Emmy Predictions

Nominations for the Emmy Awards will be announced this coming Tuesday, July 28^th, at 11:30am ET/8:30am PT. This year, I haven’t offered any coverage of the Emmys here at TV with Abe, but fear not – I’ve been writing extensively about all of the categories for The Film Experience. On Tuesday, I’ll be putting up a reaction piece at The Film Experience about all of the nominations first thing after they’re announced, and then you’ll find the typical specific breakdown by category here throughout the day.

Catch up now on all Emmy posts at The Film Experience, including individual category surveys and more recent overviews of new rule changes and number of nominees for each race. Comment here or there with your thoughts and picks!

Major Emmy Rule Changes

Emmy Ballots Are Here

20 Underrated Actresses as Emmy Contenders

The Biggest Question Marks Before the Emmy Nominations

Final Emmy Predictions

Initial category breakdowns:

Best Drama Series

Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Best Comedy Series

Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Best Limited Series

Best TV Movie

Best Lead Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie

Best Lead Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie

Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie

Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie

Final Emmy Winner Predictions

Tonight, I’ll be in southern Oregon fresh from an early start at Crater Lake National Park, watching the show from the comfort of my hotel room. It might not be as social as previous years, but I’m looking forward to an intimate opportunity to relax and enjoy what I hope will be a rewarding and engaging ceremony.

I feel like a good number of the categories are looking somewhat set, but there’s still a lot of chance for surprises. I’m up one from last year in terms of the guest acting categories that have been handed out, correctly picking Bradley Whitford for “The Handmaid’s Tale” but not foreseeing Cherry Jones, who I hadn’t remembered had only about a minute of screentime, for the same show. Since that series didn’t actually air this season, it’s only a threat in the directing and writing categories, though I can’t understand why “Holly” was chosen over the far superior season finale. On the comedy side, Luke Kirby and Jane Lynch both won for “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” which is a big deal given that it’s the defending champion, even if most of their competition was from “Saturday Night Live.”

It’s hard to imagine anything defeating “Game of Thrones” for Best Drama Series, though I’d be thrilled if the least likely candidate – “Bodyguard” – pulled it off. Even though I didn’t want it at first, I’d also be happy for “Pose,” though that seems just as unlikely. On the comedy side, it would be wonderful for it to be “Fleabag,” though I loved “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and would be happy as long as “Veep” doesn’t take it for its final season. In the acting races, there’s no one I’m rooting for as strongly as in years past, though Phoebe Waller-Bridge would be a great choice. I’m mostly playing it safe and would love to be pleasantly surprised in a few races (Jodie Comer would be a great example). I just want it to be interesting and to see a diverse crowd of deserving actors rewarded.

In the limited series categories, I’ve actually watched a full hour of all the top nominees, and “When They See Us” is the only one I watched until the end. I’d love to see that pick up victories along with the underrated “A Very English Scandal,” which missed out on the top category despite directing and writing bids. I’ve seen exactly zero of the nominated TV movies, and will be watching those with only minimally more interest than the reality races.

As always, I’m excited for the show, and will post some brief reactions either immediately afterwards or the next morning. Enjoy the show, and leave your thoughts in the comments! For detailed predictions in all applicable categories, click on the hyperlinked category name.

No guts, no glory:
Marin Hinkle eclipses Alex Borsteing for “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”

DRAMA SERIES:
Game of Thrones

DRAMA LEAD ACTOR:
Billy Porter (Pose)

DRAMA LEAD ACTRESS:
Sandra Oh (Killing Eve)

DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones)

DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones)

DRAMA DIRECTING:
The Long Night (Game of Thrones)

DRAMA WRITING:
The Iron Throne (Game of Thrones)

COMEDY SERIES:
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

COMEDY LEAD ACTOR:
Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method)

COMEDY LEAD ACTRESS:
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Tony Hale (Veep)

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)

COMEDY DIRECTING:
All Alone (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)

COMEDY WRITING:
Episode 2.1 (Fleabag)

LIMITED SERIES:
When They See Us

TV MOVIE:
Deadwood: The Movie

TV MOVIE/LIMITED ACTOR:
Jharrel Jerome (When They See Us)

TV MOVIE/LIMITED ACTRESS:
Patricia Arquette (Escape at Dannemora)

TV MOVIE/LIMITED SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Ben Whishaw (A Very English Scandal)

TV MOVIE/LIMITED SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Patricia Clarkson (Sharp Objects)

TV MOVIE/LIMITED DIRECTING:
When They See Us

TV MOVIE/LIMITED WRITING:
When They See Us

COMPETITION PROGRAM:
RuPaul’s Drag Race

VARIETY TALK SERIES:
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

VARIETY SKETCH SERIES:
Saturday Night Live

VARIETY DIRECTING:
Saturday Night Live

VARIETY WRITING:
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Final Emmy Predictions

Tomorrow morning, the nominations for the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards will be announced. This is probably the most unpredictable race in a long time. Two years ago, we got five freshman nominees for Best Drama Series, and now four of them aren’t in the running because their seasons are premiering too late for eligibility. There are a few shows looking to pick up major bids that I don’t watch, like “Pose,” “Succession,” and “Ozark,” while I’m rooting for the likes of “Bodyguard,” “Homecoming,” and, of course, “Counterpart,” to score across the board. On the comedy side, I’d love to see many supporting players from “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “Barry” recognized, with the right ones from “Veep” honored, and I’d be overjoyed if “The Good Place” did really well too. I’m less invested in the limited series and TV movie races, even though I’ve seen the first episode of most of the projects eligible. I’m most invested in “A Very English Scandal” and “When They See Us” doing well.

What I want most is for great surprises to come along, and you can check back here all day Tuesday as of about noon for reactions in each category. Click on category headings for full analysis and predictions. Leave your predictions in the comments!

BEST DRAMA SERIES
Better Call Saul
Bodyguard
Game of Thrones
Killing Eve
Ozark
Pose
This Is Us

BEST DRAMA LEAD ACTOR
Jason Bateman (Ozark)
Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us)
Kit Harington (Game of Thrones)
Richard Madden (Bodyguard)
Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul)
Milo Ventimiglia (This Is Us)

BEST DRAMA LEAD ACTRESS
Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones)
Jodie Comer (Killing Eve)
Laura Linney (Ozark)
Sandra Oh (Killing Eve)
Julia Roberts (Homecoming)
Robin Wright (House of Cards)

BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jonathan Banks (Better Call Saul)
Bobby Cannavale (Homecoming)
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones)
Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones)
Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul)
Justin Hartley (This Is Us)

BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Julia Garner (Ozark)
Lena Headey (Game of Thrones)
Rhea Seehorn (Better Call Saul)
Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve)
Susan Kelechi Watson (This Is Us)
Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones)

BEST COMEDY SERIES
Barry
GLOW
The Good Place
The Kominsky Method
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Veep

