Emmy Winner Predictions: Best Drama Series

I had the chance to dive deep into this category for The Film Experience – head over there to read my analysis!

Next up: That’s a wrap! Enjoy the show!

Emmy Nominees: Best Drama Series

My predictions: 6/8

This wasn’t nearly as crazy as it could have been, but I do want to note that the two shows that I predicted that weren’t nominated - “This Is Us” and “Bridgerton” - were the only two series eligible from last year. The former is quite a surprise given that it got shut out almost entirely for a final season that was actually quite good and seemingly very well-received by fans. Both Better Call Saul (7 nominations) and Ozark (13) are both back in contention and performed about the same as in years past, while Stranger Things (13) earned more nominations than in its past two eligible seasons, even if none of them were in directing, writing, or acting. Newcomers Severance (14), Squid Game (14), and Yellowjackets (7) all did pretty well, while Euphoria (16) was the only non-freshman to join the lineup for the first time, up a whole ten nominations from its season one haul. And then there’s Succession (25), which did better than its first two seasons combined, also managing to snatch up 14 out of 40 acting spots. This list is good but why couldn’t “Loki” have been here too?

What should win? I need to finish “Squid Game.” Otherwise, I think I’d choose “Severance, though “Ozark,“ “Euphoria,” and “Better Call Saul” would rate high on my list too.
What will win? With its nominations haul, I think Succession has already won this.

Emmy Predictions: Best Drama Series

The 74th Primetime Emmy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, July 12th. As always, chime in below in the comments with any thoughts of your own.

Last year’s nominees: The Boys, Bridgerton, The Crown, The Handmaid’s Tale, Lovecraft Country, The Mandalorian, Pose, This Is Us

The competition: Two of last year’s nominees are eligible again, one for the last time: This Is Us, looking to score its fifth nomination for its sixth and final season. The other is Bridgerton, which might be back but is far from a lock. Five shows that were nominated the year before are newly eligible, with Succession, Ozark, and Better Call Saul are sure to return. Stranger Things seems very likely, while Killing Eve does not. High-profile new contenders include Squid Game, Severance, and Yellowjackets, while growing popularity for Euphoria and Yellowstone could enable them to make breakthroughs in this race. It missed for season one, but maybe The Morning Show has more fans this time around, while Evil, The Gilded Age, and Tokyo Vice also have their supporters.

The predicted nominees: Better Call Saul, Bridgerton, Ozark, Severance, Squid Game, Stranger Things, Succession, This Is Us

The predicted winner: I actually think Severance might be able to win.

Next up: Best Comedy Series

Emmy Winner Predictions: Best Drama Series

I've had the pleasure of covering some of the Emmy races for The Film Experience this year. Click here to read my detailed analysis and predictions for this category.

Emmy Nominees: Best Drama Series

My predictions: 6/8, missing “The Boys” and “Pose”

Nothing too surprising here, with my reach pick of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” not panning out and “Perry Mason” failing to deliver big outside of two acting nominations. What’s most startling is how well some of these shows did perform. The Crown and The Mandalorian tied for twenty-four nominations, The Handmaid’s Tale got twenty-one, and even the now-cancelled Lovecraft Country got eighteen. Pose had its best-ever showing with nine nominations and a return to this race after a year off, and This Is Us was relatively stable, also coming back after a year off with six nominations. Freshman entry Bridgerton did decently with twelve bids, while sophomore series The Boys made a decent showing with five nominations. I have to watch those last two, but otherwise this list is pretty solid.

What should win? I’d probably choose “Pose” or “This Is Us,” though “The Crown” and “Handmaid’s Tale” were great too.
What will win? Even though it may have some competition, The Crown is so far ahead in the race.

Emmy Predictions: Best Drama Series

The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, July 13th. As always, chime in below in the comments with any thoughts of your own.

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

The competition I wrote about this category for The Film Experience about six weeks ago. Since then, Lovecraft Country has been cancelled, but it’s important to note that it happened after voting was already closed, so it shouldn’t matter as much as it would have had it happened a few weeks earlier. I may have overestimated the chances of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but I don’t feel good enough about including a show I really like, Pose, and one whose pilot I didn’t like enough to keep watching, The Boys, in its place, so I’ll keep my list the same for now, though I’m worried that I may be way off on half of it.

