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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Emmys: Who Might Earn More Than One Acting Nomination This Year?

by Christopher James

Just this past year, Julia Garner won an Emmy for one of her two nominations that year.

When the Emmys fall for you, they fall hard. Many actors find that success in one role helps them pop up in other categories, namely guest acting. Some examples include Laurie Metcalf (Horace & Pete, Getting On), Bill Hader (Barry, Curb Your Enthusiasm) and Sterling K. Brown (This is Us, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel). Receiving multiple nominations can also be a positive sign towards a potential win, as was the case for Julia Garner last year when she won for Ozark and was also nominated for Inventing Anna. As Sally Field once said “you like me, you really like me.”

Many famous and emerging faces have submitted themselves in multiple categories. Some will definitely get the double-dip treatment, likely on their way to a big win. Which actors have the best shot at double-dipping this year when the nominations are announced...?

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Emmy Category Analysis: Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

By Abe Friedtanzer

Steve Martin and Martin Short in Only Murders in the Building

This category features three past winners and three newcomers, at least as far as this race is concerned. Nicholas Hoult is the only first-time nominee, and both Steve Martin and Martin Short have won Emmys before, but not for acting. The only returning nominee from last year is defending champion Ted Lasso himself Jason Sudeikis. He'll have to fend off competition from Bill Hader, who won the second of two back-to-back prizes the last time he was eligible, and Donald Glover, who won the year before that. It’s also distinctly possible that, if they don’t cancel each other out, either Martin or Short could win. I’d personally love to see Hoult crowned, but that seems unlikely.

Emmy analysis follows (if you want spoiler filled reviews click on the episode titles)... 

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TV Review: "Only Murders in the Building" Comes Back With a Vengeance

By: Christopher James

Our favorite podcasting trio return in the second season of Hulu's hit show, "Only Murders in the Building."We should’ve expected Season 2 of Only Murders in the Building to be a huge hit. The Hulu streamer became a four quadrant hit last fall, likely because it smashed together elements from all four quadrants. Older audiences tuned in for the classic pairing of Father of the Bride stars Steve Martin and Martin Short. Selena Gomez helped bring in a younger crowd as the third member of the mystery solving crew. A genuinely compelling mystery ties them together. On paper, it might read like it was made by a committee to appeal to the broadest possible audience. Yet, the series brings it all together through the shared fad for true crime stories and the culture of podcast listeners devoted to the genre.

Season Two of Only Murders in the Building recaptures the magic of the first season while upping the ante...

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Emmy Review: Guest Actor in a Drama

By Juan Carlos Ojano

While the Comedy Guest categories are exciting, the Drama Guest categories are just hard to decipher. Last year’s winner, Bradley Whitford for The Handmaid’s Tale, was bumped up to regular supporting (and is actually nominated there). Meanwhile, none of his co-stars submitted in this category made it. Only two of the nominees are from Drama Series contenders and one of them was a surprise inclusion. One nominee is already on his fourth consecutive nomination playing the same role in the same series. Another nominee is actually a giving a lead performance. 

With no obvious frontrunner in sight, let’s consider each nominee...

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