Emmy season is upon us! Advertisements begging for your consideration have begun to infest social media sites in droves. And while the Emmy nominations won't be announced until July 13th, it's still pretty obvious, in most cases, what shows and actors have nominations on lock. However, in other cases, the nominations might be tougher to predict. Still, that won't keep us from doing some educated guesswork. The Emmys themselves will air on September 17th, hosted by Stephen Colbert. In advance, we're giving you predictions of who could be taking home golden statues on that date.First up is the Best Drama category. Game of Thrones, last year's winner, is ineligible this year, as the show has been on hiatus and will return for its newest season after nominations have been announced. With Thrones out of play, this category becomes anybody's game. The best dramas around these days have been a solid mix of fresh new content (Westworld, Stranger Things) and returning favorites that have maintained Emmy voters' favor in their later years (House of Cards, The Americans). If a new show were to win this year, it would be the first debut season of a show to win Best Drama since Homeland back in 2012. But newbies in the running for this award have some pretty heavy competition from acclaimed returners.
The Americans
It was beginning to look like The Americans would go its entire run without Emmy recognition. But last year, fans of the '80s espionage thriller were thrilled to see the show crack four major categories. Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell received nods for their brilliant leading performances, the episode 'Persona Non Grata'" was nominated for Best Writing for a Drama Series, and the series as a whole got a nomination for Best Drama. The show, which is currently wrapping up its penultimate season on FX, should find itself in this category once more. Unless Emmy voters suddenly reject it one year later, the way they did with Parks and Recreation after its first Best Comedy nomination.
Better Call Saul
AMC? Check. Vince Gilligan? Check again. Almost fifteen nominations to its name already? Two of which were for Best Drama? Check, check, check. Season three of Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad's much-lauded spinoff is a shoe-in for a Best Drama nod this year, particularly with the resurgence of Giancarlo Esposito's Gustavo Fring. Perhaps Esposito will get another chance at an acting Emmy, and join Bob Odenkirk and Jonathan Banks in netting the show Emmy nominations for their performances. A nod for Rhea Seehorn, who's yet to be recognized for her work on the show, would also be welcome. Ditto for Michael McKean, particularly for his stunning work on the show's best episode to date, "Chicanery."
The Crown
With a $130 million budget, The Crown is not only the most expensive show Netflix has produced, it's widely considered to be the most expensive television show of all time. Fortunately, the payoff for everyone involved was immense. The show, which chronicles the life of Queen Elizabeth II, was met with high praise and is scheduled to return this year. The payoff should continue with insurmountable adoration from Emmy voters. In addition to Best Drama, The series should also see a healthy amount of nominations for its lush costumes and production design. Expect acting nods for Claire Foy in the lead role and John Lithgow as Winston Churchill.
The Handmaid's Tale
While other streaming services have managed to stake a claim at the Emmys, Netflix with House of Cards and Orange is the New Black and Amazon Prime with Transparent, Hulu has yet to make its mark at the awards show. That should change soon with its most buzzed about show to date, The Handmaid's Tale. Based on the Margret Atwood novel of same name, Hulu's latest drama has received high marks both for its overall quality and for its eery timeliness. Many hope that Elisabeth Moss, best known as Peggy Olsen from Mad Men, will finally achieve an Emmy win for her lead performance.
House of Cards
Never bet against the Underwoods. A Best Drama win has eluded the Netflix original thus far (as have acting wins for stars Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright), but that shouldn't stop House of Cards from reeling in nomination after nomination. Spacey and Wright should repeat nominations for the Best Actor and Best Actress categories. There's also a good chance Michael Kelly will return to the Best Supporting Actor category. After four seasons, could House of Cards finally take home the big award of the night? With Breaking Bad long over and Game of Thrones out for the count, it just might.
The Leftovers
This one is a gamble, and could easily get blocked out by the inaugural season of Westorld or the sophomore outing of Mr. Robot. But there are some factors at play that could make The Leftovers a dark horse in this particular race. For starters, Damon Lindelof has been loved by Emmy voters in the past for his work on Lost. And while The Leftovers has yet to attain that love, it's steadily risen in quality since its mildly received first year. Add to the equation that this is the show's final season, and you could see sympathy from Emmy voters as the show winds down. However the show fares, Justin Theroux and Carrie Coon have decent shots at garnering acting nominations.
This Is Us
Caught in the fray of extremely dark dramas, This Is Us somehow manages to stick out. The heartfelt tear-jerker was a huge win for NBC, securing not just one, but two more seasons before the first one had even finished. Though the finale was divisive, This Is Us remains one of the most pleasant surprises of the year. Emphasis on pleasant. The family drama was renowned most for its spectacular performances, particularly from Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, and breakout star Chrissy Metz. This would be the Peacock network's first Best Drama nomination since Heroes was nominated ten years ago.
Other possibilities: Westworld, Mr. Robot, Stranger Things, Homeland
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The Emmys air on September 17, 2017 on CBS. What shows do you hope get nominated?