The predicted nominees: Bridgerton, The Crown, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, The Handmaid’s Tale, Lovecraft Country, The Mandalorian, Perry Mason, This Is Us

The predicted winner: This will be the year The Crown finally triumphs barring a true surprise.

Next up: Best Comedy Series

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

Emmy Winner Predictions: Best Drama Series

I've had the pleasure of covering some of the Emmy races for The Film Experience this year. Click here to read my detailed analysis and predictions for this category.

Emmy Nominees: Best Drama Series

My predictions: 5/8

Last year, there were eight likely contenders and there ended up being eight nominees. This year, there were many more than that and what resulted is a surprising list that doesn’t quite match how other categories played out. For instance, “The Morning Show” got eight nominations but isn’t here. “Westworld” got eleven and isn’t here either. The Mandalorian is the real surprise, mainly because just one of its fourteen other bids is for something that’s not technical. Stranger Things, which netted zero acting nominations, is also here, which I’m all for even though most don’t seem to have loved season three. Killing Eve did better than expected despite minimal buzz. The Handmaid’s Tale got ten nominations and Better Call Saul got seven, even though they both missed in some important categories, namely their lead actors. The Crown did well with thirteen, second only to Ozark and Succession, both of which scored eighteen bids. I have to watch “The Mandalorian” but overall this category is fine, even if I would have kept in “Pose,” “This Is Us” and “Westworld” over some of the others.

What should win? From what I’ve seen, I’d choose “The Crown” at this point.
What will win? Given its juggernaut status, I think Succession is far enough ahead of its closest competition, “Ozark” and “The Crown.”

AFT Awards: Best Drama Series

This is the nineteenth category of the 13th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2018-2019 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: Counterpart, Game of Thrones, The Handmaid’s Tale, Narcos, Stranger Things

Emmy nominees: Better Call Saul, Bodyguard, Game of Thrones, Killing Eve, Ozark, Pose, Succession, This Is Us

Finalists: Game of Thrones

The nominees:

Doom Patrol
Bodyguard
Better Call Saul
Narcos: Mexico

The winner:

Counterpart improved on an already mesmerizing first season as it dug deeper into the subtle divisions between its two equally compelling worlds.

Next up: Best Comedy Series

Emmy Winner Predictions: Best Drama Series

I've already gone through and looked at the six episodes submitted by each of the nominees for Best Drama Series, and for a full survey at their chances, check out my complete rundown of the category for The Film Experience.

Emmy Episode Analysis: Best Drama Series

This year, I’m splitting my top two category predictions into two posts each. I went through the statistics and chances for each show for The Film Experience, and in this post, I’ll be looking at the submitted episodes for each show, with titles are in parentheses. Beware of major spoilers for listed episodes.

BETTER CALL SAUL
“Smoke,” “Breathe,” “Something Stupid,” “Coushatta,” “Wiedersehen,” “Winner”

For its fourth nomination in this category, its first bid since its third season was nominated in 2017, this show chose the first two and last four episodes of the ten-episode season. They’re all winning submissions which chronicle protagonist Jimmy’s attempts to stay relevant without his law license, featuring magnetic scenes with him spinning masterful lies, often with his far more ethical partner Kim by his side. These choices are as good as they’ve ever been, though there’s nothing particularly showy about the storyline as compared with the three equally strong previous years.

BODYGUARD
“Episode 1,” “Episode 2,” “Episode 3,” “Episode 4,” “Episode 5,” “Episode 6”

While this show merited only two nominations, I’d say it easily has the best showcase when it comes to episodes. It’s one of two shows which has its entire season represented given that it was comprised of only six episodes, and each one of them is more enticing and action-packed than the next. There’s plenty of suspense, but where this show – and each of its episodes – truly excels is when it catches viewers off-guard, including a major development halfway through that represents its sincere commitment to viewer satisfaction. If episodes were all that mattered, I’d put my money on this show having a chance to upset.

GAME OF THRONES
“Winterfell,” “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” “The Long Night,” “The Last of the Starks,” “The Bells,” “The Iron Throne”

Like the previous show, this one has all six of its episodes submitted, though none of them are only an hour, giving it yet another advantage over its competition. Its episodes feature a lot of greetings, talking, action, talking, action, and moderate resolution – in that order. The final season was highly divisive but Emmy voters have embraced it wholeheartedly, and it’s actually likely that the few voters unfamiliar with the show will be more impressed than devoted fans with what these episodes have to offer. Writing-wise, episodes two and four are strong, while episodes three and five feature staggering production values that make for one hell of an engaging viewing experience. It will be hard to beat these.

