Emmy Watch: An almost all-new lineup for Best Comedy Series
Saturday, May 22, 2021 at 8:12AM Our team is breaking down the top contenders in all the major races and highlighting some of our favorites over the next few weeks. Today, we’re looking at Best Comedy Series.
We opened last year’s look at this category with a caveat that, compared with the Best Drama Series race, there were considerably fewer contenders here. That’s true again this time, with just one (!) of last year’s nominees eligible and two other series that were nominated in the past possible as return inclusions. With so many slots open, there is tremendous room for new shows to break in, but few clues exist as to what’s at the head of the pack beyond a few frontrunners. Let’s dive in…
JUST A FEW RETURNING FAVORITES
I noticed a few weeks ago that there weren’t any shows from last year’s list that were going to premiere before the May 31st cutoff, but then I remembered that The Kominsky Method is in fact coming back for its six-episode third and final season just in time, on May 28th. Despite scoring a spot for its second season, it’s hardly a shoo-in to repeat. It missed the lineup after season one picked up the corresponding Golden Globe, and then still only managed two other bids, for stars Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin, for season two. I like the show but can’t seem to find anyone else who does, and Arkin isn’t even around for season three. It’s probably safe if only because there are no other returning shows in the running.
Technically, Master of None was nominated the last time it was eligible, but that was way back in 2017. The show returns tomorrow for a shortened third season without Aziz Ansari in the leading role, and while Lena Waithe is very well-regarded, it’s hard to know how the new version of the show will be received. A safer fallback is probably Black-ish, which earned three consecutive bids in this race between 2016 and 2018 and could easily be welcomed back. The chart below indicates all the other shows that aren’t eligible, like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Insecure, and What We Do in the Shadows, that will surely pick up even more bids when they do return. And it’s jarring to note that there are now three popular past nominees – Atlanta, Barry, and Russian Doll – that have taken multiple seasons off due to pre-pandemic delays that have only been lengthened in the past year.
LIKELIEST CONTENDERS
So, what shows are going to be nominated? Looking at the year-end awards bodies, one might assume that The Great would have an impressive showing, but it actually came through with a whimper last year for the Emmys and isn’t eligible this time around (season two will probably premiere this fall). The number one contender is inarguably Ted Lasso, which can probably clean up regardless of its competition now that Schitt’s Creek is over. Another popular newcomer is The Flight Attendant, and the question with that “comedic thriller” is just how well it will perform in other categories.
There are a few other possibilities that don’t feel secure at all. The controversial love from the Golden Globes for Emily in Paris isn’t likely to translate here, but it could if Emmy voters find it similarly charming. The Politician disappeared from all the Globe categories after a strong showing in season one and a disappointing Emmy haul, and the fact that, almost a full year after season two dropped, it has yet to be renewed is not an indicator of anyone being interested. Two shows with minor awards love in the past – Pen15 and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist – could turn that goodwill into first bids for their second seasons here.
NEVER NOMINATED, BUT MAYBE NOW?
After that, there are numerous contenders that have been on for a bit that all feel like they could garner votes. Cobra Kai is popular in its third season, and it wasn’t eligible last time around, so sentiment could have built up considerably in the two years since it was last on the ballot. Shrill was particularly endearing in its third and final season, and star Aidy Bryant is a past Emmy nominee for her work on Saturday Night Live. If voters are looking for a fantastic, mature family dramedy, Breeders is an excellent choice. Dickinson is an offbeat anachronistic delight. Search Party aired not one but two seasons during the past year, though I have a hard time believing that its very dark tone will appeal enough across the board. It’s still astonishing to me that Shameless, which aired its eleventh and final season this year, has never been noticed for anything aside from William H. Macy, Joan Cusack, and its stunts, and I would love to see that change this year. And even though I’m not a fan of Superstore, I know many are and would appreciate it picking up its first-ever Emmy attention for its sixth and final iteration.
THE REST OF THE FRESHMEN
The freshman class includes much more than just Ted Lasso and The Flight Attendant, but everything else is far behind those two. Hacks and Made for Love have the advantage of having just premiered, and Girls5Eva has also received a good deal of positive mentions. I would be ecstatic if Genera+ion scored, but I don’t really understand what it’s doing classified as a comedy and can’t imagine it will appeal widely enough if Euphoria couldn’t manage to crack that many categories. I’m enjoying traditional sitcoms B Positive, The United States of Al, Home Economics, and the now-cancelled Call Your Mother, but I don’t see any of them as strong contenders, even with past Emmy nominees like Thomas Middleditch and Kyra Sedgwick in their casts. There’s also Mr. Mayor, Kenan, Young Rock, and Love, Victor, any of which could merit attention.