BEST COMEDY LEAD ACTOR
Anthony Anderson (Black-ish)
Jim Carrey (Kidding)
Don Cheadle (Black Monday)
Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method)
Bill Hader (Barry)
William H. Macy (Shameless)

BEST COMEDY LEAD ACTRESS
Christina Applegate (Dead to Me)
Pamela Adlon (Better Things)
Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)
Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag)

BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR
Alan Arkin (The Kominsky Method)
Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)
Tony Hale (Veep)
Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Matt Walsh (Veep)
Henry Winkler (Barry)

BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Anna Chlumsky (Veep)
Betty Gilpin (GLOW)
Marin Hinkle (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live)
Megan Mullally (Will and Grace)

BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTOR
Ron Cephas Jones (This Is Us)
James Cromwell (Succession)
Griffin Dunne (This Is Us)
Michael McKean (Better Call Saul)
Kumail Nanjiani (The Twilight Zone)
Bradley Whitford (The Handmaid’s Tale)

BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTRESS
Connie Britton (American Horror Story: Apocalypse)
Cherry Jones (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Jessica Lange (American Horror Story: Apocalypse)
Phylicia Rashad (This Is Us)
Carice van Houten (Game of Thrones)
Cicely Tyson (How to Get Away with Murder)

BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTOR
Matt Bomer (Will and Grace)
Peter MacNicol (Veep)
Lin-Manuel Miranda (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
Bob Newhart (The Big Bang Theory)
Adam Sandler (Saturday Night Live)
David Schwimmer (Will and Grace)

BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTRESS
Christine Baranski (The Big Bang Theory)
Jane Lynch (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Sandra Oh (Saturday Night Live)
Sally Phillips (Veep)
Maya Rudolph (The Good Place)
Wanda Sykes (Black-ish)

BEST DRAMA DIRECTING
Episode 1 (Bodyguard)
The Iron Throne (Game of Thrones)
The Last of the Starks (Game of Thrones)
The Long Night (Game of Thrones)
Holly (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Pilot (Pose)

BEST DRAMA WRITING
The Iron Throne (Game of Thrones)
Holly (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Stop (Homecoming)
Nice and Neat (Killing Eve)
Pilot (Pose)
Nobody Is Ever Missing (Succession)

BEST COMEDY DIRECTING
The Audition (Barry)
The Stockholm Syndrome (The Big Bang Theory)
Chapter 1: An Actor Avoids (The Kominsky Method)
All Alone (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Discovery Weekend (Veep)
Veep (Veep)

BEST COMEDY WRITING
ronny/lily (Barry)
Chapter 2: An Agent Grieves (The Kominsky Method)
Midnight at the Concord (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Vote for Kennedy
Vote for Kennedy! (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE LEAD ACTOR
Mahershala Ali (True Detective)
Hugh Grant (A Very English Scandal)
Jared Harris (Chernobyl)
Ian McShane (Deadwood: The Movie)
Sam Rockwell (Fosse/Verdon)
Benicio Del Toro (Escape at Dannemora)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE LEAD ACTRESS
Amy Adams (Sharp Objects)
Patricia Arquette (Escape at Dannemora)
Joey King (The Act)
Emma Stone (Maniac)
Michelle Williams (Fosse/Verdon)
Ruth Wilson (Mrs. Wilson)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kyle Chandler (Catch-22)
George Clooney (Catch-22)
Paul Dano (Escape at Dannemora)
Michael Kenneth Williams (When They See Us)
John Leguizamo (When They See Us)
Ben Whishaw (A Very English Scandal)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia Arquette (The Act)
Patricia Clarkson (Sharp Objects)
Carmen Ejogo (True Detective)
Vera Farmiga (When They See Us)
Emma Thompson (King Lear)
Emily Watson (Chernobyl)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE DIRECTING
Black Mirror (Bandersnatch)
Chernobyl
Deadwood: The Movie
Escape at Dannemora
When They See Us

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE WRITING
The Act (Free)
Catch-22
Chernobyl
A Very English Scandal
When They See Us

BEST MINISERIES
Chernobyl
Escape at Dannemora
Sharp Objects
A Very English Scandal
When They See Us

BEST TV MOVIE
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
Brexit
Deadwood: The Movie
King Lear
My Dinner with Herve

BEST REALITY COMPETITION SERIES
The Amazing Race
American Ninja Warrior
The Masked Singer
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Top Chef
The Voice

BEST REALITY HOST
Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman (Making It)
Ellen DeGeneres (Ellen’s Game of Games)
Jane Lynch (Hollywood Game Night)
Queer Eye (Queer Eye)
RuPaul Charles (RuPaul’s Drag Race)

BEST VARIETY TALK SERIES
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Late Late Show with James Corden
Late Show with Stephen Colbert

BEST VARIETY SKETCH SERIES
At Home with Amy Sedaris
Documentary Now
Drunk History
Saturday Night Live
Who Is America

Final Emmy Winner Predictions

I’m in Los Angeles for the Emmys for the first time in a long time, if not ever, and therefore I’ll be sitting down to watch this show at 5pm and done with it at exactly the time I’d usually start. Though that precludes me from watching it with friends who have to be at work, I don’t mind getting an earlier start on the evening.

Going into tonight, we actually have a number of competitive races, and I’m betting against some of the frontrunners. I’m actually 0/4 on the guest categories, with Ron Cephas Jones, Samira Wiley, Katt Williams, and Tiffany Haddish triumphing. I could have seen the first and last ones but was very surprised by the middle two. Either way, it shouldn’t have much bearing on tonight, other than to give Wiley and Williams’ shows, “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Atlanta,” respectively, a bit of a boost.

Best Drama Series is a dead heat between “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Game of Thrones.” I thought both were terrific, so I don’t really mind which one wins, though I am rooting most strongly for Yvonne Strahovski to win since I think she was superb and deserves a win. Best Comedy Series is so close between “Atlanta” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and I really prefer the latter. I’d also love to see “Barry” pick up a few wins.

For the other categories, I don’t know much, since I just watched the first hours of “The Alieniest,” “The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” “Godless,” and “Patrick Melrose,” and didn’t love any of them. I’ve also sampled “Twin Peaks,” “The Looming Tower,” and “American Vandal,” which are all up for other awards, and none of those impressed me much. Only “Waco,” which picked up an acting nomination for supporting actor John Leguizamo, who was far from the best part of that project, did I watch in its entirety and enjoy, along with “The Tale,” which was a movie back when I saw it at Sundance in January. I haven’t seen “U.S.S. Callister: Black Mirror,” which already picked up the Best TV Movie award last week at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, though I’ve heard terrific things, and as a result I will be considerably less invested in all of the categories not related to drama and comedy series.

As always, I’m excited for the show, and will post some brief reactions either immediately afterwards or the next morning. Enjoy the show, and leave your thoughts in the comments! For detailed predictions in all applicable categories, click on the hyperlinked category name.

