Emmy Winner Predictions: Best Drama Series

Nominees are pictured in alphabetical order.

The series category are a bit more refreshing and reassuring to predict than the others because voters actually see a nice sample of six episodes rather than just one telling installment. This formula also allows voters to get an idea of the shows. Anyone is sure to think that Boston Legal is positively ridiculous, however, they may find it relatively funny and occasionally dramatic in its ultimate political message. The selections of House, which include the season premiere and two-part season finale, create a nice story arc for an otherwise standalone show. Dexter gives non-fans a taste of its brilliance but also a potential overdose of its violent tendencies. Those three, in my mind, have a very low chance of winning and should find themselves better off in the still far more competitive Best Actor category with their leading men. The race is between one past winner and two new shows. Lost won for season one and then missed out on a nomination the next two years. This year, the selection of episodes isn’t as brilliant as it could be, still assailing non-watchers with heavy mythology that won’t be relevant or meaningful to them. The show does have a monstrous fan following, so it could manage what I would consider a surprise win. Both Damages and Mad Men have wisely chosen the first few and last few episodes of their respective freshmen seasons so as to extensively introduce all the characters and storylines, and then revisit them a few weeks later, with enough time left for everything to get refreshed. Between those two, it comes down to the simple fact that “Mad Men” is a far better show. “Damages” just doesn’t compare in terms of brilliance and quality, and that’s not just my personal opinion talking. History urges me to be cautious, however, looking at how legal drama “The Practice” beat out the freshman season of “The Sopranos.” Critically speaking, “Damages” is a far more inventive show than “The Practice” so watch out for a possible repeat of that line of thinking.

Who should win (based on entire season): “Lost”
Who should win (based on individual episodes): “Mad Men”
Who will win: “Mad Men” (alternate: “Damages”)