranked in order of most likely to get a nomination.

1. Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary

2. Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso

3. Janelle James, Abbott Elementary

4. Ayo Edebiri, The Bear

5. Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

6. Lisa Ann Walter, Abbott Elementary

7. Juno Temple, Ted Lasso

8. Sarah Goldberg, Barry

Just Missing:

9. Jessica Williams, Shrinking

10. Cecily Strong, Saturday Night Live

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1998-1999 Sundays

On Tuesdays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Sundays in the 1998-99 season!

ABC	7:00	8:00	9:00	10:00
Sep	The Wonderful World of Disney		20/20	The Practice
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May

ABC had successfully relaunched The Wonderful World of Disney in the 1997-98 season and it returned for the 1998-99 season with a mixture of new and classic Disney films. They didn't have anything as high profile as Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella among their originals so it didn't make as much of a splash in the ratings. ABC decided they didn't need two movies on Sunday night so they got rid of their Sunday night movie, the first of the big three networks to do so permanently (though it had been tried occasionally over the years). Yet another edition of 20/20 took over at 9pm in an era where newsmagazines dominated the schedules. At 10pm was The Practice, moving over from Mondays. The legal drama, which was entering its third season, had just won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series and gave ABC a prestige play on the night.