We have SO MUCH to discuss here! There’s some good stuff! There’s some weird stuff! There’s some stuff that will make you happy, and some developments that will annoy you, especially if you hate The Bear. As a reminder: Heated Rivalry is NOT ELIGIBLE for the Emmys because it’s a 100% Canadian production but the TV Academy did do what they could here to get one of the boys in the house. In fact, I do think that we’re going to get a really good red carpet for this. Mark your calendars for September 14! And come opine with us here:
Outstanding Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Hacks
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Nobody Wants This
Only Murders in the Building
Shrinking
Widow’s Bay
I’m delighted by how well Widow’s Bay has done — I have two episodes left; I LOVE it — and this category, overall, feels really solid. (Cue, of course, your rants about The Bear being here. At least Widow’s Bay is sincerely actually funny! I’ve never laughed at The Bear! Etc. Please note, though, that I have not watched the newest season at all. Maybe it’s a HOOT!!)
Outstanding Drama Series
The Diplomat
The Gilded Age
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Paradise
The Pitt
Pluribus
Slow Horses
Your Friends & Neighbors
This is probably a three-way race between Pluribus, The Pitt and maybe Slow Horses as a spoiler, although I would personally give it to this season of The Gilded Age, which was SO MUCH FUN. This is also the place for me to note once again that I hate Your Friends & Neighbors, even though I’ve watched every single episode. (This past season was an improvement over the first one, however.)
Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
All Her Fault
The Beast in Me
Beef
DTF St. Louis
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
I really thought DTF St. Louis was a new edgy comedy on FX??? Learning!
Outstanding Structured Reality Program
Antiques Roadshow
Diners, Drive-ins and Dives
Love Is Blind
Queer Eye
Shark Tank
This is a real melange of programming. Earlier, I had a cut and paste error where I wrote about a show called Antiques Roadshow Diners, which DOES sound fun.
Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
Love on the Spectrum
RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked
Summer House
Welcome to Wrexham
As someone who’s watched from day one, I am REALLY proud of the team at Summer House, which is AN EXCELLENT SHOW. Meanwhile, last I checked, Wrexham has devolved into episodes where they talk for 20 minutes about how maybe Ryan Reynolds will buy the town a park.
Outstanding Reality Competition Program
Dancing with the Stars
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Survivor
Top Chef
Traitors
This sort of goes to show how long it’s been since a new reality competition show has broken through. I’d have given one to Love Island; that show is HARD to produce. (Having said that, we will get to Love Island later.)
Outstanding Variety Series
The Daily Show
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Saturday Night Live
In other words…all of them.
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary, “Ballgame”
The Bear, “Bears”
The Chair Company, “Life Goes by Too Fucking Fast, It Really Does.”
Hacks, “Hacks (Finale)”
The Ms. Pat Show, “Give It Arrest”
Widow’s Bay, “Welcome to Widow’s Bay!”
This is great news for The Ms. Pat Show! I do think this one is Widow’s Bay’s Emmy to lose.
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
The Gilded Age, “My Mind Is Made Up”
Paradise, “Exodus”
The Pitt, “12:00 P.M.”
Pluribus, “We Is Us”
Slow Horses, “Scars”
Task, “Out Beyond Ideas of Wrongdoing and Rightdoing, There Is a River”
I think this is The Pitt’s to lose but it’s possible Emmy voters really loved Pluribus. (I enjoyed Pluribus a lot but I think its pacing is all over the place and you could make a solid argument that it is pretentious.)
Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Beef, “It Will Stay This Way and You Will Obey”
Beef, “Oh, the Comfort, the Inexpressible Comfort”
Black Rabbit, “The Black Rabbits”
DTF St. Louis
This is the first I am hearing of Black Rabbit. The death of the monoculture means that half the time there are people out there who are rabid fans of something the rest of us have never even heard of. (Although this is Netflix’s fault — this stars Jude Law and Jason Bateman, apparently; why isn’t Netflix pushing this on me every time I log in?)
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary, “Team Building’
The Chair Company, “Life Goes by Too Fucking Fast, It Really Does.”
The Comeback, “Valerie Does It All”
Hacks, “Hacks (Finale)”
Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat, “Mergers and Acquisitions”
Widow’s Bay, “Welcome to Widow’s Bay!”
I’m excited for Jury Duty, even though this second season was not as good as the first one — how could it be?
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
The Diplomat, “Amagansett”
The Pitt, “1:00 P.M.”
The Pitt, “12:00 P.M.”
Pluribus, “We Is Us”
Slow Horses, “Scars”
Task, “A Still Small Voice”
The rest of the hours on The Pitt are so jealous.
Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
All Her Fault, “Episode 8”
The Beast in Me, “Sick Puppy”
Beef, “All the Things We’re Never Going to Have”
Death by Lightning
DTF St. Louis
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Wonder Man
Steve Carell, Rooster
Matthew Rhys, Widow’s Bay
Jason Segel, Shrinking
Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
I enjoy all these people and I hope Martin brings Meryl.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Sterling K. Brown, Paradise
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Mark Ruffalo, Task
Rufus Sewell, The Diplomat
Noah Wyle, The Pitt
Sterling K Brown does an AMAZING job of keeping Paradise grounded-feeling even though it is SO BONKERS. (Please note, I love Paradise and have watched it entirely but it is extremely silly on many levels.) However, I think Noah’s gonna get this again. Is anyone really mad about that?