No guts, no glory (last year, my choice of Ann Dowd was right!):
Betty Gilpin wins for “GLOW”

DRAMA SERIES:
The Handmaid’s Tale

DRAMA LEAD ACTOR:
Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us)

DRAMA LEAD ACTRESS:
Claire Foy (The Crown)

DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones)

DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid’s Tale)

DRAMA DIRECTING:
The Dragon and the Wolf (Game of Thrones)

DRAMA WRITING:
START (The Americans)

COMEDY SERIES:
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

COMEDY LEAD ACTOR:
Bill Hader (Barry)

COMEDY LEAD ACTRESS:
Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)

COMEDY DIRECTING:
Pilot (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)

COMEDY WRITING:
Pilot (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)

LIMITED SERIES:
The Assassination of Gianni Versace

TV MOVIE/LIMITED ACTOR:
Darren Criss (The Assassination of Gianni Versace)

TV MOVIE/LIMITED ACTRESS:
Laura Dern (The Tale)

TV MOVIE/LIMITED SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Jeff Daniels (Godless)

TV MOVIE/LIMITED SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Penelope Cruz (The Assassination of Gianni Versace)

TV MOVIE/LIMITED DIRECTING:
The Assassination of Gianni Versace

TV MOVIE/LIMITED WRITING:
U.S.S. Callister: Black Mirror

VARIETY TALK SERIES:
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

VARIETY SKETCH SERIES:
Saturday Night Live

VARIETY DIRECTING:
The Oscars

VARIETY WRITING:
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Presents: The Great American Puerto Rico

Emmy Winner Predictions

Okay, so the Emmys are tonight. I didn’t do all that well in my predictions for the categories that have been announced thus far, getting just 1/4 in the guest acting races. As expected, Alexis Bledel triumphed for “The Handmaid’s Tale,” while Gerald McRaney won for “This Is Us.” And both Dave Chappelle, who I had in second place, and Melissa McCarthy, who I should have predicted, took home comedy honors for “Saturday Night Live,” indicating strong support for the late-night sketch series. These categories don’t usually honor the fan favorite or the best performance, and I think overall that worked out better this year.

This is a big year for the Emmys, with five new shows contending for Best Drama Series and last year’s winner out of the running, and a hip new comedy threatening to take down the two-time champ for Best Comedy Series. Having just caught up on two of the most buzzed-about series, “Stranger Things” and “The Crown,” I can say that, while I think that “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Westworld” are two of the top five dramas of the year, I’d be okay with “Stranger Things” winning because I understand the appeal. I would, not however, be pleased if “This Is Us” takes it since I don’t feel it’s anywhere near the caliber of the other nominees. It also saddens me that “Westworld” apparently has no shot even though it’s the most-nominated series and also one of the best. The real question is whether Ron Cephas Jones can beat John Lithgow and if Thandie Newton can beat Chrissy Metz and Millie Bobby Brown. I’m saying yes on both with the expectation that I might be wrong. I’m not pulling especially for any of the nominees aside from Newton since I think she’s so deserving, and I’d also prefer Elisabeth Moss over Claire Foy. On the comedy side of things, I am strongly of the belief that “Atlanta” won’t win the top two prizes. I’m sticking with Jeffrey Tambor for Best Actor even though I have a sneaking suspicion that Anthony Anderson will upset due to his episode submission. I think that Baldwin and McKinnon are solidly ahead of their competition, and the directing and writing prizes seem somewhat sewn up as well.

I didn’t offer official predictions in the limited series and TV movie categories, but since I did watch “Big Little Lies,” “Fargo,” and “The Night Of,” as well as the pilot episodes of “Feud: Bette and Joan” and “Genius,” I have more knowledge in those races than I’ve had in years. It would be nice to see Riz Ahmed rewarded for his performance in “The Night Of,” though I’m actually pulling for Bill Camp, who I noted as the MVP of the show, to win in the supporting actor race, where Alexander Skarsgard, also a solid performer, is expected to prevail for “Big Little Lies.” If I had to choose between Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon, I’d pick Witherspoon, and between Laura Dern and Shailene Woodley, I’d pick Woodley, though most prognosticators are going with the opposite. I didn’t love any of the three miniseries seasons mentioned above, and I can’t believe that Mary Elizabeth Winstead isn’t nominated for her work on “Fargo.” I’ll be paying attention to these categories more than I do usually, but I’m still in this for the drama and comedy series.

As always, I’m excited for the show, and will post some brief reactions either immediately afterwards or the next morning. Enjoy the show, and leave your thoughts in the comments! For detailed predictions in all applicable categories, click on the hyperlinked category name.

No guts, no glory:
Ann Dowd wins for “The Handmaid’s Tale”

DRAMA SERIES:
Stranger Things

DRAMA LEAD ACTOR:
Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us)

DRAMA LEAD ACTRESS:
Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale)

DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Ron Cephas Jones (This Is Us)

DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Thandie Newton (Westworld)

DRAMA DIRECTING:
Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers (Stranger Things)

DRAMA WRITING:
Offred (The Handmaid’s Tale)

COMEDY SERIES:
Veep

COMEDY LEAD ACTOR:
Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent)

COMEDY LEAD ACTRESS:
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Alec Baldwin (Saturday Night Live)

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live)

COMEDY DIRECTING:
B.A.N. (Atlanta)

COMEDY WRITING:
Thanksgiving (Master of None)

Final Emmy Predictions

Tomorrow morning, the nominations for the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards will be announced. I've made detailed predictions in the top eighteen categories, and offered my best blind guesses for the Miniseries/TV Movie and variety categories below as well. I’m trying to limit my hopeful guesses in all categories, and I think selecting both Rachel Bloom and Gina Rodriguez to be recognized is pretty much the upper limit. Hopefully there will be some fun surprises and not some unfortunate snubs. Click on category headings below for full analysis in each race. I'm looking forward to the nominations, and you can expect analysis and reactions by category all day. Nominations will be announced starting at 11:30am eastern by Anthony Anderson and Lauren Graham, which is sure to be fun. Please offer your own predictions and thoughts in the comments below.

