AFT Awards: Best Comedy Series

This is the twenty-eighth category of the 14th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2019-2020 season. This year, I’m including a shorter list, with just nominees and a few finalists, if applicable. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Comedy Series

Last year’s nominees: Brockmire, Fleabag, The Good Place, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Ramy

Emmy nominees: Curb Your Enthusiasm, Dead to Me, The Good Place, Insecure, The Kominsky Method, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Schitt’s Creek, What We Do in the Shadows

Finalists: Shameless, Upload, Kidding, Breeders, Dead to Me

The nominees:

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
The Good Place
Ramy
Insecure 

The winner:

The Great delicately balanced its outright comedy with the horrific events it portrayed, achieving a marvelous and immensely watchable result.

Next up: That’s a wrap! Stick around for TV reviews and head over to www.MoviesWithAbe.com for more on the film world and the upcoming Oscar race!

AFT Awards: Best Drama Series

This is the twenty-seventh category of the 14th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2019-2020 season. This year, I’m including a shorter list, with just nominees and a few finalists, if applicable. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Drama Series

Last year’s nominees: Better Call Saul, Bodyguard, Counterpart, Doom Patrol, Narcos: Mexico

Emmy nominees: Better Call Saul, The Crown, The Handmaid’s Tale, Killing Eve, The Mandalorian, Ozark, Stranger Things, Succession

Finalists: Better Call Saul, This Is Us, Orange is the New Black, The Morning Show, Perpetual Grace, LTD, Big Little Lies, Liar

The nominees:

Pose
Stranger Things
Undone
Westworld

The winner:

The Crown brought on an entirely new cast and demonstrated the same maturity in its third season, crafting installments that felt educational, intimate, and deeply thought-provoking.

Next up: Best Comedy Series

AFT Awards: Best Limited Series

This is the twenty-sixth category of the 14th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2019-2020 season. This year, I’m including a shorter list, with just nominees and a few finalists, if applicable. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Limited Series

Last year’s nominees: I’m excited to introduce this category for the first time this year after watching more limited series than ever in my life.

Emmy nominees: Little Fires Everywhere, Mrs. America, Unbelievable, Unorthodox, Watchmen

Finalists: The Loudest Voice, Mrs. America, Little Fires Everywhere, Mrs. Fletcher

The nominees:

Unorthodox
Normal People
Watchmen
Unbelievable

The winner:

Our Boys turned a horrific series of real-life events into important, resonant television thanks to a sensitive, respectful depiction of the many perspectives and influences that led to them.

Next up: Best Drama Series

AFT Awards: Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series

This is the twenty-fifth category of the 14th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2019-2020 season. This year, I’m including a shorter list, with just nominees and a few finalists, if applicable. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series

Last year’s nominees: Fleabag, The Good Place, Jane the Virgin, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Shameless

Finalists: The Politician, Why Women Kill, Ramy, Avenue 5, Insecure, Jane the Virgin, High Fidelity, The Righteous Gemstones, Dickinson, Better Things

The nominees:

The Good Place
Shameless
Kidding
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

The winner:

The Great stacked its cast with an overwhelming representation of talent, making it nearly impossible to pick a standout since every felt relevant and vital, no matter the size of their role.

Next up: Best Limited Series

AFT Awards: Best Ensemble in a Drama Series

This is the twenty-fourth category of the 14th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2019-2020 season. This year, I’m including a shorter list, with just nominees and a few finalists, if applicable. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Ensemble in a Drama Series

Last year’s nominees: Counterpart, Doom Patrol, Game of Thrones, Humans, Pose

Finalists: This Is Us, Orange is the New Black, Better Call Saul, The Handmaid's Tale, Westworld, Succession, Ozark

The nominees:

The Crown
Pose
The Morning Show
Stranger Things

The winner:

Perpetual Grace, LTD made every member of its ensemble matter thanks to the selection of performers uniquely equipped to represent characters with vastly different life experiences and attitudes.

Next up: Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series

AFT Awards: Best Ensemble in a Limited Series

This is the twenty-third category of the 14th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2019-2020 season. This year, I’m including a shorter list, with just nominees and a few finalists, if applicable. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Ensemble in a Limited Series

Last year’s nominees: I’m excited to introduce this category for the first time this year after watching more limited series than ever in my life.

Finalists: Mrs. Fletcher, Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Plot Against America, Years and Years, Unbelievable, The Loudest Voice

The nominees:

Watchmen
Mrs. America
Little Fires Everywhere
Dispatches from Elsewhere

The winner:

Our Boys tackled a difficult subject and made its depiction even more meaningful thanks to the rich and extraordinarily layered performances from a cast of dedicated performers who seemed most interested in truly understanding their characters.

