Emmys: It's "Hacks" vs "Widow's Bay" for Best Comedy

by Cláudio Alves

With 24 individual citations, the last season of HACKS is the year's most nominated comedy.

Just as this post hits the timeline, the TV Academy will be in the middle of its two-day celebration of the so-called Creative Arts Emmys. In other words, the show where they give out every “below the line” category, with the Guest Acting prizes thrown in for good measure. The main ceremony, when the big awards will be announced to a new class of television luminaries – or more of the same, since they sure love to reward the same folks, over and over again – happens on September 14th. It’s a bit of a chaotic time, here at The Film Experience, with the fall festivals on a roll and the film awards season starting to peek over the horizon, while the small screen demands attention of its own. And indeed, we must pay respects to TV and the industry’s highest honors. 

With that in mind, Eric Blume, Nathaniel R, and I decided to have a quick look at the principal races and share our predictions, starting with the Comedies…

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Emmy Category Analysis: Outstanding Comedy Series

By: Christopher James

Eight comedy series compete for the prize of Outstanding Comedy Series.

There’s something for everyone in this season’s Comedy Series race. We once again have a major network TV sitcom fighting against a gaggle of streamers and premium cable offerings. A network sitcom hasn’t won this prize since Modern Family won it for five consecutive years from 2010-2014. Could Abbott Elementary break the drought? Meanwhile, a couple of former winners are looking to defend or reclaim their titles...

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Emmy Category Analysis: Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

By Abe Friedtanzer

Steve Martin and Martin Short in Only Murders in the Building

This category features three past winners and three newcomers, at least as far as this race is concerned. Nicholas Hoult is the only first-time nominee, and both Steve Martin and Martin Short have won Emmys before, but not for acting. The only returning nominee from last year is defending champion Ted Lasso himself Jason Sudeikis. He'll have to fend off competition from Bill Hader, who won the second of two back-to-back prizes the last time he was eligible, and Donald Glover, who won the year before that. It’s also distinctly possible that, if they don’t cancel each other out, either Martin or Short could win. I’d personally love to see Hoult crowned, but that seems unlikely.

Emmy analysis follows (if you want spoiler filled reviews click on the episode titles)... 

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Emmy Category Analysis: Contemporary Costumes

by Cláudio Alves

Unlike at the Oscars, contemporary costume design is regularly recognized by the Emmys. That's what happens when you have over one hundred categories, including separate prizes for costumes, depending on the type of narrative. This specific award has only existed since 2015, and so far, no show has won it twice, making for a nice reprieve from the TV Academy's usual allergy to spreading the wealth. Indeed, none of this year's nominees is a previous victor, though half of them have competed before. 

Usually, new programs have an advantage but never discount the power of a sweep – Schitt's Creek won on its second try as part of its final season's Emmy dominance. In other words, as with other categories, The White Lotus is well positioned to take home the gold…

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I'll Link To That

• Vox wonderful must-read piece by Alissa Wilkinson on the new fad of intertitles in movies and why and how they're deployed artistically.
• GQ Euphoria's Jacob Elordi profiled. Stunning photos with buzzy interview
• Pajiba Very interesting take on what "Jean Jacket" symbolizes in Jordan Peele's Nope (tons of spoilers)

More Anne Heche, Brad Pitt, Eminem/Hitchcock, Only Murders costumes, and Broadway stuff  after the jump...

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