Outstanding Variety Talk Series
“Last Week Tonight” (HBO)
“Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” (TBS)
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC)
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS)
“The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS)
“Real Time with Bill Maher” (HBO)
Who should win: “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee”
Upset: “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”
Who win win: “Last Week Tonight”
Lowdown: Even though it’s gotten slightly repetitive and might have lost a bit of its luster, John Oliver’s Sunday night fixture on HBO is the frontrunner here. Nothing would make us happier if “Full Frontal” won, however (O.K., maybe it’s one thing in the next category in this post).
Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
“The Amazing Race” (CBS)
“American Ninja Warrior” (NBC)
“Project Runway” (Lifetime)
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” (VH1)
“Top Chef” (Bravo)
“The Voice” (NBC)
Who should win: “RuPaul’s Drag Race”
Upset: “The Amazing Race”
Who win win: “RuPaul’s Drag Race”
Lowdown: “Drag Race” already won three Emmys for Editing, Costumes and Host (RuPaul) at the Creative Emmys ceremonies last weekend. None of its competitors took home any. That being said “The Voice” (last year’s winner), “Top Chef” (2010 winner) and the monstrous “The Amazing Race” (10 time winner) are all waiting in the wings. The time has come Emmy voters. Don’t f**k it up!
Outstanding Actress in a Limited Series or a Television Movie
Nicole Kidman (“Big Little Lies”)
Jessica Lange (“Feud”)
Susan Sarandon (“Feud”)
Reese Witherspoon (“Big Little Lies”)
Carrie Coon (“Fargo”)
Felicity Huffman (“American Crime”)
Who should win: Jessica Lange
Upset: Jessica Lange
Who win win: Nicole Kidman
Lowdown: It seemed like for ever that “Big Little Lies” would take the category Emmy and Lange would triumph over fellow Oscar winner Kidman in the Lead Actress race. That’s not the case now. Lange could still triumph (she’s a three-time winner, nine-time nominee), but it feels like it’s Kidman’s moment which will likely make her fans euphoric on Sunday night.
Outstanding Actor in a Limited Series or a Television Movie
Robert De Niro (“The Wizard of Lies”)
Riz Ahmed (“The Night Of”)
Ewan McGregor (“Fargo”)
Geoffrey Rush (“Genius”)
John Turturro (“The Night Of”)
Benedict Cumberbatch (“Sherlock: The Lying Detective”)
Who should win: Riz Ahmed
Upset: Ewan McGregor or Geoffrey Rush
Who win win: Riz Ahmed
Lowdown: Ahmed is the safe pick here, but “The Night Of” star faces unexpectedly potent competition from McGregor and Rush who won this category in 2005.
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Ann Dowd (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)
Samira Wiley (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)
Uzo Aduba (“Orange Is the New Black”)
Millie Bobby Brown (“Stranger Things”)
Chrissy Metz (“This Is Us”)
Thandie Newton (“Westworld”)
Who should win: Thandie Newton or Samira Wiley
Upset: Millie Bobby Brown
Who win win: Chrissy Metz
Lowdown: Frankly, this is one of the toughest races to call. “This Is Us” is adored by the Television Academy, but is Metz absolutely one of the reasons why? (We’d argue there is more respect for Mandy Moore’s work on the series even though she got shut out of an insanely competitive Lead Actress category). Newton was incredible on “Westworld,” but that show is decisive in the industry (at least after its first season). And that means if voters are all in on “Stranger Things” you could see Eleven make her way to the podium as the surprise winner.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
John Lithgow (“The Crown”)
Jonathan Banks (“Better Call Saul”)
Mandy Patinkin (“Homeland”)
Michael Kelly (“House of Cards”)
David Harbour (“Stranger Things”)
Ron Cephas Jones (“This Is Us”)
Jeffrey Wright (“Westworld”)
Who should win: John Lithgow
Upset: Ron Cephas Jones
Who win win: John Lithgow
Lowdown: This is another race that is much closer than it seems. Lithgow has already won a SAG Award and Critics’ Choice Award for his unexpectedly poignant turn as Winston Churchill. He also, however, lost the BAFTA and Golden Globe in this category (the latter being a major surprise). So, he’s the absolute frontrunner, but he’s the best bet. If “This Is Us” has won over Emmy voters you could see Jones surprise the field. And if they love “Stranger Things” enough Harbour is a wildcard too.
