Emmy Winner Predictions: Best Comedy Series

Nominees are pictured and listed in alphabetical order. Beware of spoilers for listed episodes. The six episodes listed for each show make up the three tapes that could have been sent to voters. Please refer to my original reviews and chime in with your own commentary and predictions in the comments!

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM
"Vehicular Fellatio" & "The Reunion"
"Denise Handicapped" & "The Table Read"
"The Bare Midriff" & "Seinfeld"

What this show did which was remarkably smart was to pair one of the standard Larry-offends-people installments with a Seinfeld-centric episode so that every voter gets a taste of both. Honestly, it’s the smartest strategy since the three non-Seinfeld episodes are terrific, and audiences seemed to get pretty excited about all of the Seinfeld stuff. If there wasn’t so much competition, this could be the year that this show finally won something (it’s only ever won one Emmy – for directing back in 2003). Call it a dark horse.

GLEE
"Pilot" & "Preggers"
"Wheels" & "Sectionals"
"The Power of Madonna" & "Home"

This show is extremely popular and could win off of buzz alone. Its episode submissions, however, are hit or miss. The pilot, “Wheels,” and “The Power of Madonna” were all very well-received, as was the mid-season finale “Sectionals.” It all comes down to whether the show ultimately gets taken seriously by voters, and whether the musical aspect enhances the show instead of detracting from it. I think it will definitely rank high on some voters’ ballots, but ultimately lose out to…

MODERN FAMILY
"Pilot" & "Starry Night"
"Fizbo" & "Coal Digger"
"Come Fly with Me" & "Fears"

ABC’s most successful new comedy is likely the frontrunner in this competitive category because it didn’t have a single lackluster episode this past season. This is a collection of genuinely funny, heartwarming episodes that underline what this show is all about: family. These episodes do a wondrous job of highlighting Gloria, Cameron, and Phil, and those three characters, also Emmy-nominated, should help this show take home the top award it truly deserves.

NURSE JACKIE
"Pilot" & "Tiny Bubbles"
"Ring Finger" & "Health Care & Cinema"
"Apple Bong" & "Monkey Bits

This is the one comedy series that I don’t watch on a regular basis, so screening only these six episodes (as well as guest actor Eli Wallach’s) proved to be an interesting experience. I didn’t like the pilot either of the times I watched it, but the show definitely grew on me as I sampled three more episodes from the first season and two from the second. This show isn’t the typical fare to win this award, being a more serious cable drama that relies on week-to-week viewing rather than random sampling. If voters love Falco enough, perhaps this show could place, but most of it is truly black comedy that may make voters shudder just as much as it makes them laugh.

THE OFFICE
"Gossip" & "Murder"
"Niagara, Parts 1 & 2"
"The Lover" & "Secret Santa"

This show is definitely not going to win. Even though it took home the award for its second season and has been nominated ever since, this year was recognized as a very weak one. “Niagara,” also nominated for writing, was one of the best episodes of the season. Besides “The Lover,” however, the other episodes are truly subpar and there’s no way that this show could stage a comeback after the miserable year fans think it’s had.

30 ROCK
"Dealbreakers Talk Show #0001" & "Black Light Attack"
"Anna Howard Shaw Day" & "Don Geiss, America & Hope"
"The Moms" & "Emmanuelle Goes to Dinosaur Land"

This show is the reigning champ with three consecutive wins. This may well be the year it gets dethroned, however, thanks to new uber-popular new shows. In terms of episode submissions, I didn’t like the Dealbreakers episode, but the other five are all great. This show isn’t going to go down easily, and incorporating past elements like Liz’s former boyfriends and mothers of all the characters should give this older show an edge when it comes to fending off the newbies.

Who should win (based on entire season): “Modern Family” (my ballot)
Who should win (based on individual episodes) : “Modern Family”
Who will win: Tight race, but I’ll pick “Modern Family” to come out ahead.

Next up: The Emmy Awards ceremony! Tune in Sunday night!