By H. Alan Scott
So the Emmys are this Monday, and I've got a bit of a spoiler alert for you: they're gonna be boring. Well, not really, but boring in the sense that the winners are all largely predictable and expected. That doesn't mean there won't be some surprises, and if that happens, stick with me because I'll be talking all about it online at @HAlanScotton Monday, January 15 when the Emmys air on Fox.
In the drama categories, everything is going to Succession. We're talking Best Drama Series, Best Actor in a Drama Series (Kieran Culkin), Best Actress in a Drama Series (Sarah Snook) and Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Matthew Macfadyen). The only non-Succession win in the major categories is going to go to Jennifer Coolidge for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for The White Lotus. (I'm still quoting "The gays! They're trying to murder me.")
The comedy categories are a little less predictable. (Emphasis on "little," because they really aren't.) For Best Comedy Series, I'd put my money on The Bear, it is certainly the front-runner. That said, love for past-winner Ted Lasso is strong, I just don't think it's as strong as the love that's out there for The Bear. (Like, we've all seen that Jeremy Allen White Calvin Klein ad by this point.) Speaking of, Jeremy Allen White will likely take home the prize for Best Actor in a Comedy Series. The Bear's Ayo Edebiri will also likely win Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. For Best Actress in a Comedy Series, it's a bit more of a race. Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) is my pick, but I could see Christina Applegate (Dead to Me) and Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) sneaking in there too. For Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, my money is on the fan-favorite James Marsden for Jury Duty. (Like how weird was it that James Marsden was on this silly little show?) If Marsden doesn't win, it's going to go to Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear) or Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso).
In the Limited Series/TV Movie categories, Netflix's Beef is likely to dominate. It's going to pick up Best Limited Series/TV Movie, Best Actress in a Limited Series/TV Movie for Ali Wong and Best Actor in a Limited Series/TV Movie for Steven Yeun. In the Supporting categories, I really hope Niecy Nash-Betts wins for Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, but I could see Claire Danes winning for Fleishman Is in Trouble. For Supporting Actor, that's going to Paul Walter Hauser for Black Bird. He's won all the awards for it.
For me, the race to watch is Best Competition Reality Series. You see, RuPaul's Drag Race has dominated this category for years now, and rightfully so. But this year Survivor grabbed a nomination after a 17-year absence from the category. Is the Survivor Emmy curse finally over?! We'll find out. In fact, I'm talking about this on the latest episode of theParting Shot podcast with Katurah Topps from Survivor 45. She was the quote queen of the season and a fave. Like, the reason why Survivor is nominated for an Emmy again is because of players like Katurah. So, give that a listen.
Another thing I talked about on the latest episode of the podcast is how the Screen Actors Guild Award nominations just made this awards season a lot more exciting! You see, after the Golden Globes, things were beginning to feel a little too predictable and stale, there was no drama. (And you know how much I thrive on drama.) Well, the SAG Awards brought the drama! I was shocked that Charles Melton didn't get a nomination, but I was very happy Colman Domingo picked up a nomination for Rustin and The Color Purple even made it in there.
If you're already over the awards season—and listen, I can't blame you—this weekend you can watch The Brothers Sun on Netflix and then listen to my chat with Michelle Yeoh and Sam Song Li about it. You can also check out The Beekeeper, released nationwide today. I spoke with Josh Hutcherson about it. (And because I can't help myself, I also asked him his thoughts on being social media's favorite thirst trap.)
See you Tuesday when I offer my reactions to the Emmy winners. Let's all hope for some surprises and drama!