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Kate McKinnon (“Saturday Night Live”)
Vanessa Beyer (“Saturday Night Live”)
Leslie Jones (“Saturday Night Live”)
Anna Chlumsky (“Veep”)
Judith Light (“Transparent”)
Kathryn Hahn (“Transparent”)
Who should win: McKinnon or Light
Upset: None
Who win win: McKinnon
Lowdown: “SNL” dominated the Guest Actor Emmys handed out at the Creative Arts ceremony on Sunday with Melissa McCarthy and Dave Chapelle taking home trophies. McKinnon, who also won this category last year, has this one locked up.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin (“Saturday Night Live”)
Louie Anderson (“Baskets”)
Ty Burrell (“Modern Family”)
Tituss Burgess (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”)
Tony Hale (“Veep”)
Matt Walsh (“Veep”)
Who should win: Alec Baldwin
Upset: None
Who win win: Alec Baldwin
Lowdown: Baldwin’s Trump is an iconic portrayal that will go down in history and has made global headlines for getting under the current president’s skin. Biggest lock of the night.
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Television Movie
Regina King (“American Crime”)
Shailene Woodley (“Big Little Lies”)
Laura Dern (“Big Little Lies”)
Judy Davis (“Feud”)
Jackie Hoffman (“Feud”)
Michelle Pfeiffer (“The Wizard of Lies”)
Who should win: Jackie Hoffman
Upset: Regina King
Who win win: Laura Dern
Lowdown: Not comfortable with this pick at all. Dern is incredibly deserving, but there are too many factors at play. Pfeiffer, King, Woodley or Davis could all easily take it.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Television Movie
Alexander Skarsgard (“Big Little Lies”)
David Thewlis (“Fargo”)
Alfred Molina (“Feud”)
Stanley Tucci (“Feud”)
Bill Camp (“The Night Of”)
Michael K. Williams (“The Night Of”)
Who should win: Alfred Molina
Upset: Stanley Tucci
Who win win: Alfred Molina
Lowdown: I just cannot believe Alexander Skarsgard is going to win this category. No matter how much voters love the show I cannot see them voting for a character who is a serial abuser and rapist. Molina is my pick, but Emmy voters are gonna do what Emmy voters are gonna do.
Outstanding Television Movie
“The Wizard of Lies” (HBO)
“Black Mirror” (Netflix)
“Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love” (NBC)
“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” (HBO)
“Sherlock: The Lying Detective” (PBS)
Who should win: “Black Mirror”
Upset: “The Wizard of Lies”
Who will win: “Black Mirror”
Lowdown: The “San Junipero” episode of “Black Mirror” should talk this. Netflix spent a ton pushing it after the nomination was announced. That being said, “Wizard of Lies” is probably the safer, more traditional pick.
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
“Atlanta” (Episode: “B.A.N.”), Directed by Donald Glover (FX)
“Silicon Valley” (Episode: “Intellectual Property”), Directed by Jamie Babbit (HBO)
“Silicon Valley” (Episode: “Server Error”), Directed by Mike Judge (HBO)
“Veep” (Episode: “Blurb”), Directed by Morgan Sackett (HBO)
“Veep” (Episode: “Justice”), Directed by Dale Stern (HBO)
“Veep” (Episode: “Groundbreaking”), Directed by David Mandel (HBO)
Who should win: Glover for “B.A.N.”
Upset: Mandel for “Groundbreaking”
Who win win: Glover for “B.A.N.”
Lowdown: It helps that “Veep” and “Silicon valley have three and two nominations respectively, but Glover should easily take this one.
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
“Better Call Saul” (Episode: “Witness”), Directed by Vince Gilligan (AMC)
“The Crown” (Episode: “Hyde Park Corner”), Directed by Stephen Daldry (Netflix)
“The Handmaid’s Tale” (Episode: “Offred”), Directed by Reed Morano (Hulu)
“The Handmaid’s Tale” (Episode: “The Bridge”), Directed by Kate Dennis (Hulu)
“Homeland” (Episode: “America First”), Directed by Lesli Linka Glatter (Showtime)
“Stranger Things” (Episode: “Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers”), Directed by The Duffer Brothers (Netflix)
“Westworld” (Episode: “The Bicameral Mind”), Directed by Jonathan Nolan (HBO)
Who should win: Morano for “Offred”
Upset: Giligan for “Witness” or Duffer Brothers for “Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers”
Who win win: Morano for “Offred”
Lowdown: This is yet another close one. We’re going with Morano’s signature work on “Handmaid’s,” but the “Better Call Saul” and “Stranger Things” nominees are fierce competition.
Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series
“Drunk History” (Episode: “Hamilton”), Directed by Jeremy Konner and Derek Waters (Comedy Central)
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (Episode: “The (RED) Show”), Directed by Andy Fisher (ABC)
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (Episode: “Multi-Level Marketing”), Directed by Paul Pennolino (HBO)
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (Episode: “Episode 0179”), Directed by Jim Hoskinson (CBS)
“Saturday Night Live” (Episode: “Host: Jimmy Fallon”), Directed by Don Roy King (NBC)
Who should win: King for “SNL”
Upset: Pennolino for “Multi-Level Marketing”
Who win win: King for “SNL”
Lowdown: This is Don Roy King’s all the way. “Saturday Night Live” is gonna dominate where ever it can.
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
“Atlanta” (Episode: “B.A.N.”), Written by Donald Glover (FX)
“Atlanta” (Episode: “Streets on Lock”), Written by Stephen Glover (FX)
“Master of None” (Episode: “Thanksgiving”), Written by Aziz Ansari and Lena Waithe (Netflix)
“Silicon Valley” (Episode: “Success Failure”), Written by Alec Berg (HBO)
“Veep” (Episode: “Georgia”), Written by Billy Kimball (HBO)
“Veep” (Episode: “Groundbreaking”), Written by David Mandel (HBO)
Who should win: Ansari and Waithe for “Thanksgiving”
Upset: Mandel for “Groundbreaking”
Who win win: Ansari and Waithe for “Thanksgiving”
Lowdown: The now classic “Master of None” episode should get its due rewards here.
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
“The Americans” (Episode: “The Soviet Division”), Written by Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg (FX)
“Better Call Saul” (Episode: “Chicanery”), Written by Gordon Smith (AMC)
“The Crown” (Episode: “Assassins”), Written by Peter Morgan (Netflix)
“The Handmaid’s Tale” (Episode: “Offred”), Written by Bruce Miller (Hulu)
“Stranger Things” (Episode: “Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers”), Written by The Duffer Brothers (Netflix)
“Westworld” (Episode: “The Bicameral Mind”), Written by Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan (HBO)
Who should win: Miller for “Offred”
Upset: Duffer Brothers for “The Vanishing of Will Byers”
Who win win: Miller for “Offred”
Lowdown: We won’t underestimate “Stranger Things'” chances here, but expect the remarkable adaptation of “The Handmaid’s Tale” to pull through.
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series
“Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” (TBS)
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (HBO)
“Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC)
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS)
“Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Who should win: “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee”
Upset: “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee”
Who win win: “Saturday Night Live”
Lowdown: Just can’t see “SNL” losing here, but the safer bet is “Last Week Tonight” with John Oliver.
Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special
“Big Little Lies,” Written by David E. Kelley (HBO)
“Black Mirror” (Episode: “San Junipero”), Written by Charlie Brooker (Netflix)
“Fargo” (Episode: “The Law of Vacant Places”), Written by Noah Hawley (FX)
“Feud: Bette and Joan” (Episode: “And the Winner Is… (The Oscars of 1963)”), Written by Ryan Murphy (FX)
“Feud: Bette and Joan” (Episode: “Pilot”), Written by Jaffe Cohen, Michael Zam, and Ryan Murphy (FX)
“The Night Of” (Episode: “The Call of the Wild”), Written by Richard Price and Steven Zaillian (HBO)
Who should win: Murphy for “And the Winner is…” (I can’t believe I just typed that)
Upset: Booker for “Black Mirror”
Who win win: Kelley for “Big Little Lies”
Lowdown: How good is this category? Each of these scripts could be shown to students as examples of the best in content writing (television, film, stage, you name it). Murphy fashioned the best script of his career (!) and he still won’t win here. Kelley takes it for transforming an Australian-set novel into a quintessential look at America’s hypercritical 1% in “Big Little Lies.”
Agree? Disagree? Share your thoughts below.