BEST DRAMA SERIES
Better Call Saul
Billions
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
House of Cards
Mr. Robot

BEST DRAMA LEAD ACTOR
Bobby Cannavale (Vinyl)
Paul Giamatti (Billions)
Damian Lewis (Billions)
Rami Malek (Mr. Robot)
Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul)
Kevin Spacey (House of Cards)

BEST DRAMA LEAD ACTRESS
Claire Danes (Homeland)
Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder)
Taraji P. Henson (Empire)
Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife)
Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black)
Robin Wright (House of Cards)

BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jonathan Banks (Better Call Saul)
Jim Carter (Downton Abbey)
Alan Cumming (The Good Wife)
Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones)
Michael Kelly (House of Cards)
Christian Slater (Mr. Robot)

BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black)
Christine Baranski (The Good Wife)
Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones)
Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey)
Lena Headey (Game of Thrones)
Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)

BEST COMEDY SERIES
The Big Bang Theory
Girls
Modern Family
Silicon Valley
Transparent
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Veep

BEST COMEDY LEAD ACTOR
Anthony Anderson (Black-ish)
Aziz Ansari (Master of None)
Don Cheadle (House of Lies)
Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth)
William H. Macy (Shameless)
Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent)

BEST COMEDY LEAD ACTRESS
Rachel Bloom (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend)
Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)
Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin)
Amy Schumer (Inside Amy Schumer)
Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie)

BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR
Andre Braugher (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
Ty Burrell (Modern Family)
Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)
Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family)
Tony Hale (Veep)

BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Anna Chlumsky (Veep)
Gaby Hoffman (Transparent)
Allison Janney (Mom)
Jane Krakowski (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)
Judith Light (Transparent)
Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live)

BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTOR
Reg E. Cathey (House of Cards)
Josh Charles (Masters of Sex)
Michael J. Fox (The Good Wife)
John Cameron Mitchell (Vinyl)
Max von Sydow (Game of Thrones)
B.D. Wong (Mr. Robot)

BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTRESS
Kate Burton (Madam Secretary)
Ellen Burstyn (House of Cards))
Whoopi Goldberg (Law and Order: SVU)
Allison Janney (Masters of Sex)
Margo Martindale (The Americans)
Cicely Tyson (How to Get Away with Murder)

BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTOR
Fred Armisen (Saturday Night Live)
Louis C.K. (Portlandia)
Larry David (Saturday Night Live)
Peter Macnicol (Veep)
Tracy Morgan (Saturday Night Live)
Bradley Whitford (Transparent)

BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTRESS
Christine Baranski (The Big Bang Theory)
Tina Fey (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler (Saturday Night Live)
Anjelica Huston (Transparent)
Brie Larson (Saturday Night Live)
Amy Schumer (Saturday Night Live)

BEST DRAMA DIRECTING
Pilot (Billions)
Battle of the Bastards (Game of Thrones)
The Door (Game of Thrones)
eps1.0_hellofriend.mov (Mr. Robot)
Descenso (Narcos)
The Macon 7 (Underground)

BEST DRAMA WRITING
Amarillo (Better Call Saul)
Pilot (Billions)
Part Eight (Downton Abbey)
Battle of the Basterds (Game of Thrones)
eps1.0_hellofriend.mov (Mr. Robot)
Descenso (Narcos)

BEST COMEDY DIRECTING
Pilot (Casual)
Japan (Girls)
The Panic in Central Park (Girls)
Daily Active Users (Silicon Valley)
The Book of Life (Transparent)
Man on the Land (Transparent)

BEST COMEDY WRITING
Pilot (Casual)
Josh Just Happens to Live Here! (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend)
Parents (Master of None),The Uptick (Silicon Valley)
Man on the Land (Transparent)
Morning After (Veep)


BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE LEAD ACTOR
Bryan Cranston (All the Way)
Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock: His Last Vow)
Idris Elba (Luther)
Oscar Isaac (Show Me a Hero)
Ian McKellen (The Dresser)
Patrick Wilson (Fargo)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE LEAD ACTRESS
Kirsten Dunst (Fargo)
Lady Gaga (American Horror Story: Hotel)
Sarah Hay (Flesh and Bone)
Felicity Huffman (American Crime)
Sarah Paulson (The People v. O.J. Simpson)
Kerry Washington (Confirmation)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE SUPPORTING ACTOR
Ted Danson (Fargo)
Martin Freeman (Sherlock: His Last Vow)
Alfred Molina (Show Me a Hero)
Forest Whitaker (Roots)
Bradley Whitford (All the Way)
Jeffrey Wright (Confirmation)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Kathy Bates (American Horror Story: Hotel)
Catherine Keener (Show Me a Hero)
Regina King (American Crime)
Melissa Leo (All the Way)
Anika Noni Rose (Roots)
Jean Smart (Fargo)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE DIRECTING
All the Way
Confirmation
Fargo (Before the Law)
The People v. O.J. Simpson (From the Ashes of Tragedy)
Roots (Night One)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE WRITING
All the Way
Confirmation
Fargo (Before the Law)
Sherlock: The Abominable Bride
Show Me a Hero

BEST MINISERIES
American Crime
American Horror Story: Hotel
Fargo
The People v. O.J. Simpson
Roots

BEST TV MOVIE
All the Way
Coat of Many Colors
Confirmation
The Dresser
Sherlock: The Abominable Bride

BEST REALITY COMPETITION SERIES
The Amazing Race
Dancing with the Stars
Project Runway
So You Think You Can Dance
Top Chef
The Voice

BEST REALITY HOST
Tom Bergeron (Dancing with the Stars)
Cat Deeley (So You Think You Can Dance)
Phil Keoghan (The Amazing Race)
Heidi Klum/Tim Gunn (Project Runway)
Jane Lynch (Hollywood Game Night)

BEST VARIETY TALK SERIES
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Late Late Show with James Corden
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Late Show with Stephen Colbert

BEST VARIETY SKETCH SERIES
Drunk History
Inside Amy Schumer
Key and Peele
Portlandia
Saturday Night Live

Final Emmy Winner Predictions

The Emmy Awards air tonight, and I’m hoping to tune in from my hotel room in Vancouver. So far, I’ve predicted 1/4 correctly, guessing only Joan Cusack to finally win on her fifth nomination for portraying Sheila on “Shameless.” Other winners were Reg E. Cathey for “House of Cards,” Margo Martindale for a two-minute performance on “The Americans,” and Bradley Whitford for “Transparent.” The big question this year with the drama races is who will prevail now that “Breaking Bad” is off the air. “Mad Men” and “Homeland” have both won before but are not in high regard anymore, and this is the last shot that “Mad Men” has to win any acting award despite its many nominations over the past eight years. I’m going with “Game of Thrones” to win the top prize, but it could be any of them. As far as the comedy races are concerned, “Modern Family” could still win, “Veep” might upset, and I’d be ecstatic if “Parks and Recreation” got a consolation prize for never winning before in the form of a deserved trophy for Best Comedy Series for its superb final season. And if there’s any way that Tatiana Maslany could win, I’ll be thrilled. As always, I’m excited for the show, and will post some brief reactions either immediately afterwards or the next morning. Enjoy the show, and leave your thoughts in the comments! For detailed predictions in all applicable categories, click on the hyperlinked category name.

No guts, no glory:
Tatiana Maslany for Best Drama Actress! If only!

