The Film Experience

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

Will recent hit "Mare of Easttown" be able to dethrone Emmy favorite "The Queen's Gambit?"

By Christopher James

The Outstanding Limited Series category is perhaps the most competitive category of the year. Shows like The Queen’s Gambit, Mare of Easttown and WandaVision commanded the most (virtual) water cooler chatter of the past year. Even with all this abundance of quality, only five shows can make the cut, compared to eight nominees in the series categories. Prestige TV, streaming sensations and genre favorites all combine in the limited series category. This isn’t the first time that Limited Series has been more competitive than the ongoing series categories. The past decade has seen a modern renaissance of the form, with American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson, Big Little Lies and When They See Us as recent examples of incredible and incredibly popular TV. Big stars have also been swayed to this form, primarily because of the rich stories told combined with the less stringent time commitment. This year is no different.

Read on to see what shows are in contention this year...

Netflix's "The Queen's Gambit" has not lost a single major precursor for Outstanding Limited Series yet this season.

Proven Awards Players
This awards season so far has been dominated by The Queen’s Gambit. Netflix’s popular chess drama won awards from Golden Globes, Critics Choice, SAG, DGA and WGA. This juggernaut can’t be stopped. Or can it? If there’s one drawback the show may face, it is recency bias. The show premiered back in October and set the world on fire. Yet, the buzz has cooled given more recent premieres in this category. Still, it's Netflix's chief contender so they'll push hard.

Another big miniseries from late in 2020 was The Undoing. The HBO star-studded mystery was headlined by Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant and Donald Sutherland. Its very high profile helped it earn nominations from most of the big awards bodies (Golden Globes, Critics Choice, SAG, DGA). While audiences definitely watched, critics were less enthused. With heavy competition and many months having passed since its November debut, will voters still gravitate toward it? HBO’s other mystery, Mare of Easttown, has possibly sucked the air out of its tires.

One of the oldest shows competing in this category is also among the most critically acclaimed and memorable. HBO’s I May Destroy You follows a woman (played by creator Michaela Coel) as she grapples with the aftermath of her sexual assault. The show has a fervent fanbase and has earned notices from SAG and the Critics Choice. However, it's also purposefully graphic and incendiary, which may put some voters off. The social media outcry directed at the Golden Globes for not including I May Destroy You may have actually helped its Emmy chances, though, pushing it to the top of voters' watch list.

Steve McQueen’s Small Axe caused some confusion towards the end of the year, with many debating whether it should compete at the Emmys or Oscars. The series of five films chronicle the experience of West Indian immigrants in London. Their distinct style makes it a standout choice in this category. Many groups gave it film awards, while the Golden Globes and Critics Choice nominated it in TV categories. Will the awards confusion hurt it at the Emmys?

Showtime’s The Good Lord Bird has earned most of its accolades to date for Ethan Hawke’s star turn. He's expected to show up in Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie. With a WGA nomination and recent Peabody win, the show itself could be a dark horse in the Limited Series category.

Barry Jenkins' "The Underground Railroad" is a late-breaking entry that could take the Emmys by storm.

Late Breaking Juggernauts
For all of its accolades, there are two key projects standing in the way of a clean sweep for The Queen’s Gambit. It has not yet faced off against the exceedingly popular Mare of Easttown and the critically acclaimed The Underground Railroad.

Like Small Axe before it, The Underground Railroad looks like cinema. Creator Barry Jenkins has found a way to translate his unique filmmaking style to streaming television. Unlike Small Axe, this project will have recency bias in its favor and it won't suffer from "film or TV?" discourse. This might put it towards the top of the pack but the competition is tough. Mare of Easttown has recently become the most talked about miniseries of the season. It has the starpower of The Undoing mixed with the positive reception of The Queen’s Gambit. There’s a real chance for the Kate Winslet led detective story to take the win in this category.

One of the biggest question marks of this season is the Marvel series WandaVision. The Disney+ show was lauded by both Marvel and general TV fans alike, though some felt it didn’t stick the landing. A few years ago, it would’ve seemed impossible for a Marvel show to crack the top Emmy categories. However, last year The Mandalorian received fifteen nominations, including Best Drama Series. If the Star Wars franchise can earn Emmy attention, then the sitcom-esque WandaVision could very well do the same.

Ryan Murphy has long been a lucky charm in this particular category. Shows like American Horror Story, American Crime Story and Feud: Bette and Joan have all earned nominations here. His recent work for Netflix has not had the same luck, though. Both Hollywood and The Politician failed to earn top series nominations at the Emmys, though they did earn acting accolades. This likely means that his latest project, the poorly reviewed Halston, may only receive a nomination for star Ewan McGregor.

Cynthia Erivo portrays Aretha Franklin for the third season of "Genius."

The Anthology Series
By design, there isn’t much opportunity for turnover in the Limited Series category. Yet, there are some anthology series that routinely garner attention. All previous seasons of Genius and Fargo have received nominations for Outstanding Limited Series. Will that streak continue this year? This year the critical and audience reception has been more muted than for previous seasons. Additionally, some time has passed since both were in the running (Genius: Picasso was nominated in 2018 and Fargo was last nominated in 2017). We can’t write these shows off fully, but the competitive field will likely keep them from the top prize. If either were to have more of a shot, it would be Genius: Aretha, which is getting a substantial push. The forthcoming Aretha Franklin feature film Respect may also help the buzz for Genius: Aretha.

Other anthology series this year include The Haunting of Bly Manor and Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story, which earned a WGA nomination. They remain longshots in this category.

HBO's "It's a Sin" is one of the best hidden gems in the limited series category this year.

The Underdogs
This category has no shortage of contenders. While it hasn’t received precursor support, HBO’s It’s a Sin could be a sleeper nominee. The AIDS drama found new notes to tackle, looking more at queer life in London in the 80s. Additionally, it features a fantastic young ensemble, with Lydia West and Callum Scott Howells as best in show. It never makes its characters too likeable for likability sake. Everyone feels real and their dynamics lived in. One would hope the Emmys would take notice, but, again, they are spoiled with great choices this year.

Other limited series contenders with pockets of support include Hulu’s A Teacher, Showtime’s The Comey Rule and Your Honor. The latter two are likely to have more success in acting categories than here, we think.

PREDICTIONS

The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)
Mare of Easttown (HBO)
I May Destroy You (HBO)
The Underground Railroad (Amazon Prime)
WandaVision (Disney+)

Who are you rooting for in this category?

more on the upcoming Emmys