Holy Saint Mary Tyler Moore, It's the Emmys!
Wag Anthony Anderson, his beard, and a very spiky costar (The Television Academy).
Dear Wags,
The Awards Squad keeps tabs on fading Hollywood rites so you don’t have to. Thanks to last year’s labor upheaval, the Emmys somehow horned in on January, sacred preserve of movie awards. Cramming everything together is convenient for insiders, though we doubt it’s going to budge dismal ratings. Plus, the Iowa Caucuses are destined to cast a frigid pall over the room. Won’t that be jolly? Who knows, maybe that hyped Sopranos reunion will perk folks up. In any case, here are our final picks. Do take them with a limo-load of salt. After all, gambling is a sin!
Yours Ever,
Marcello Rubini and Sarah Brown
Best Drama Series
Andor
Better Call Saul
The Crown
House of the Dragon
The Last of Us
Succession
The White Lotus
Yellowjackets
All over but the speechifying.
Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Sharon Horgan – Bad Sisters
Melanie Lynskey – Yellowjackets
Elisabeth Moss – The Handmaid’s Tale
Bella Ramsey – The Last of Us
Keri Russell – The Diplomat
Sarah Snook – Succession
We’d thrill to see Sharon Horgan showered with trinkets, but Bad Sisters was a comedy (then again, so was Succession). Anyhow, Snook is undeniable.
Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Jeff Bridges – The Old Man
Brian Cox – Succession
Kieran Culkin – Succession
Bob Odenkirk – Better Call Saul
Pedro Pascal – The Last of Us
Jeremy Strong – Succession
Odenkirk has not gotten enough praise for Saul and Pascal built up a head of steam early in the season. Still, we have those Succession Bros. to contend with. Will they cancel one another out? By a hair, we think it goes to Culkin.
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Jennifer Coolidge – The White Lotus
Elizabeth Debicki – The Crown
Meghann Fahy – The White Lotus
Sabrina Impacciatore – The White Lotus
Aubrey Plaza – The White Lotus
Rhea Seehorn – Better Call Saul
J Smith-Cameron – Succession
J. Smith-Cameron should get some love, and Golden Globe Ghost-of-Diana Debicki is full of surprises. Coolidge is the safe bet.
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
F Murray Abraham – The White Lotus
Nicholas Braun – Succession
Michael Imperioli – The White Lotus
Theo James – The White Lotus
Matthew Macfadyen – Succession
Alan Ruck – Succession
Will Sharpe – The White Lotus
Alexander Skarsgård– Succession
First Waystar Royco, now this.
Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary
Barry
The Bear
Jury Duty
The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
Only Murders in the Building
Ted Lasso
Wednesday
We understand Emmys conventional wisdom favors Ted Lasso. Emmy voters love Lasso! We think The Bear is going to take it. Sorry, Jury Duty fans.
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Christina Applegate – Dead to Me
Rachel Brosnahan – The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary
Natasha Lyonne – Poker Face
Jenna Ortega – Wednesday
Lyonne was quite something as a schlumpy detective. But Brunson is the last great network television star and the overwhelming favorite.
Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Bill Hader – Barry
Jason Segel – Shrinking
Martin Short – Only Murders in the Building
Jason Sudeikis – Ted Lasso
Jeremy Allen White – The Bear
You have your Hader-istas and your Sudeikis-philes, but White is on a beautifully baked roll.
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Alex Borstein – The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
Ayo Edebiri – The Bear
Janelle James – Abbott Elementary
Sheryl Lee Ralph – Abbott Elementary
Juno Temple – Ted Lasso
Hannah Waddingham – Ted Lasso
Jessica Williams – Shrinking
Ededbiri deserves to be the top chef.
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Carrigan – Barry
Phil Dunster – Ted Lasso
Brett Goldstein – Ted Lasso
James Marsden – Jury Duty
Ebon Moss-Bachrach – The Bear
Tyler James Williams – Abbott Elementary
Henry Winkler – Barry
A toughie. Winkler is a treasure, Goldstein became a star in Lasso, and it’s a Bear year, which helps Moss-Bachrach. We just have an inkling about Marsden.
Limited Series or TV Movie
Beef
Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Daisy Jones and the Six
Fleishman Is in Trouble
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Beef summed up the moment.
Lead Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie
Lizzy Caplan – Fleishman Is in Trouble
Jessica Chastain – George & Tammy
Dominique Fishback – Swarm
Kathryn Hahn – Tiny Beautiful Things
Riley Keough, Daisy Jones and the Six
Ali Wong, Beef
Caplan is the main rival to Wong in this category. Fishback is a critical darling but Swarm didn’t sting enough viewers.
Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Taron Egerton – Black Bird
Kumail Nanjiani – Welcome to Chippendales
Evan Peters – Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Daniel Radcliffe – Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
Michael Shannon – George & Tammy
Steven Yeun – Beef
Yuen is picking up another award. Peters, also deserving, would be a big upset.
Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie
Annaleigh Ashford – Welcome to Chippendales
Maria Bello – Beef
Claire Danes – Fleishman is in Trouble
Juliette Lewis – Welcome to Chippendales
Camila Morrone – Daisy Jones & the Six
Niecy Nash-Betts – Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
We’re convinced it’s Nash-Betts, though Danes gave a bravura performance.
Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie
Murray Bartlett – Welcome to Chippendales
Paul Walter Hauser – Black Bird
Richard Jenkins – Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Joseph Lee – Beef
Ray Liotta – Black Bird
Young Mazino – Beef
Jesse Plemons – Love & Death
Hauser chilled us to the bone. Let’s give him the last word and skip the talk shows and reality competition nonsense.