DRAMA SERIES:
Game of Thrones

DRAMA LEAD ACTOR:
Jon Hamm (Mad Men)

DRAMA LEAD ACTRESS:
Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder)

DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Ben Mendelsohn (Bloodline)

DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Lena Headey (Game of Thrones)

DRAMA DIRECTING:
Method and Madness (The Knick)

DRAMA WRITING:
Person to Person (Mad Men)

COMEDY SERIES:
Veep

COMEDY LEAD ACTOR:
Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent)

COMEDY LEAD ACTRESS:
Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Anna Chlumsky (Veep)

COMEDY DIRECTING:
Best New Girl (Transparent)

COMEDY WRITING:
Alive in Tucson (The Last Man on Earth)

Final Emmy Winner Predictions

For some unknown reason, the Emmy Awards air tonight (Monday) as opposed to last night (Sunday). I prefer keeping the ceremony on the weekend, but I suppose it’s all the same. I’m already 2/4, correctly predicting Allison Janney and Uzo Aduba but missing Joe Morton and Jimmy Fallon in favor of David Morse and Bob Newhart. Now, the questions are whether “Breaking Bad” will be edged out by “True Detective,” and if “Modern Family” can be finally be taken down by “Orange is the New Black.” Plenty of these categories will be extremely competitive, and I’m honestly not sure what’s going to happen. I’m hopeful that it won’t just be a boring repeat of the past but rather that there will be a lot of creativity and first-time wins this year. I’m excited for the show, and will post some brief reactions either immediately afterwards or the next morning. Enjoy the show, and leave your thoughts in the comments! For detailed predictions in all applicable categories, click on the hyperlinked category name.

No guts, no glory:
William H. Macy for Best Comedy Actor

DRAMA SERIES:
Breaking Bad

DRAMA LEAD ACTOR:
Matthew McConaughey (True Detective)

DRAMA LEAD ACTRESS:
Robin Wright (House of Cards)

DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Josh Charles (The Good Wife)

DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey)

DRAMA DIRECTING:
Felina (Breaking Bad)

DRAMA WRITING:
The Secret Fate of All Life (True Detective)

COMEDY SERIES:
Orange is the New Black

COMEDY LEAD ACTOR:
Ricky Gervais (Derek)

COMEDY LEAD ACTRESS:
Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Andre Braugher (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Allison Janney (Mom)

COMEDY DIRECTING:
Lesbian Request Denied (Orange is the New Black)

COMEDY WRITING:
Special Relationship (Veep)

MINISERIES:
Fargo

MADE FOR TV MOVIE:
The Normal Heart

MOVIE/MINI LEAD ACTOR:
Billy Bob Thornton (Fargo)

MOVIE/MINI LEAD ACTRESS:
Cicely Tyson (The Trip to Bountiful)

MOVIE/MINI SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Matthew Bomer (The Normal Heart)

MOVIE/MINI SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Allison Tolman (Fargo)

MOVIE/MINI DIRECTING:
Fargo (The Crocodile Dilemma)

MOVIE/MINI WRITING:
The Normal Heart

VARIETY SERIES:
The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon

REALITY/COMPETITION PROGRAM:
The Voice

Final Emmy Predictions

Tomorrow morning, the nominations for the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards will be announced. I've made detailed predictions in the top eighteen categories, and offered my best blind guesses for the Miniseries/TV Movie and variety categories below as well. There are so many things I’m hoping for, but mainly it’s the recognition of shows like “The Bridge,” “Shameless,” “Orphan Black,” “Parks and Recreation” and other underdogs. It would be nice to see the usual shows not dominate, and to see some great surprises. Click on category headings below for full analysis in each race. I'm looking forward to the nominations, and you can expect analysis and reactions by category all day. Nominations will be announced starting at 8:15am by Mindy Kaling and Carson Daly. Please offer your own predictions and thoughts in the comments below.

BEST DRAMA SERIES
Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
House of Cards
Mad Men
True Detective

BEST DRAMA LEAD ACTOR
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)
Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
Woody Harrelson (True Detective)
Matthew McConaughey (True Detective)
Michael Sheen (Masters of Sex)
Kevin Spacey (House of Cards)

BEST DRAMA LEAD ACTRESS
Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel)
Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife)
Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black)
Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)
Kerry Washington (Scandal)
Robin Wright (House of Cards)

BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Charles (The Good Wife)
Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones)
Dean Norris (Breaking Bad)
Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)
Jon Voight (Ray Donovan)
Jeffery Wright (Boardwalk Empire)

BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones)
Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey)
Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad)
Lena Headey (Game of Thrones)
Christina Hendricks (Mad Men)
Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)

BEST COMEDY SERIES
The Big Bang Theory
Louie
Modern Family
Orange is the New Black
Silicon Valley
Veep

BEST COMEDY LEAD ACTOR
Don Cheadle (House of Lies)
Louis C.K. (Louie)
Matt LeBlanc (Episodes)
William H. Macy (Shameless)
Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

BEST COMEDY LEAD ACTRESS
Lena Dunham (Girls)
Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)
Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)
Emmy Rossum (Shameless)
Taylor Schilling (Orange is the New Black)

BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR
Ty Burrell (Modern Family)
Andre Braugher (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
Tony Hale (Veep)
Keegan Michael-Key (Key and Peele)
Jordan Peele (Key and Peele)
Christopher Evan Welch (Silicon Valley)

BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory)
Allison Janney (Mom)
Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live)
Cristin Milioti (How I Met Your Mother)
Kate Mulgrew (Orange is the New Black)
Merritt Wever (Nurse Jackie)

BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTOR
Beau Bridges (Masters of Sex)
Dan Bucatinsky (Scandal)
Paul Giamatti (Downton Abbey)
Harry Hamlin (Mad Men)
Nathan Lane (The Good Wife)
Robert Morse (Mad Men)

BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTRESS
Marcia Gay Harden (The Newsroom)
Allison Janney (Masters of Sex)
Lisa Kudrow (Scandal)
Margo Martindale (The Americans)
Julianne Nicholson (Masters of Sex)
Carrie Preston (The Good Wife)

BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTOR
Louis C.K. (Saturday Night Live)
Gary Cole (Veep)
Jimmy Fallon (Saturday Night Live)
Nathan Lane (Modern Family)
Bob Newhart (The Big Bang Theory)
Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTRESS
Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black)
Elizabeth Banks (Modern Family)
Ellen Burstyn (Louie)
Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black)
Melissa McCarthy (Saturday Night Live)
Kerry Washington (Saturday Night Live)

BEST DRAMA DIRECTING
Felina (Breaking Bad)
Ozymandias (Breaking Bad)
The Watchers on the Wall (Game of Thrones)
Pilot (Masters of Sex)
Who Goes There (True Detective)

BEST DRAMA WRITING
Felina (Breaking Bad)
Granite State (Breaking Bad)
Ozymandias (Breaking Bad)
Episode 1 (Downton Abbey)
The Secret Fate of All of Life (True Detective)

BEST COMEDY DIRECTING
Last Forever (How I Met Your Mother)
Elevator, Part 6 (Louie)
The Wedding, Part 2 (Modern Family)
Can’t Fix Crazy (Orange is the New Black)
Lesbian Request Denied (Orange is the New Black)

