Emmy Analysis: Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

By Abe Friedtanzer

Lukita Maxwell and Jason Segel in "Shrinking," now streaming on Apple TV+.

Isn’t this supposed to be a comedy category? Yes, two of the shows with a questionable genre distinction -- Barry and The Bear – are represented here, but all five men chose relatively serious fare as their episode submissions. Before we dig in, let’s start with a mention of the three eligible nominees from last year who didn’t make the cut this time around. Donald Glover, a past winner of this category, had his last shot for Atlanta, and Steve Martin missed out on a repeat bid for season two of Only Murders in the Building. Most lamentably, Nicholas Hoult was somehow not selected for The Great. How that’s possible is beyond me, but fortunately the five men who did make the cut are all worthwhile…

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Emmy Analysis: Drama Supporting Categories

By Abe Friedtanzer

Aubrey Plaza and Theo James in The White Lotus. Photograph by Fabio Lovino/HBO

Sixteen nominees for supporting actor and supporting actress are drawn from a mere four drama series, and two of them netted just a single mention apiece. That’s fourteen bids for two juggernauts from HBO, The White Lotus and Succession. The former is up one nomination from last year while the latter breaks even in these races, but two of its supporting contenders from last year, Kieran Culkin and Sarah Snook, got promoted to the lead race (and may be able to win there). Despite heavy internal competition, I think last year’s winners have a good shot at repeating, but let’s look closely at all the nominees and the episodes they’ve submitted for consideration…

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Emmy Analysis: Comedy Supporting Categories

By Abe Friedtanzer

Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Ayo Edebiri in FX's The Bear

With only fourteen nominees, the comedy supporting categories still have nearly double the shows represented by the drama supporting categories’ sixteen recognized individuals. Both supporting actor and supporting actress contain two sets of double nominees, but it’s hardly the overwhelming domination that exists on the drama side. There are also five past winners and a handful of fresh faces that make these two races well worth watching...

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TV Review – ‘Breeders’ Returns for a Great Final Season

By Abe Friedtanzer

It’s rare to find a truly endearing comedy that deals well with the nuances of parenting and deftly handles dramatic moments in a compelling way. I’d argue there are two vastly underappreciated such shows, Trying from Apple TV+ and Breeders from FX. The former was renewed for a fourth season almost a year ago, and the fourth and final season of the latter is officially here. If you haven’t seen either, now is the time to check them out, and I would highly recommend starting with the lovely Breeders, which you can find on Hulu.

Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard star as parents who are struggling to stay afloat. Their disciplinary strategies aren’t always the same...

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Emmy Analysis: Drama Guest Categories

By Abe Friedtanzer

Hiam Abbass

Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series and Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series are two of the races where only two HBO series are represented, and they also happen to contain nominees from the exact same two shows: The Last of Us and Succession. Before we get to the people recognized and the work they did (spoiler alerts for both series), let’s take a look at the history of these categories and whether this has happened in the past...

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