The Film Experience

Our team is breaking down the top contenders in all the major races and highlighting some of our favorites over the next few weeks. Today, we’re looking at Best Comedy Series.

By Abe Friedtanzer

We opened last year’s look at this category with a caveat that, compared with the Best Drama Series race, there were considerably fewer contenders here. That’s true again this time, with just one (!) of last year’s nominees eligible and two other series that were nominated in the past possible as return inclusions. With so many slots open, there is tremendous room for new shows to break in, but few clues exist as to what’s at the head of the pack beyond a few frontrunners. Let’s dive in…

JUST A FEW RETURNING FAVORITES
I noticed a few weeks ago that there weren’t any shows from last year’s list that were going to premiere before the May 31st cutoff, but then I remembered that The Kominsky Method is in fact coming back for its six-episode third and final season just in time, on May 28th. Despite scoring a spot for its second season, it’s hardly a shoo-in to repeat. It missed the lineup after season one picked up the corresponding Golden Globe, and then still only managed two other bids, for stars Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin, for season two. I like the show but can’t seem to find anyone else who does, and Arkin isn’t even around for season three. It’s probably safe if only because there are no other returning shows in the running.

Technically, Master of None was nominated the last time it was eligible, but that was way back in 2017. The show returns tomorrow for a shortened third season without Aziz Ansari in the leading role, and while Lena Waithe is very well-regarded, it’s hard to know how the new version of the show will be received. A safer fallback is probably Black-ish, which earned three consecutive bids in this race between 2016 and 2018 and could easily be welcomed back. The chart below indicates all the other shows that aren’t eligible, like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Insecure, and What We Do in the Shadows, that will surely pick up even more bids when they do return. And it’s jarring to note that there are now three popular past nominees – Atlanta, Barry, and Russian Doll – that have taken multiple seasons off due to pre-pandemic delays that have only been lengthened in the past year.

LIKELIEST CONTENDERS
So, what shows are going to be nominated? Looking at the year-end awards bodies, one might assume that The Great would have an impressive showing, but it actually came through with a whimper last year for the Emmys and isn’t eligible this time around (season two will probably premiere this fall). The number one contender is inarguably Ted Lasso, which can probably clean up regardless of its competition now that Schitt’s Creek is over. Another popular newcomer is The Flight Attendant, and the question with that “comedic thriller” is just how well it will perform in other categories.

There are a few other possibilities that don’t feel secure at all. The controversial love from the Golden Globes for Emily in Paris isn’t likely to translate here, but it could if Emmy voters find it similarly charming. The Politician disappeared from all the Globe categories after a strong showing in season one and a disappointing Emmy haul, and the fact that, almost a full year after season two dropped, it has yet to be renewed is not an indicator of anyone being interested. Two shows with minor awards love in the past – Pen15 and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist – could turn that goodwill into first bids for their second seasons here.

NEVER NOMINATED, BUT MAYBE NOW?
After that, there are numerous contenders that have been on for a bit that all feel like they could garner votes. Cobra Kai is popular in its third season, and it wasn’t eligible last time around, so sentiment could have built up considerably in the two years since it was last on the ballot. Shrill was particularly endearing in its third and final season, and star Aidy Bryant is a past Emmy nominee for her work on Saturday Night Live. If voters are looking for a fantastic, mature family dramedy, Breeders is an excellent choice. Dickinson is an offbeat anachronistic delight. Search Party aired not one but two seasons during the past year, though I have a hard time believing that its very dark tone will appeal enough across the board. It’s still astonishing to me that Shameless, which aired its eleventh and final season this year, has never been noticed for anything aside from William H. Macy, Joan Cusack, and its stunts, and I would love to see that change this year. And even though I’m not a fan of Superstore, I know many are and would appreciate it picking up its first-ever Emmy attention for its sixth and final iteration.

THE REST OF THE FRESHMEN
The freshman class includes much more than just Ted Lasso and The Flight Attendant, but everything else is far behind those two. Hacks and Made for Love have the advantage of having just premiered, and Girls5Eva has also received a good deal of positive mentions. I would be ecstatic if Genera+ion scored, but I don’t really understand what it’s doing classified as a comedy and can’t imagine it will appeal widely enough if Euphoria couldn’t manage to crack that many categories. I’m enjoying traditional sitcoms B Positive, The United States of Al, Home Economics, and the now-cancelled Call Your Mother, but I don’t see any of them as strong contenders, even with past Emmy nominees like Thomas Middleditch and Kyra Sedgwick in their casts. There’s also Mr. Mayor, Kenan, Young Rock, and Love, Victor, any of which could merit attention.

In my predictions at this time last year, I thought Dead to Me wouldn’t return in time and I underestimated both Insecure and What We Do in the Shadows, while giving too much of a boost to Ramy and the entirely-snubbed Run, which hadn’t yet started, let alone been cancelled. I feel like I have even less of a sense of where we are now, but here goes:

PREDICTIONS

Black-ish
The Flight Attendant
Hacks
The Kominsky Method
Master of None
Pen15
Ted Lasso
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist

What do you make of this year’s race, and what shows do you think can break through?

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