BEST COMEDY WRITING
Episode 305 (Episodes)
I Wasn’t Ready (Orange is the New Black)
Moving on Up (Parks and Recreation)
A Jailbird, Invalid, Martyr, Cutter, Retard, And Parasitic Twin (Shameless)
Minimum Viable Product (Silicon Valley)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE LEAD ACTOR
Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock: His Last Vow)
Chiwetel Ejiofor (Dancing on the Edge)
Idris Elba (Luther)
Martin Freeman (Fargo)
Mark Ruffalo (The Normal Heart)
Billy Bob Thornton (Fargo)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE LEAD ACTRESS
Helena Bonham Carter (Burton and Taylor)
Toni Collette (Hostages)
Minnie Driver (Return to Zero)
Jessica Lange (American Horror Story: Coven)
Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story: Coven)
Cicely Tyson (The Trip to Bountiful)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE SUPPORTING ACTOR
Matt Bomer (The Normal Heart)
Martin Freeman (Sherlock: His Last Vow)
John Goodman (Dancing on the Edge)
Colin Hanks (Fargo)
Alfred Molina (Return to Zero)
Jim Parsons (The Normal Heart)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Kathy Baker (Return to Zero)
Kathy Bates (American Horror Story: Coven)
Jacqueline Bisset (Dancing on the Edge)
Janet McTeer (The White Queen)
Julia Roberts (The Normal Heart)
Allison Tolman (Fargo)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE DIRECTING
Dancing on the Edge
Fargo (Buridan's Ass)
Fargo (The Crocodile's Dilemma)
The Normal Heart
Return to Zero

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE WRITING
Burton and Taylor
Dancing on the Edge
Fargo
The Normal Heart
Return to Zero

BEST MINISERIES
American Horror Story: Coven
Dancing on the Edge
Fargo
Luther
The White Queen

BEST TV MOVIE
Killing Kennedy
The Normal Heart
Return to Zero
Sherlock: His Last Vow
The Trip to Bountiful

BEST REALITY COMPETITION SERIES
The Amazing Race
Dancing with the Stars
Project Runway
Survivor
Top Chef
The Voice

BEST REALITY HOST
Tom Bergeron (Dancing with the Stars)
Carson Daly (The Voice)
Cat Deeley (So You Think You Can Dance)
Phil Keoghan (The Amazing Race)
Heidi Klum/Tim Gunn (Project Runway)
Jeff Probst (Survivor)
Betty White (Betty White Off Their Rockers)

BEST VARIETY SERIES
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Real Time with Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Final Emmy Winner Predictions

The Emmy Awards air this Sunday night on CBS. So far, I’ve predicted 2/4 correctly, missing both Carrie Preston (The Good Wife) and Melissa Leo (Louie), and correctly guessing Dan Bucatinsky (Scandal) and Bob Newhart (The Big Bang Theory). I’m far from secure in many of my predictions, because I really don’t know what this year’s big show will be in the drama race. My gut says “Homeland” will reign again, while “Breaking Bad” nabs a few acting trophies and “House of Cards” fares fine. Then again, “Downton Abbey” or “Mad Men” could have a resurgence. And will this finally be the year that “Modern Family” doesn’t win? It just doesn’t seem to me that there’s a nominee poised to take it down. Either way, I’m excited for the show, and will post some brief reactions either immediately afterwards or the next morning. Enjoy the show, and leave your thoughts in the comments! For detailed predictions in all applicable categories, click on the hyperlinked category name.

No guts, no glory:
“Veep” for Best Comedy Series

DRAMA SERIES:
Breaking Bad

DRAMA LEAD ACTOR:
Kevin Spacey (House of Cards)

DRAMA LEAD ACTRESS:
Claire Danes (Homeland)

DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)

DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)

DRAMA DIRECTING:
Chapter 1 (House of Cards)

DRAMA WRITING:
Q and A (Homeland)

COMEDY SERIES:
Modern Family

COMEDY LEAD ACTOR:
Louis C.K. (Louie)

COMEDY LEAD ACTRESS:
Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Ty Burrell (Modern Family)

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Julie Bowen (Modern Family)

COMEDY DIRECTING:
Arrested (Modern Family)


COMEDY WRITING:
Last Lunch (30 Rock)

MINISERIES or MADE FOR TV MOVIE:
Behind the Candelabra

MOVIE/MINI LEAD ACTOR:
Michael Douglas (Behind the Candelabra)

MOVIE/MINI LEAD ACTRESS:
Laura Linney (The Big C: Hereafter)

MOVIE/MINI SUPPORTING ACTOR:
James Cromwell (American Horror Story)

MOVIE/MINI SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story)

MOVIE/MINI DIRECTING:
Behind the Candelabra

MOVIE/MINI WRITING:
Behind the Candelabra

VARIETY SERIES:
The Daily Show

REALITY/COMPETITION PROGRAM:
The Amazing Race

Final Emmy Winner Predictions

The Emmy Awards air tonight on ABC. For the first time, I'll be live-blogging the show, so tune in throughout the ceremony for updates and reactions! So far, I’ve predicted 1/4 correctly, choosing Jimmy Fallon (Saturday Night Live) but not Jeremy Davies (Justified), Martha Plimpton (The Good Wife), and Kathy Bates (Two and a Half Men). Last year I said that Kathy Bates was a threat to win because of Paul McCrane’s guest actor bid, but this year I think she’s a threat since she won a guest acting bid, and now contends for her show’s series finale. Julianna Margulies and Elisabeth Moss are much bigger threats to frontrunner Claire Danes, though. Otherwise, every race is extremely competitive, and I’m sure we’ll have more than a few surprises.

An important note about my predictions: I’ve established a track record for myself of writing very accurate analyses and then choosing the wrong winner. That means that Damian Lewis, Giancarlo Esposito, Maggie Smith, Jim Parsons, Zooey Deschanel, Ty Burrell, and Kathryn Joosten could all feasibly win, but I’m betting on different horses.

The most exciting and unusual thing about this particular year is that there are four legitimate contenders for Best Drama Series. Not only that, but my predictions suggest that those four shows will split all the drama awards, leaving every other show empty-handed. I’ve picked “Breaking Bad” to take series and actor, “Homeland” for actress and directing, “Mad Men” for supporting actor and supporting actress, and “Downton Abbey” for writing. They could all easily swap and one – likely “Downton Abbey” or “Mad Men” – could sweep. No matter what, there will be records this year, whether it’s Bryan Cranston’s fourth win (tying Dennis Franz) or “Mad Men” breaking the record with five consecutive series wins. I’m hoping for “Homeland” since I love it, but “Breaking Bad” is terrific too, and, honestly, so are all the nominated shows, which makes it easy to be happy no matter who or what wins. That’s not as true in the comedy races, but they’ll be enjoyable as well.