In my predictions at this time last year, I thought Dead to Me wouldn’t return in time and I underestimated both Insecure and What We Do in the Shadows, while giving too much of a boost to Ramy and the entirely-snubbed Run, which hadn’t yet started, let alone been cancelled. I feel like I have even less of a sense of where we are now, but here goes:
PREDICTIONS
- Black-ish
- The Flight Attendant
- Hacks
- The Kominsky Method
- Master of None
- Pen15
- Ted Lasso
- Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
What do you make of this year’s race, and what shows do you think can break through?
more on the upcoming Emmys
- COMEDY
- Actress Comedy
- Actor Comedy
- Supporting Actress, Comedy
- Supporting Actor, Comedy
- DRAMA
- Actress Drama
- Actor Drama
- Supporting Actress, Drama
- Supporting Actor, Drama
- MORE...
- Emmy Ballots
- FYC The Handmaid's Tale
- FYC Marielle Heller, Queen's Gambit
- FYC Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso
- FYC I May Destroy You
- FYC For All Mankind
Aidy Bryant, Cobra Kai, Emmys, Lena Waithe, Master of None, Pen15, Punditry, Shrill, Ted Lasso
Reader Comments (39)
Wow! Having such a wide open field is exciting. I think your predictions are pretty solid. Could we possibly see Mom get nominated for its final season? Or is that just wishful thinking on my part?
your predictions sound right-ish to me though i wonder if PEN15 is wishful thinking. It's so brilliant but will enough voters "get it"?
I love TED LASSO so much but if PEN15 were nominated I'd be torn between them. I just assumed it was never possible.
I dont really think of COBRA KAI as a "comedy" but i guess it's considered too 'lightweight' for the drama category. But i differe with you on GENERA+ION which i think is hilarious so i accept the comedy designation. I guess it's a dramedy but those often get slotted in comedy.
I really think Trying should be in the mix. It is beyond brilliant, and just lovely.
I agree with you as well. Those eight shows definitely feel like the most solid right now. I really really hope Pen15 and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist will get nominated. Hacks is just so good too.
What happed to Alan Arkin in terms of season three of THE KOMINSKY METHOD? Without him the show is... well, basically half a show.
Okay: If Master of None: Moments of Love is eligible, then, if they take that risk, so is Helluva Boss. Both have 5 episodes released. And as I said, less relevantly, on the last article, Family Guy Season 7 got, so I think more animated shows COULD carve out slots if they took the risk. And, though an hour show submitting as comedy is rare, The Boys IS an extended "comedy of a-holes." My guess of eight?
The Boys (If it submits as comedy, which it should, not because this a weaker category (that's just a bonus), but because no one thinks of this as a drama)
The Flight Attendant
Hacks
Helluva Boss (If it submits as comedy and not animated)
The Kominsky Method
Master of None: Moments of Love
Pen15
Ted Lasso
The Alternate Possibles, at least 2 of which get in if Helluva and The Boys submit elsewhere:
Black-ish
Cobra Kai
Genera+ion
Trying
Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist
What about Chad on TBS?
@Volvagia: Master of None is eligible because the first season had more than 6 episodes. Once a show is deemed either a comedy or a drama then all future seasons are placed in the same category. So even though season 3 only has 5 episodes, it's still considered a comedy. I personally think all seasons need to be at least 6 episodes to be eligible.
Wow, weak field?
they really should go back down to 5 nominees. Or at least there should be thresholds like... there needs to be #___ eligible shows to spark #___ wide fields.
I agree. All categories should have 5 nominees. Limited series only has 5 nominees ... and supporting performances have 8 - it just doesn't make sense.
First, just let Pen15 get nominated for everyrhing. And then fill everything else accordingly.
Just for everyone's info, since last year, Emmy nominations are actually generally based on the number of submissions received in each category, with Comedy Series and Drama Series specifically excluded from that rule and mandated to have 8 nominations.
Personally, I know it may not be to everyone's liking, but I think that something like the points system that used to be used for Best Original Song at the Oscars should be used instead in all categories, so that it can be based on the voters' opinions about quality and not just quantity.
I’m rooting for Ted Lasso to win. I’m hoping the show wins Series, Comedy Actor (Jason) and Supporting Actress (Hannah Waddingham).
I actually feel confident that Pen15 will get nominated for Comedy Series because the show was able to get an Emmy nomination in writing for the first season. The writers branch love the show (it received WGA noms for both seasons), and will carry it to the Series nom. Similar to “What We Do in the Shadows” last year.
That being said, I have doubts that either Maya or Anna will make the Comedy Actress lineup. The fact that neither could get a simple Critic’s Choice nomination is a red flag imo.
"The Connors" might be comfortable enough to return. "Roseanne" certainly did well with the Emmys back in it's time..