KILLING EVE
“Do You Know How to Dispose of a Body?,” “Nice and Neat,” “The Hungry Caterpillar,” “Desperate Times,” “Wide Awake,” “You’re Mine”

This show’s first nomination, for its sophomore season, comprises six of its eight episodes. Interestingly, one of the two omitted is actually star Jodie Comer’s submission. I wasn’t overly fond of the first four episodes of the season, which track the fallout from the season finale, and appreciated the last two much more when unexpected partnerships and relationships had started to build. This show is definitely weird and not for anyone, and I’m not sure that any of these episodes, taken two at a time, would be able to win over voters.

OZARK
“Reparations,” “The Precious Blood of Jesus,” “Outer Darkness,” “One Way Out,” “The Badger,” “The Gold Coast”

This show’s first nomination, for its second season, includes the first two hours, the sixth and seventh, and the ninth and tenth (the finale). I’d weight them all equally, featuring some decent performances and a whole lot of moodiness. Regular viewers are certainly invested in the storyline, but it’s hard to access that by checking in to these episodes. To me, what’s most disappointing is that there are always more miserable obstacles rather than any true progress achieved. I’m not sure that’s different than season one, but this desolate series doesn’t feel like a winner to me.

POSE
“Pose,” “Access,” “Giving and Receiving,” “The Fever,” “Love is the Message,” “Mother of the Year”

This freshman FX series submitted six of its eight episodes, opting for the first four, the sixth, and the eighth. As someone who wasn’t enthralled by the pilot because the subject matter isn’t of particular interest to me, I found myself much more engaged upon returning to the show to sample the remaining five installments. In addition to the fantastical nature of the ball scene, this show does human drama very well, and these episodes make a great case for spotlighting this particular underrepresented portion of the world. There’s an emotional case for this show to upset, but I don’t think it’s quite universal enough for all viewers, sadly.

SUCCESSION
“Celebration,” “Which Side Are You On?,” “Austerlitz,” “Prague,” “Pre-Nuptial,” “Nobody Is Ever Missing”

I watched the pilot of this show and wasn’t into it, and when I came back to watch the rest of the submissions, I was surprised to find myself skipping all the way to episode six. The decision to select episodes six through ten along with the pilot is an intriguing one, though I did find the plot extremely intriguing if still considerably over-the-top. Evidently, this is a case where a show might take longer for viewers to get into, and smart submissions showcase the best of what it has to offer, which is a large and talented ensemble portraying chaos as well as they can. This show is definitely watchable, but these episodes do still feel a bit off-the-rails.

THIS IS US
“Vietnam,” “Sometimes,” “Songbird Road: Part One,” “Our Little Island Girl,” “Waiting Room,” “R and B”

This show, back here for the third time in a row, had the most episodes to choose from, with eighteen at its disposal. I’m actually not impressed with those selected, with only the last one, the penultimate hour of the season, as a smart choice. “Vietnam” was too flashback-heavy in a way I found pointless, and both “Sometimes” and “Songbird Road: Part One” continued the melancholy focus on Jack’s brother without much success. The last three were a marked improvement, dealing instead with strong characters like Beth and Kate, but this show isn’t going to win with this slate.

What should win (based on entire season): “Bodyguard” or “Better Call Saul”
What should win (based on individual episodes): “Bodyguard” or “Pose”
What will win: Check out my next post with statistical data and my rundown of each show’s overall chances!

Next up: Best Comedy Series

Emmy Nominees: Best Drama Series

My predictions: 7/8, missing “Succession”

Well, it seemed like there were eight contenders, and all of them made the cut. That’s not the case, of course, for “Homecoming,” which managed just one technical bid and no other nominations. Game of Thrones pulled off a staggering 32 nominations, eight more than its previous high, and scored ten acting bids, which makes it a formidable frontrunner. The other returning nominees, Better Call Saul and This Is Us, did about as well as they have in the past. Both Ozark and Killing Eve jumped up to nine nominations and a place here for their second seasons. Despite making the cut here, freshmen Bodyguard, Pose, and Succession all performed less fantastically than expected, earning a grand total of one acting nomination among the three of them. I would have loved to see some fun inclusions here, but at least we get a few new shows that seem to be popular.