Next up: Best Ensemble in a Drama Series

AFT Awards: Best Writing for a Limited Series or TV Movie

This is the twenty-second category of the 14th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2019-2020 season. This year, I’m including a shorter list, with just nominees and a few finalists, if applicable. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Writing for a Limited Series or TV Movie

Last year’s nominees: I’m excited to introduce this category for the first time this year after watching more limited series than ever in my life.

Emmy nominees: Shirley (Mrs. America), Episode 3 (Normal People), Episode 1 (Unbelievable), Part 1 (Unorthodox), This Extraordinary Being (Watchmen)

Finalists: Simone (Dispatches from Elsewhere), Part 1 (Unorthodox), Episode 8 (Normal People), Fredwynn (Dispatches from Elsewhere), Chapter 1: Out of the Depth, I Cry to You (Our Boys), 1995 (The Loudest Voice), Hooray for Hollywood: Part 1 (Hollywood), This Extraordinary Being (Watchmen), Little Fear of Lightning (Watchmen), Episode 12 (Normal People), Episode 11 (Normal People), Part 2 (Unorthodox), Part 3 (Unorthodox), Part 4 (Unorthodox), Episode 3 (Unbelievable)

The nominees:

Episode 2 (Normal People)
It's Summer and We're Running Out of Ice (Watchmen)
Peter (Dispatches from Elsewhere)
Jill (Mrs. America)

The winner:

A God Walks into Abar (Watchmen) is headache-inducing to consider thanks to the complexity of its concepts, but the way in which its content unfolds is gripping and captivating.

Next up: Best Ensemble in a Limited Series

AFT Awards: Best Directing for a Limited Series or TV Movie

This is the twenty-first category of the 14th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2019-2020 season. This year, I’m including a shorter list, with just nominees and a few finalists, if applicable. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Directing for a Limited Series or TV Movie

Last year’s nominees: I’m excited to introduce this category for the first time this year after watching more limited series than ever in my life.

Emmy nominees: Find a Way (Little Fires Everywhere), Episode 5 (Normal People), Unorthodox, It’s Summer and We’re Running Out of Ice (Watchmen), Little Fear of Lightning (Watchmen), This Extraordinary Being (Watchmen)

Finalists: Peter (Dispatches from Elsewhere), Episode 4 (Normal People), Episode 12 (Normal People), Episode 9 (Normal People), Part 4 (Unorthodox), Simone (Dispatches from Elsewhere), Little Fear of Lightning (Watchmen), Houston (Mrs. America), Fredwynn (Dispatches from Elsewhere), Hooray for Hollywood: Part 2 (Hollywood), Empty Best (Mrs. Fletcher), This Extraordinary Being (Watchmen), 1995 (The Loudest Voice), Chapter 7: Judging by Its End (Our Boys), Part 6 (The Plot Against America), Part 2 (Unorthodox), Part 3 (Unorthodox)

The nominees:

Hooray for Hollywood: Part 1 (Hollywood)
It's Summer and We're Running Out of Ice (Watchmen)
Chapter 1: Out of the Depth, I Cry to You (Our Boys)
Part 1 (Unorthodox)

The winner:

Episode 11 (Normal People) extracted such depth from its two characters basking in heat and emotion, adding considerable meaning to a simple setup.

Next up: Best Writing for a Limited Series or TV Movie

AFT Awards: Best Writing for a Comedy Series

This is the twentieth category of the 14th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2019-2020 season. This year, I’m including a shorter list, with just nominees and a few finalists, if applicable. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Writing for a Comedy Series

Last year’s nominees: Finale (Casual), Episode 1 (Fleabag), Episode 6 (Fleabag), Everything Is Bonzer (The Good Place), Janet(s) (The Good Place)

Emmy nominees: Whenever You’re Ready (The Good Place), The Great (The Great), Happy Ending (Schitt’s Creek), The Presidential Suite (Schitt’s Creek), Collaboration (What We Do in the Shadows), Ghosts (What We Do in the Shadows), On the Run (What We Do in the Shadows)

Finalists: If Only You Knew (Dead to Me), Meatballs at the Dacha (The Great), Panty Pose (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), It's Comedy or Cabbage (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), 180 Almonds (Work in Progress), Run (Run), HR (Shrill), Pilot (The Politician), Chapter One Hundred (Jane the Virgin), Insufficient Praise (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Favorable Matchup (Brockmire), 162 (Work in Progress), Wait a Minute, Then Who Was That on the Ladder? (Avenue 5), We Know the Way Out (Trying)

The nominees:

And You Sir, Are No Peter the Great (The Great)
I Wonder What Grass Tastes Like (Kidding)
They (Ramy)
Pilot (Upload)

The winner:

Whenever You're Ready (The Good Place) was an endearing and fitting goodbye for its characters, providing the kind of resolution that truly feels right.