As I mentioned above, I'm excited to report that I'll be live-blogging the show for the first time, so stick around during the Emmys for reactions. Enjoy the show, and leave your thoughts in the comments! For detailed predictions in all applicable categories, click on the hyperlinked category name.

No guts, no glory (same as last year):
Kathy Bates (Harry’s Law)

DRAMA SERIES:
Breaking Bad

DRAMA LEAD ACTOR:
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)

DRAMA LEAD ACTRESS:
Claire Danes (Homeland)

DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Jared Harris (Mad Men)

DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Christina Hendricks (Mad Men)


DRAMA DIRECTING:
Pilot (Homeland)


DRAMA WRITING:
Downton Abbey (Episode 7)

COMEDY SERIES:
Modern Family


COMEDY LEAD ACTOR:
Don Cheadle (House of Lies)

COMEDY LEAD ACTRESS:
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)


COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Ed O’Neill (Modern Family)

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Julie Bowen (Modern Family)

COMEDY DIRECTING:
Palestinian Chicken (Curb Your Enthusiasm)


COMEDY WRITING:
Pilot (Girls)

MINISERIES or MADE FOR TV MOVIE:
American Horror Story

MOVIE/MINI LEAD ACTOR:
Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia)

MOVIE/MINI LEAD ACTRESS:
Julianne Moore (Game Change)

MOVIE/MINI SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Ed Harris (Game Change)

MOVIE/MINI SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Jessica Lange (American Horror Story)

MOVIE/MINI DIRECTING:
Game Change

MOVIE/MINI WRITING:
Game Change

VARIETY SERIES:
The Daily Show

VARIETY HOST:
Cat Deeley

REALITY/COMPETITION PROGRAM:
The Amazing Race

Final Emmy Predictions

Tomorrow morning, the nominations for the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards will be announced. I've made detailed predictions in the top eighteen categories, and offered my best blind guesses for the Miniseries/TV Movie and variety categories below as well. If I had to pick one nominee above all to root for, it would be Neal McDonough from “Justified,” though of course I’m also pulling for Nick Offerman to finally get recognized for “Parks and Recreation.” As always, I’m hoping for a handful of good surprises. Click on category headings below for full analysis in each race. I'm looking forward to the nominations, and you can expect analysis and reactions by category all day. Nominations will be announced at 5:40am by Kerry Washington and Nick Offerman. Please offer your own predictions and thoughts in the comments below.

BEST DRAMA SERIES
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
Homeland
Mad Men

BEST DRAMA LEAD ACTOR
Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire)
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)
Kelsey Grammer (Boss)
Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
Damian Lewis (Homeland)
Timothy Olyphant (Justified)

BEST DRAMA LEAD ACTRESS
Glenn Close (Damages)
Claire Danes (Homeland)
Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)
Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife)
Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)
Jessica Paré (Mad Men)

BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR
Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones)
Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad)
Neal McDonough (Justified)
Mandy Patinkin (Homeland)
Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)
John Slattery (Mad Men)

BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Christine Baranski The Good Wife)
Christina Hendricks (Mad Men)
January Jones (Mad Men)
Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire)
Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife)
Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)

BEST COMEDY SERIES
The Big Bang Theory
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Modern Family
New Girl
Parks and Recreation
30 Rock

BEST COMEDY LEAD ACTOR
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
Don Cheadle (House of Lies)
Louis C.K. (Louie)
Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory)
Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)

BEST COMEDY LEAD ACTRESS
Laura Dern (Enlightened)
Zooey Deschanel (New Girl)
Lena Dunham (Girls)
Tina Fey (30 Rock)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)
Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)

BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR
Ty Burrell (Modern Family)
Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family)
Max Greenfield (New Girl)
Ed O'Neill (Modern Family)
Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation)
Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)

BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Julie Bowen (Modern Family)
Kathryn Joosten (Desperate Housewives)
Cloris Leachman (Raising Hope)
Sofia Vergara (Modern Family)
Betty White (Hot in Cleveland)
Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live)

BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTOR
Jeremy Davies (Justified)
Michael J. Fox (The Good Wife)
Chris Messina (Damages)
Robert Morse (Mad Men)
Matthew Perry (The Good Wife)
Mykelti Williamson (Justified)

BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTRESS
Joan Cusack (Shameless)
Loretta Devine (Grey’s Anatomy)
Jenna Elfman (Shameless)
Louise Fletcher (Shameless)
Julia Ormond (Mad Men)
Uma Thurman (Smash)

BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTOR
Alan Alda (The Big C)
Matthew Bomer (Glee)
Jimmy Fallon (Saturday Night Live)
Michael J. Fox (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
Victor Garber (The Big C)
Paul Rudd (Parks and Recreation)

BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTRESS
Ellen Barkin (Modern Family)
Patricia Clarkson (Parks and Recreation)
Kathryn Hahn (Parks and Recreation)
Melissa McCarthy (Saturday Night Live)
Susan Sarandon (The Big C)
Mary Steenburgen (30 Rock)

BEST DRAMA DIRECTING
Georgia Peaches (Boardwalk Empire)
Salud (Breaking Bad)
Blackwater (Game of Thrones)
Pilot (Homeland)
Commissions and Fees (Mad Men)

BEST DRAMA WRITING
Pilot (Boss)
Pilot (Homeland)
The Weekend (Homeland)
Commissions and Fees (Mad Men)
Far Away Places (Mad Men)

BEST COMEDY DIRECTING
Palestinian Chicken (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
Pilot (Enlightened)
After the Fire (Modern Family)
Virgin Territory (Modern Family)
Live from Studio 6H (30 Rock)

BEST COMEDY WRITING
Pilot (Girls)
Pregnant (Louie)
Aunt Mommy (Modern Family)
Kidnapped by Danger (30 Rock)
Tears (Veep)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE LEAD ACTOR
Kevin Costner (Hatfields and McCoys)
Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock: Scandal in Belgravia)
Idris Elba (Luther)
Woody Harrelson (Game Change)
Clive Owen (Hemingway and Gellhorn)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE LEAD ACTRESS
Connie Britton (American Horror Story)
Nicole Kidman (Hemingway and Gellhorn)
Julianne Moore (Game Change)
Emily Watson (Appropriate Adult)
Rachel Weisz (Page Eight)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE SUPPORTING ACTOR
Ralph Fiennes (Page Eight)
Michael Gambon (Game Change)
Ed Harris (Game Change)
Denis O’Hare (American Horror Story)
David Strathairn (Hemingway and Gellhorn)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Gillian Anderson (Great Expectations)
Frances Conroy (American Horror Story)
Judy Davis (Page Eight)
Jessica Lange (American Horror Story)
Sarah Paulson (Game Change)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE DIRECTING
American Horror Story (Birth)
American Horror Story (Part 1)
Game Change
Girl Fight
Hatfields and McCoys