What should win? I don’t watch “Ozark,” “Pose,” or “Succession.” I think I’d pick “Bodyguard” over “Better Call Saul.”
What will win? I don’t think it’s wise to bet against Game of Thrones, and none of these seem strong enough to beat it.

Emmy Predictions: Best Drama Series

The 70th Primetime Emmy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, July 16th. As always, chime in below in the comments with any thoughts of your own.

Last year’s nominees: The Americans, The Crown, Game of Thrones, The Handmaid’s Tale, Stranger Things, This Is Us, Westworld

The competition: Whereas last year we had seven pretty much set nominees, this year offers the biggest clear opportunity for transformation with a whopping five out of seven shows not eligible. “The Americans” ended last year, and four of the sophomore series are either in the middle of airing third seasons or have yet to premiere them. That leaves just Game of Thrones for its final season and This Is Us for its third. Expect Better Call Saul, ineligible last year but back now, to join those. Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess. The Golden Globe honorees were freshmen Bodyguard, Homecoming, and Pose. Sophomore series Killing Eve, which likely came close to a nomination in this category last year, joined them, and Ozark, which showed up in a few categories last time, had the most nominations from SAG this year, including an ensemble bid. A past nominee, House of Cards, is eligible again for its shortened season but isn’t likely to place. Now that it’s eligible here, it’s possible that American Horror Story: Apocalypse could show up, but I doubt it. The Chi and Succession have both earned buzz, and some prognosticators think that The Good Fight could show up too. I’d love to champion Counterpart here, but I think that’s highly unrealistic, sadly.

The predicted nominees: Better Call Saul, Bodyguard, Game of Thrones, Killing Eve, Ozark, Pose, This Is Us

The predicted winner: I think that Game of Thrones has it in the bag.

Next up: Best Comedy Series

AFT Awards: Best Comedy Series

This is the twenty-first category of the 12th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2017-2018 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: Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, The Good Place, People of Earth, Shameless, Trial and Error

Emmy nominees: Atlanta, Barry, Black-ish, Curb Your Enthusiasm, GLOW, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Silicon Valley, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Finalists: Loaded, People of Earth, Orange is the New Black, Shameless, Insecure, Divorce, Episodes, Vice Principals, Jane the Virgin, Atypical

The nominees:

Santa Clarita Diet
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
The Good Place
Barry

The winner:

The End of the F***ing World told a completely compelling story featuring two troubled protagonists whose actual interactions were just as fascinating as their own internal narration.

Next up: That’s a wrap! Get ready for fall pilot reviews aplenty!

AFT Awards: Best Drama Series

This is the twentieth category of the 12th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2017-2018 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: Goliath, The Handmaid’s Tale, Legion, Sneaky Pete, Westworld

Emmy nominees: The Americans, The Crown, Game of Thrones, The Handmaid’s Tale, Stranger Things, This Is Us, Westworld

Finalists: Mr. Robot, Sneaky Pete, Lost in Space, Jessica Jones

The nominees:

Game of Thrones
Counterpart
Narcos
Stranger Things

The winner:

The Handmaid’s Tale delivered a second season that followed its characters and its disturbing dystopia to even darker and more astounding places.

Next up: Best Comedy Series

Emmy Winner Predictions: Best Drama Series

Nominees are listed in alphabetical order. Submitted episode titles are in parentheses. Beware of major spoilers for listed episodes.

THE AMERICANS
“Dead Hand,” “The Great Patriotic War,” “Harvest,” “The Summit,” “Jennings, Elizabeth,” “START”

FX’s beloved Russian spy drama made the cut two years ago for its fourth season and now returns for its sixth and final year. Its four-nomination haul doesn’t appear to make it much of a threat to win, but there are fans who would love to see it rewarded. Its episodes aren’t bad, and the show grew on me as it went on even if I’m still not overly fond of it. I compare its situation to “Friday Night Lights,” a show that took home a best actor prize and a writing trophy in its final year but still couldn’t make the cut here because Emmy voters just didn’t go nuts for it.