Next up: Best Directing for a Limited Series or TV Movie

AFT Awards: Best Directing for a Comedy Series

This is the nineteenth category of the 14th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2019-2020 season. This year, I’m including a shorter list, with just nominees and a few finalists, if applicable. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Directing for a Comedy Series

Last year’s nominees: Finale (Casual), Episode 1 (Fleabag), Episode 6 (Fleabag), Midnight at the Concord (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Ne Me Quitte Pas (Ramy)

Emmy nominees: The Great (The Great), It’s Comedy or Cabbage (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Marvelous Radio (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Finale Part 2 (Modern Family), Miakhalifa.mov (Ramy), Happy Ending (Schitt’s Creek), We Love Lucy (Will and Grace)

Finalists: Uncle Naseem (Ramy), The Death of Fil (Kidding), Chapter One Hundred (Jane the Virgin), If Only You Knew (Dead to Me), Pilot (The Politician), Strike Up the Band! (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Marvelous Radio (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Pilot (Upload), Lowkey Lost (Insecure), Frank in the Future (Ramy), Ballad of the Lonesome Loser (High Fidelity), Favorable Matchup (Brockmire), ‘Faith’ is a fine invention (Dickinson), 14 (Pt. 2), 12, 11, 10 (Work in Progress), 180 Almonds (Work in Progress), Atlantic City (Ramy), Citizen Carl (Shameless), You Are Naked in Front of Your Sheikh (Ramy), Steady Rain (Better Things), Five Stars (Upload), Beep Panic (Curb Your Enthusiasm)

The nominees:

Whenever You're Ready (The Good Place)
No Dad (Breeders)
Parachute (The Great)
Run (Run)

The winner:

The Beaver's Nose (The Great) was the immensely satisfying capper to a season of build-up, taking all of the best elements of the show and blowing them up into something new and wondrous.

Next up: Best Writing in a Comedy Series

AFT Awards: Best Writing for a Drama Series

This is the eighteenth category of the 14th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2019-2020 season. This year, I’m including a shorter list, with just nominees and a few finalists, if applicable. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Writing for a Drama Series

Last year’s nominees: Twin Cities (Counterpart), Pilot (Doom Patrol), A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (Game of Thrones), The Word (The Handmaid’s Tale), The Comedian (The Twilight Zone)

Emmy nominees: Bad Choice Road (Better Call Saul), Bagman (Better Call Saul), Aberfan (The Crown), All In (Ozark), Boss Fight (Ozark), Fire Pink (Ozark), This Is Not for Tears (Succession)

Finalists: Chapter One: Suzie, Do You Copy? (Stranger Things), Bad Choice Road (Better Call Saul), Acting Up (Pose), The Hospital (Undone), Flip a Coin (This Is Us), Parce Domine (Westworld), In the Dark Night of the Soul It’s Always 3:30 in the Morning (The Morning Show), Handheld Blackjack (Undone),

The nominees:

Margaretology (The Crown)
Eleven (Perpetual Grace, LTD)
The Crash (Undone)
The Winter Line (Westworld)

The winner:

Tywysog Cymru (The Crown) felt like an immersion into an entirely new world thanks to the intimacy and starkness of its narrative.

Next up: Best Directing in a Comedy Series

AFT Awards: Best Directing for a Drama Series

This is the seventeeth category of the 14th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2019-2020 season. This year, I’m including a shorter list, with just nominees and a few finalists, if applicable. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Directing for a Drama Series

Last year’s nominees: Episode 1 (Bodyguard), Twin Cities (Counterpart), Pilot (Doom Patrol), The Long Night (Game of Thrones), Replay (The Twilight Zone)

Emmy nominees: Aberfan (The Crown), Cri de Coeur (The Crown), Prisoners of War (Homeland), The Interview (The Morning Show), Fire Pink (Ozark), Su Casa Es Mi Casa (Ozark), Hunting (Succession), This Is Not For Tears (Succession)

Finalists: Moondust (The Crown), Bagman (Better Call Saul), The Crash (Undone), The Hospital (Undone), Parce Domine (Westworld), Chapter Seven: The Bite (Stranger Things), Night (The Handmaid's Tale), The Cabin (This Is Us), A Seat at the Table (The Morning Show), Nepenthe (Star Trek: Picard)

The nominees:

Acting Up (Pose)
Felipe G. Usted. Almost First Mexican on the Moon. Part 1 (Perpetual Grace, LTD)
Pilot (Euphoria)
Handheld Blackjack (Undone)

The winner:

Aberfan (The Crown) powerfully conveyed the weight of a tragedy and the subsequent responsibility of those with authority to respond to it.