I *pray* you are correct abot PEN15... season 2 wasn't quite as killer as season 1, but it still shocked me at the very end with an emotional gut punch that had me crying. Easily one of my all-time favorite shows. Such pure, positive vibes.
It would be nice if Younger and Sutton Foster received some love for its final season. I also like The Unicorn in its sophomore season.
@Volvagia I'm not sure about Helluva Boss. I do know that The Boys is being actively campaigned as a drama by Amazon, so a switch, if even possible, would be unlikely.
@Marshako Chad is indeed eligible, though I don't think it has much of a shot.
I really like B Positive but traditional sitcoms don't get any award attention any more.
I know it's quite impossible but I wish TV critics would push for Search Party.
For as shallow as the pool of likely contenders is, it's undeniably exciting to have a race as up in the air as this from an institution as drawn to familiarity and established contenders as the Emmys.
Ted Lasso, The Flight Attendant, and arguably Hacks out in front (each exciting, funny new shows), The Kominsky Method, Black-ish, and Master of None likely to benefit from the dearth of established shows and hog some spots, but beyond that open season. Shows like PEN15, Dickinson, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, Superstore, Girls5eva, Cobra Kai, Mythic Quest and Search Party all standing a better chance than they ever otherwise would have. Even on the Emmy's least inspired day, that's a few exciting, new, outside-the-box picks from them.
As a side note, even with the shallow field, I struggle to be convinced Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist can sneak in - they've shown with Crazy Ex Girlfriend and Smash that they are averse to most non-phenomenon network musicals. My personal hunch is that eighth spot instead goes to Dickinson, which was a fringe contender last year and could follow a similar trajectory to shows like What We Do in the Shadows, or Killing Eve.
I have to say, I am puzzled on how "Avenue 5" is being overlooked and got mixed reviews... it's Iannucci at his best... and quite partially inspired, I think, by legendary british sitcom "Red Dwarf"
TV comedy feels like such a dying genre. So many shows have ended or will be ending in the next year or two, and not much has risen to take their place. Networks are ditching the half-hour timeslot and are more hesitant to spend money on dramedies. Even the streaming services aren’t filling the gap.
This post and the comments are almost aggressively avoiding Young Sheldon, which is a rare ratings juggernaut and claims to have at least 3 years of story left to tell.
Eurovision was fantastic and I don't understand the lack of coverage.
Brevity: Okay. Three points to explain "why". 1. They blatantly over awarded The Big Bang Theory, the thing Young Sheldon is a spin-off of. 2. Emmy doesn't bend toward network as much as they did even five-ten years ago. 3. Young Sheldon, even at its start, was basically just "Cod Malcolm in the Middle", and Emmy barely had time for ACTUAL Malcolm in the Middle as a series nominee. In a world where things broke more right in terms of point 1 and point 3 (Big Bang only pulling 2 Series noms and 1 Lead Actor win, severely lessening the burnout factor and Malcolm getting nominated for S1-4, not just S2), MAYBE I could see it squeaking in as a low slot nominee. But that's not where we exist.
Kiri -- we've never covered it. we probably need a team member who is obsessive about it to go there.
Kiri -- I follow Eurovision every year, but I've never written about it. Maybe next year, I can pitch some coverage of it over here :) I do like this year's winners, even if I was rooting for Malta and Iceland.
@Jesus Alonso I liked Avenue 5 and thought it might have broken through last year. If it had aired this season, it would have a decent shot, but it was eligible last year.
The same fucking post since Friday.
Then start your own fucking paper, Katherine.
Everyone is so rude in 2021. Take us all, meteor.
Gigi and Katherine, that coarse language is uncalled for. Professional people do not need to get their points across by swearing. The writer and all the comments before you two have no cussing. Intelligent restraint is the best policy.
correct me if i'm mistaken, but isn't the minimal amount of episodes per season to be eligibile in drama and comedy is 6? Master of none's new season has only 5 episodes, hence it'd qualify automatically as limited series
I’m so rooting for “GIRLS5EVA”.
Eduardo - Master of None is eligible because the first season had more than 6 episodes. Once a show is deemed either a comedy or a drama then all future seasons are placed in the same category. So even though season 3 only has 5 episodes, it's still considered a comedy.
This is also why Euphoria can submit as a drama series on the basis of those two special episodes they aired.
I wish Chad didn't have the network bias to get in. Still holding out hope that Nasim pulls out a nomination.
I second the love for Girls5Eva
Abe, I second your emotion on The Kominsky Method. I have just loved it and my only friend who likes it as much as me is a friend who, like me, is past 60 and male. Maybe other folks don't get it? I particularly liked the scene where Michael Douglas sees the young guy at the urinal and says something like "Oh YEAH, live it up" (jealously). And agree with whoever said the show won't be the same without Alan Arkin, but that's life.