Emmy Predictions: Comedy Categories

By Abe Friedtanzer

Anthony Carrigan and Michael Irby in Barry

Whereas the drama series race can only bring back three of last year’s nominees, six of the comedy honorees are eligible again this year (Hacks and Curb Your Enthusiasm are the two that aren’t). It’s also the final season of heavyweights like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Barry, and Ted Lasso  along with two other past nominees, Atlanta and Dead to Me. There’s a slate of new shows in contention, like The Bear, Wednesday, Shrinking, and Poker Face, and it’s important not to forget the show that’s on the rise and likely to be the one to beat this year: Abbott Elementary.

The true challenge of predicting these races is the number of nominees in each based on the number of submissions on the ballot, especially in comparison to the drama categories. Both supporting races only have seven nominees, not eight. Lead actor and actress have five, not six. And the directing and writing categories each have six, but one of the directing nominees has to be a multi-camera show (which has resulted in surprising nominees like B Positive and especially The Ms. Pat Show, which is eligible again this year). There are going to be many deserving shows and performers snubbed as a result, and it’s almost impossible to choose what will get left off and what will make the cut. But let’s try…

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Emmy Category Analysis: Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

by Christopher James

Quinta Brunson faces off against two previous Emmy winners for the first season of "Abbott Elementary."

Variety in nominations is rare this Emmy season. Thus, the Lead Actress in a Comedy Series race stands out. This is the only category amongst drama and comedy acting honors wherein more than half of the nominees come from shows without a Series nomination.

This makes watching the nominated episodes a bit more fun. There are only so many times one can watch every episode of Hacks and Ted Lasso, no matter how good they are! In addition, it makes the race a little easier to call. The last time an actress won this prize for a show not nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series was when Melissa McCarthy surprised with a win for Mike & Molly in 2011, which (not) coincidentally was the same year she was the breakout star of Bridesmaids in movie theaters. Let’s analyze the race after the jump...

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