Next up: Best Writing for a Drama Series

AFT Awards: Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

This is the sixteenth category of the 14th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2019-2020 season. This year, I’m including a shorter list, with just nominees and a few finalists, if applicable. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

Last year’s nominees: May Calamawy, Rachel Grate, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Sally Phillips, Christine Woods

Emmy nominees: Angela Bassett, Bette Midler, Maya Rudolph, Maya Rudolph, Wanda Sykes, Phoebe Waller-Bridge

Finalists: Judith Light (The Politician), Maya Rudolph (The Good Place), Bette Midler (The Politician), Tiya Sircar (The Good Place)

The nominees:

Cush Jumbo (Trying)
Imelda Staunton (Trying)
Jane Krakowski (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Run)

The winner:

Kaitlin Olson (Curb Your Enthusiasm) was the rare psychological match for Larry as Becky, aware of what she wanted and didn’t but still ready to voice her own fury at the inevitable selfishness of her ex-brother-in-law.

Next up: Best Directing for a Drama Series

AFT Awards: Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

This is the fifteenth category of the 14th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2019-2020 season. This year, I’m including a shorter list, with just nominees and a few finalists, if applicable. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Last year’s nominees: Luis Guzman, Jake Lacy, Zachary Levi, Rufus Sewell, Tyrel Jackson Williams

Emmy nominees: Adam Driver, Luke Kirby, Eddie Murphy, Dev Patel, Brad Pitt, Fred Willard

Finalists: David Corenswet (The Politician), Griffin Gluck (Love Life), Freddie Fox (The Great), Skyler Gisondo (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Chris Williams (Upload)

The nominees:

Timothy Olyphant (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
Justin Kirk (Kidding)
Matt Lauria (Dickinson)
Zachary Levi (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)

The winner:

Jon Hamm (Curb Your Enthusiasm) managed to mock his own persona as a nice guy who enjoys overacting by becoming something else entirely, mimicking Larry to a terrifyingly accurate degree.

Next up: Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

AFT Awards: Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series

This is the fourteenth category of the 14th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2019-2020 season. This year, I’m including a shorter list, with just nominees and a few finalists, if applicable. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series

Last year’s nominees: Nina Arianda, Alexa Davalas, Jessica Lange, Sanaaa Lathan, Phylicia Rashad

Emmy nominees: Alexis Bledel, Laverne Cox, Cherry Jones, Phylicia Rashad, Cicely Tyson, Harriet Walter

Finalists: Alexis Bledel (The Handmaid's Tale), Sophia Bush (This Is Us), Pamela Adlon (This Is Us)

The nominees:

Rachel Hilson (This Is Us)
Kerry Condon (Ray Donovan)
Cherry Jones (Succession)
Jennifer Morrison (This Is Us)

The winner:

Annabelle Dexter-Jones (Succession) managed to assert Naomi’s right to exist and to interact with snobby elites, determined to remain her own person while choosing to fulfill certain expectations to keep her family at bay.

Next up: Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

AFT Awards: Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series

This is the thirteenth category of the 14th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2019-2020 season. This year, I’m including a shorter list, with just nominees and a few finalists, if applicable. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series

Last year’s nominees: Damson Idris, Kumail Nanjiani, Samuel Roukin, Jeremy Allen White, Bradley Whitford

Emmy nominees: Jason Bateman, Ron Cephas Jones, James Cromwell, Giancarlo Esposito, Andrew Scott, Martin Short

Finalists: Christopher Meloni (The Handmaid's Tale), Gil Bellows (The Handmaid's Tale), Harry Lloyd (Legion), John Ortiz (The Handmaid's Tale), Clancy Brown (The Crown), Ștefan Iancu (Killing Eve)

The nominees:

Mark Lewis Jones (The Crown)
James Cromwell (Succession)
Martin Short (The Morning Show)
Timothy Omundson (This Is Us)

The winner:

Timothy Spall (Perpetual Grace, LTD) completely nailed the notion of taking yourself far too seriously, backing up DeLoash’s no-nonsense attitude with an attitude that made his unbelievable criminal record feel all too believable.