THE CROWN
“Beryl,” “Marionettes,” “Matrimonium,” “Dear Mrs. Kennedy,” “Paterfamilias,” “Mystery Man”

This is the second consecutive nomination for this show and the last for its current cast since it’s jumping forward in history a couple decades for season three. This show scored three wins last year out of thirteen nominations, the same total it contends for this year. These submitted episodes, representing the second season as a whole, really do underline the show’s title as its feature, not just its primary protagonist. I wasn’t quite as taken with the first, Margaret-centric episode, but the rest are all very solid, including the last three episodes of the season that feature a visit by JFK and his wife, a revelation about Philip, and everything coming to a head in the finale. This show doesn’t have the momentum it could have had last year to win, but it’s sure to get some votes, especially for the way in which it presents its events.

GAME OF THRONES
“Stormborn,” “The Queen’s Justice,” “The Spoils of War,” “Eastwatch,” “Beyond the Wall,” “The Dragon and the Wolf”

It’s not too hard to pick six episodes when you air only seven in a season. The premiere is actually the one that wasn’t submitted, but fortunately the other six are all superb, with the sixth, “Beyond the Wall,” which is up for its direction, is my favorite, and the season finale, “The Dragon and the Wolf,” seems to be the most popular, picking up bids for both directing and writing. It’s the most-nominated program this year and took home the most awards the last two years it contended, when it also won Best Drama Series. It’s just a question of whether it can eclipse last year’s winner…

THE HANDMAID’S TALE
“June,” “Unwomen,” “Baggage,” “After,” “Smart Power,” “The Last Ceremony”

Last year’s winner in this category is up from thirteen nominations last year to a staggering twenty this year, all the more impressive because just a few of them are for technical citations. The best episode of season two, its finale, wasn’t eligible because it debuted in July, but this lineup is still superb, with a few standout episodes left off due to the strength of the season as a whole. They’re disturbing and tough to watch, but that’s part of what makes this show so incredible. It will just have to take down HBO’s returning juggernaut and FX’s fan favorite, but I still think it can win.

STRANGER THINGS
“MADMAX,” “Trick or Treat, Freak,” “Will the Wise,” “The Spy,” “The Mind Flayer,” “The Gate”

This show returns for its second consecutive nomination, down from nineteen nominations last year to twelve this time around. I personally preferred year two, though I think voters won’t be paying any attention to this show, which they barely acknowledged last year, giving it five technical trophies. Its submitted episodes are all strong, wisely omitting the seventh chapter that many didn’t like. This represents well the quality this show has to offer, but again, if this show was going to win, it would have been last year when it was riding a high that’s decreased considerably, especially with the delay of season three until 2019.

THIS IS US
“A Father’s Advice,” “Number One,” “The Fifth Wheel,” “Super Bowl Sunday,” “The Car,” “The Wedding”

One of the most beloved shows on television is back with a nomination for its second season, which wasn’t nominated nearly as much this year. Half of these episodes are strong – one that really gets to who Kevin is and why he’s always felt like the fifth wheel, the impactful super-sized Super Bowl episode, and the one after that which traced Jack’s legacy through his purchase of a new car. Of three back-to-back episodes focusing on each child, Number One’s spotlight was the weakest, and neither the season premiere or the season finale impressed me much since they both employed typical manipulative tendencies of this show to drop a huge bombshell clue that takes away from the overall effectiveness of the hour. This show might have won the SAG Award for Best Ensemble in a Best Drama Series, but its chances to win here are slim.

WESTWORLD
“Journey Into Night,” “The Riddle of the Sphinx,” “Akane No Mai,” “Kiksuya,” “Vanishing Point,” “The Passenger”

What we have here is a controversial show that scored five technical wins out of twenty-two total nominations last year and earned a staggering twenty-one nominations this year. I don’t think it’s nearly as well-regarded as it was at first, and the fact that it won pretty much nothing last year suggests that its chances here are extremely limited. The season premiere gets things started, two middle episodes really reframe everything, and the last three take the action to a whole new level. I had somewhat mixed feelings about the two most memorable episodes here, “Akane No Mai,” which took place mostly in Shogun World, and the finale, “The Passenger,” which changed the game entirely. I’m a big fan of this show but I’ll admit season two had some problems. It’s far too divisive to win.

What should win (based on entire season): “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Game of Thrones,” or “Stranger Things”
What should win (based on individual episodes): “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Game of Thrones,” or “Stranger Things”
What will win: It’s a tight race between two-time champion “Game of Thrones” and the show that won in its absence last year, The Handmaid’s Tale. Watch out for “The Americans” to upset, but I think it will be one of those two.