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Riz Ahmed, Bait
Jason Bateman, Black Rabbit
Charlie Hunnam, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Oscar Isaac, Beef
Matthew Rhys, The Beast in Me
Matthew Rhys gets another shot! Also no one is mad that Riz Ahmed and Oscar Isaac will be attending this event. Jude Law might be pissed. And, finally, I heard Charlie Hunnam is AMAZING in that role.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
Elle Fanning, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
Jean Smart, Hacks
I must admit that I think Jean Smart has won enough Emmys. No offense, Jean, you are a queen, obviously.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age
Chase Infiniti, The Testaments
Keri Russell, The Diplomat
Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus
Zendaya, Euphoria
Chase Infiniti is having the YEAR OF HER LIFE. This is a packed category.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Claire Danes, The Beast in Me
Sally Field, Remarkably Bright Creatures
Carey Mulligan, Beef
Sarah Pidgeon, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Sarah Snook, All Her Fault
I assume Sarah Pidgeon is the front runner here; I didn’t like that mini-series but she IS great in it.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Colman Domingo, The Four Seasons
Paul W. Downs, Hacks
Harrison Ford, Shrinking
Nick Offerman, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Stephen Root, Widow’s Bay
Michael Urie, Shrinking
Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary
I’m thrilled we figured out a way to get Colman Domingo to another awards show! This one SHOULD go to Harrison Ford, I think — in part because he hasn’t won for that role yet and he’s so good in Shrinking.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Patrick Ball, The Pitt
Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
Shawn Hatosy, The Pitt
Gerran Howell, The Pitt
Jack Lowden, Slow Horses
Tom Pelphrey, Task
Carlos-Manuel Vesga, Pluribus
Sure! I hope Jack Lowden brings Saoirse.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Jason Bateman, DF St. Louis
Richard Gadd, Half Man
David Harbour, DTF St. Louis
Richard Jenkins, DTF St. Louis
Charles Melton, Beef
Nick Offerman, Death by Lightning
Jason Bateman has worked a lot this year, who knew?!?! Both he and Nick Offerman are also nominated in other categories, too. We’ve got a lot of people with multiple chances to win this time around.
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Dale Dickey, Widow’s Bay
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Janelle James, Abbott Elementary
Kate O’Flynn, Widow’s Bay
Michelle Pfeiffer, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Megan Stalter, Hacks
Jessica Williams, Shrinking
This is a really tough category. I’m excited to see what Michelle wears. I assume Megan Stalter, whose work on Hacks I love, will be weird about this publicly. Kate O’Flynn is SO good on Widow’s Bay. But no one makes me laugh more than Jessica Williams except maybe Janelle James?
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Taylor Dearden, The Pitt
Fiona Dourif, The Pitt
Allison Janney, The Diplomat
Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt
Sepideh Moafi, The Pitt
Julianne Nicholson, Paradise
Karolina Wydra, Pluribus
The Pitt might split the vote here, leaving the door open for…Janney? Probably.
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Linda Cardellini, DTF St. Louis
Dakota Fanning, All Her Fault
Laurie Metcalf, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Joy Sunday, DTF St. Louis
Youn Yuh-jung, Beef
Constance Zimmer, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Fun fact: BOTH Fannings are nominated this year!
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Colman Domingo, Euphoria
Ernest Harden Jr., The Pitt
Jeff Hiller, Pluribus
Jeff Kober, The Pitt
Jonathan Pryce, Slow Horses
Bradley Whitford, The Diplomat
Earlier, I forgot Colman Domingo is also in Euphoria. I’m excited to think about him at the Emmys once again!
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Michael J. Fox, Shrinking
Brett Goldstein, Shrinking
Hamish Linklater, Widow’s Bay
Christopher McDonald, Hacks
Rob Reiner, The Bear
Connor Storrie, Saturday Night Live
This is VERY exciting for Connor Storrie and also there is no way Connor Storrie will beat either Michael J. Fox or ROB REINER, for pete’s sake. (Reiner is definitely going to take this, right?)
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Brittany Allen, The Pitt
Tai Anderson, The Pitt
Tina Iviev, The Pitt
Miriam Shor, Pluribus
Merritt Wever, The Gilded Age
Shailene Woodley, Paradise
THANK GOD SHAILENE GOT THIS, as we noted publicly MANY times that we’d rage if she didn’t. She was AMAZING on this season of Paradise. I think she could win this?
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Leslie Bibb, Hacks
Jamie Lee Curtis, The Bear
Betty Gilpin, Widow’s Bay
Cherry Jones, Hacks
Laurie Metcalf, Hacks
Kaitlin Olson, Hacks
Lauren Weedman, Hacks
I’m glad Leslie Bibb got this after being, IMO, snubbed for last season of The White Lotus.
Outstanding Host for a Game Show
Steve Harvey, Celebrity Family Feud
Ken Jennings, Jeopardy!
Colin Jost, Pop Culture Jeopardy!
Jimmy Kimmel, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Martin Short, Match Game
Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program
RuPaul Charles, RuPaul’s Drag Race
Alan Cumming, The Traitors
Kristen Kish, Top Chef
Ariana Madix, Love Island USA
Jeff Probst, Survivor
I am THRILLED for Ariana.
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