Next up: Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series

AFT Awards: Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie

This is the twelfth category of the 14th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2019-2020 season. This year, I’m including a shorter list, with just nominees and a few finalists, if applicable. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie

Last year’s nominees: I’m excited to introduce this category for the first time this year after watching more limited series than ever in my life.

Emmy nominees: Uzo Aduba, Toni Collette, Margo Martindale, Jean Smart, Holland Taylor, Tracey Ullman

Finalists: Kayli Carter (Mrs. America), Sarah Paulson (Mrs. America), Sally Field (Dispatches from Elsewhere), Jasmine Cephas Jones (Mrs. Fletcher), Jade Pettyjohn (Little Fires Everywhere)

The nominees:
Toni Collette (Unbelievable)
Hong Chau (Watchmen)
Elizabeth Banks (Mrs. America)
Ari Graynor (Mrs. America) 

 
The winner:

Lexi Underwood (Little Fires Everywhere) expressed a true sense of wonder that Pearl felt at experiencing a new life that looked so little like what she knew while continuing to maintain a sense of self and humility.

Next up: Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series

AFT Awards: Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie

This is the eleventh category of the 14th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2019-2020 season. This year, I’m including a shorter list, with just nominees and a few finalists, if applicable. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie

Last year’s nominees: I’m excited to introduce this category for the first time this year after watching more limited series than ever in my life.

Emmy nominees: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jovan Adepo, Tituss Burgess, Louis Gossett Jr., Dylan McDermott, Jim Parsons

Finalists: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Watchmen), Richard E. Grant (Dispatches from Elsewhere), Amit Rahav (Unorthodox), Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend), Jeff Wilbusch (Unorthodox), Don Johnson (Watchmen)

The nominees:
Or Ben-Melech (Our Boys)
Andre Benjamin (Dispatches from Elsewhere)
Tim Blake Nelson (Watchmen)
Joe Mantello (Hollywood)
The winner:

Jony Arbid (Our Boys) masterfully conveyed the devastation and grief that Hussein felt coupled with the irrepressible anger at the inequality of the situation.

Next up: Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie

AFT Awards: Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

This is the tenth category of the 14th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2019-2020 season. This year, I’m including a shorter list, with just nominees and a few finalists, if applicable. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Last year’s nominees: Hiam Abbass, Alex Borstein, Linda Cardellini, Sian Clifford, Marin Hinkle

Emmy nominees: Alex Borstein, D’Arcy Carden, Betty Gilpin, Marin Hinkle, Kate McKinnon, Annie Murphy, Yvonne Orji, Cecily Strong

Finalists: Tawny Newsome (Space Force), Suzy Nakamura (Avenue 5), Zoe Chao (Love Life), Hiam Abbass (Ramy), Natalie Morales (Dead to Me), Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Michelle Veintimilla (The Baker and the Beauty), Lenora Crichlow (Avenue 5), Belissa Escobedo (The Baker and the Beauty), Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones), Reina Hardesty (Brockmire), Becki Newton (Divorce), Brenda Song (Dollface), Lolly Adefope (Shrill), Marin Hinkle (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), May Calamawy (Ramy), Zoey Deutch (The Politician)

The nominees:

Aisling Bea (Living with Yourself)
Yvonne Orji (Insecure)
Allegra Edwards (Upload)
Alexandra Daddario (Why Women Kill)

The winner:

Phoebe Fox (The Great) perfected the notion of sass by constantly reminding everyone around her of Marial’s intellectual superiority and her complete lack of faith in their competence.

Next up: Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie

AFT Awards: Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

This is the ninth category of the 14th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2019-2020 season. This year, I’m including a shorter list, with just nominees and a few finalists, if applicable. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Last year’s nominees: Alan Arkin, Steve Buscemi, Andrew Scott, Tony Shalhoub, Timothy Simons

Emmy nominees: Mahershala Ali, Alan Arkin, Andre Braugher, Sterling K. Brown, William Jackson Harper, Dan Levy, Tony Shalhoub, Kenan Thompson

Finalists: Jake Lacy (High Fidelity), Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Jimmy O. Yang (Space Force), Alan Arkin (The Kominsky Method), John Goodman (The Righteous Gemstones), Walton Goggins (The Righteous Gemstones), John Malkovich (Space Force), Michael Zegen (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Jay Ellis (Insecure)

The nominees:

Mahershala Ali (Ramy)
Theo Germaine (Work in Progress)
Adam Godley (The Great)
Sacha Dhawan (The Great)

The winner:

James Marsden (Dead to Me) pivoted entirely from the character he played in his show’s first season, bringing an astonishing and refreshing positivity to Ben that felt comforting in the face of other characters’ bleak outlooks.

Next up: Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series