Emmy Predictions: Best Comedy Series

The 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards nominations will be announced on Thursday, July 14th. Please refer to my Emmy musings for this category for a detailed analysis of the contenders, and, as always, chime in below in the comments with any thoughts of your own.

Last year’s nominees: Curb Your Enthusiasm, Glee, Modern Family, Nurse Jackie, 30 Rock

The competition: Count out “Curb Your Enthusiasm” since it airs its first episode since the 2009-2010 season tonight. Don’t hedge any bets on Nurse Jackie returning, especially since it faces competition from two freshman Showtime series, The Big C, which may find its accolades reserved for its star Laura Linney, and Episodes, which may or may not be Emmy voters’ self-mocking cup of tea. Modern Family is a lock to return, and Glee is too hot not to, unless there’s some backlash against the show’s dip in quality. 30 Rock will be back, and The Office may or may not make it in, though it’s likely that it will since Steve Carell was still with the show and it often takes Emmy voters a season or two to catch on to a show’s decreasing quality. That makes it an uphill battle for the up-to-now-ignored Parks and Recreation and The Big Bang Theory, both vying for a place in the top category after earning only acting accolades to this point. The same goes for Community, which was shut out entirely for its first season last year. They’ll face competition from TV Land’s first foray into original scripted comedy, Hot in Cleveland, though I suspect that the show won’t be rewarded for any aspect aside from Betty White. Additionally, FOX’s first successful sitcom in a while, Raising Hope, could also draw votes and manage a place in this field.

The predicted nominees: The Big Bang Theory, Glee, Modern Family, The Office, Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock

The predicted winner: Modern Family

Next up: That’s a wrap!