Next up: Best Comedy Series

Emmy Nominees: Best Drama Series

My predictions: 7/7!

I got everything right here, not that it was much of a surprise. The Americans returned to the race for its final season along with nominations leader Game of Thrones, which picked up 22 bids, down from 24 its past two seasons. Though it didn’t manage a directing or writing bid, Westworld held strong with 21 nominations, down from 22 last year, while The Handmaid’s Tale jumped up from 13 to 20 nominations. Stranger Things, which aired such a long time ago, dropped from 19 to 12 nominations, while This Is Us dropped from 10 to 8. Rounding out the list is The Crown, holding steady at 13. This is a good list – the only one on here I don’t watch is “The Americans.” Out of the expected shows nipping at these seven’s heels, I’d say that “Ozark” and “Killing Eve” came closest.

Who should win? I have to watch “The Americans,” but otherwise I think I’d choose “Game of Thrones” or “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
Who will win? It’s hard to say. I was going to predict “This Is Us” but I think that The Handmaid’s Tale will repeat, or else “Game of Thrones” will.

Emmy Predictions: Best Drama Series

The 70th Primetime Emmy Awards nominations will be announced on Thursday, July 12th. As always, chime in below in the comments with any thoughts of your own.

Last year’s nominees: Better Call Saul, The Crown, The Handmaid’s Tale, House of Cards, Stranger Things, This Is Us, Westworld

The competition: This category is considered to be sewn up by many prognosticators. Subtract the only two non-sophomore shows, “Better Call Saul” and “House of Cards,” which haven’t yet returned for their latest offerings. Plug back in two-time winner Game of Thrones, which took last season off after back-to-back wins, and The Americans, which aired its final season and was popular enough to snag one nomination here, two years ago. The only question is if any of last year’s five freshman nominees or “The Americans” are weak enough to be knocked out by the likes of the three most popular new shows: Killing Eve, Ozark, or Mindhunter, or if we’re truly underestimating something like The Chi or The Deuce. In theory, there’s also Mr. Robot, which was unceremoniously booted after being included its first season, and the once-great Homeland, which is a shell of its former self but did manage nominations for its lackluster fourth and fifth seasons. Maybe we’ll get a huge, hopefully good, surprise here!

The predicted nominees: The Americans, The Crown, Game of Thrones, The Handmaid’s Tale, Stranger Things, This Is Us, Westworld

The predicted winner: This feels like the year for This Is Us, but who the hell knows?

Next up: Best Comedy Series

AFT Awards: Best Drama Series

This is the twentieth category of the 11th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2016-2017 season. Finalists and semi-finalists are included to recognize more of the impressive work done on television today. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Drama Series

Last year’s nominees: The Affair, Better Call Saul, Jessica Jones, Narcos, Ray Donovan

Emmy nominees: Better Call Saul, The Crown, The Handmaid’s Tale, House of Cards, Stranger Things, This Is Us, Westworld

Semi-finalists: Better Call Saul, Billions, Dark Matter, Legends of Tomorrow, Longmire, Luke Cage, Masters of Sex, National Treasure, Rectify, Sense8, Stranger Things, Supergirl, The Crown, The Flash, The Man in the High Castle, This Is Us, Timeless,

Finalists: Narcos followed up on a spectacular first season with a gripping look at life on the run for one of history’s biggest drug lords. Ray Donovan took its extended family in new directions with just as many bumps along the road. Good Behavior hatched a strong premise and let its plot and its fascinating characters take it wherever it needed to go from there. Mr. Robot got even murkier in season two but remained one of the most fascinating series on television. Humans explored new ideas and came to new conclusions in its ever-enthralling exploration of artificial intelligence.

The nominees:

The Handmaid's Tale presented a terrifying vision of what contemporary society could look like, featuring endlessly disturbing content in the most mesmerizing way. Westworld explored a vast world with boundaries that were nearly impossible to see, layering depth within all of its mysteries. Sneaky Pete and Goliath both took relatively familiar concepts and helped make them completely fresh due to on-point writing and tremendous ensembles.

The winner:

Legion was a visually astounding feat that matched its look with its content, separating itself far from its X-Men roots and creating something that was impossible to forget and totally captivating to experience.

Next up: Best Comedy Series