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE WRITING
American Horror Story (Part 1)
Game Change
Hemingway and Gellhorn
Luther
Page Eight

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE
American Horror Story
Game Change
Great Expectations
Hatfields and McCoys
Hemingway and Gellhorn
Sherlock: Scandal in Belgravia

BEST REALITY COMPETITION SERIES
The Amazing Race
American Idol
Project Runway
So You Think You Can Dance
Top Chef
The Voice

BEST REALITY HOST
Tom Bergeron (Dancing with the Stars)
Cat Deeley (So You Think You Can Dance)
Phil Keoghan (The Amazing Race)
Jeff Probst (Survivor)
Ryan Seacrest (American Idol)

BEST VARIETY SERIES
The Colbert Report
Conan
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Saturday Night Live

Final Emmy Winner Predictions

The Emmy Awards air this Sunday night on FOX. So far, I’ve predicted 2/4 correctly, missing both Paul McCrane (“Harry’s Law”) and Loretta Devine (“Grey’s Anatomy”) in the drama categories, and correctly guessing Justin Timberlake (“Saturday Night Live”) and Gwyneth Paltrow (“Glee”). I’m as confident as I ever was about all of my predictions, with one major exception, and that’s Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series. I’m particularly worried about the fact that Elisabeth Moss and Julianna Margulies may split the vote, and I think that Kathy Bates is a serious threat to win, if Paul McCrane’s guest actor bid is any indication. It’s not a certainty, by any means, and I’m not changing my official prediction, just putting it out there. Otherwise, I’m still banking on Amy Poehler to win Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, and I would be absolutely overjoyed if “Parks & Recreation” took Best Comedy Series. I’m going to be coming back from a wedding tomorrow early evening, so I’m hoping to be able to watch the show in its entirety. Either way, I’ll post some brief reactions either immediately afterwards or the next morning. Enjoy the show, and leave your thoughts in the comments! For detailed predictions in all applicable categories, click on the hyperlinked category name.

No guts, no glory:
Kathy Bates (Harry’s Law)

DRAMA SERIES:
Mad Men

DRAMA LEAD ACTOR:
Jon Hamm (Mad Men)

DRAMA LEAD ACTRESS:
Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)

DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones)

DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife)


DRAMA DIRECTING:
Pilot (Boardwalk Empire)


DRAMA WRITING:
The Suitcase (Mad Men)

COMEDY SERIES:
Modern Family


COMEDY LEAD ACTOR:
Steve Carell (The Office)

COMEDY LEAD ACTRESS:
Amy Poehler (Parks & Recreation)


COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Chris Colfer (Glee)

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Betty White (Hot in Cleveland)

COMEDY DIRECTING:
Halloween (Modern Family)


COMEDY WRITING:
Caught in the Act (Modern Family)

MINISERIES or MADE FOR TV MOVIE:
Mildred Pierce

MOVIE/MINI LEAD ACTOR:
Edgar Ramirez (Carlos)

MOVIE/MINI LEAD ACTRESS:
Kate Winslet (Mildred Pierce)

MOVIE/MINI SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Brian F. O’Byrne (Mildred Pierce)

MOVIE/MINI SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)

MOVIE/MINI DIRECTING:
Mildred Pierce

MOVIE/MINI WRITING:
Too Big to Fail

VARIETY SERIES:
Conan

VARIETY SERIES DIRECTING:
The Daily Show

VARIETY SERIES WRITING:
The Colbert Report

REALITY/COMPETITION PROGRAM:
Top Chef

Final Emmy Predictions

Tomorrow morning, the nominations for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards will be announced. I've made detailed predictions in the top eighteen categories, and offered my best blind guesses for the Miniseries/TV Movie categories below as well. I'm hopeful that "Parks and Recreation" makes it in as I've predicted in a few major categories, and I'm also pulling for a few exciting changes thanks to a bunch of contenders from last year no longer being eligible. I'm looking forward to the nominations, and you can expect analysis and reactions by category all day tomorrow starting in the late morning or early afternoon. I'm actually in Los Angeles at the moment, but won't be getting up anywhere near 5:30am to find out which shows and people are nominated. Please offer your own predictions and thoughts in the comments below.

Major no guts, no glory:
GLEE snubbed for Best Comedy Series

BEST DRAMA SERIES
Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
The Good Wife
Mad Men
The Walking Dead

BEST DRAMA LEAD ACTOR:
Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire)
Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights)
Michael C. Hall (Dexter)
Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
Hugh Laurie (House)
Timothy Olyphant (Justified)

BEST DRAMA LEAD ACTRESS
Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights)
Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)
Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife)
Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)
Katey Sagal (Sons of Anarchy)
Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer)

BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Josh Charles (The Good Wife)
Alan Cumming (The Good Wife)
Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones)
Michael Pitt (Boardwalk Empire)
Michael Shannon (Boardwalk Empire)
John Slattery (Mad Men)

BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Christine Baranski The Good Wife)
Christina Hendricks (Mad Men)
Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire)
Margo Martindale (Justified)
Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife)
Debra Winger (In Treatment)

BEST COMEDY SERIES
The Big Bang Theory
Glee
Modern Family
The Office
Parks and Recreation
30 Rock

BEST COMEDY LEAD ACTOR:
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
Steve Carell (The Office)
Matt LeBlanc (Episodes)
Rob Lowe (Parks and Recreation)
Matthew Morrison (Glee)
Jim Parsons (Big Bang Theory)

BEST COMEDY LEAD ACTRESS
Toni Collette (United States of Tara)
Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie)
Tina Fey (30 Rock)
Laura Linney (The Big C)
Lea Michele (Glee)
Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)

BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Ty Burrell (Modern Family)
Chris Colfer (Glee)
Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother)
Ed O'Neill (Modern Family)
Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation)
Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)

BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Julie Bowen (Modern Family)
Jane Krakowski (30 Rock)
Jane Lynch (Glee)
Sofia Vergara (Modern Family)
Betty White (Hot in Cleveland)
Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live)

BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTOR:
Michael Emerson (Parenthood)
Michael J. Fox (The Good Wife)
Jeremy Irons (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)
Jonny Lee Miller (Dexter)
Robert Morse (Mad Men)
Bradley Whitford (The Mentalist)

BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTRESS
Shohreh Aghdashloo (Law & Order: SVU)
Candice Bergen (House)
Kate Burton (Law & Order: SVU)
Joan Cusack (Shameless)
Debra Messing (Law & Order: SVU)
Julia Stiles (Dexter)

BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTOR:
Jim Carrey (Saturday Night Live)
Darren Criss (Glee)
Will Ferrell (The Office)
Ken Howard (30 Rock)
John Lithgow (How I Met Your Mother)
John Slattery (30 Rock)

BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTRESS
Carol Burnett (Glee)
Tina Fey (Saturday Night Live)
Cloris Leachman (Raising Hope)
Cynthia Nixon (The Big C)
Gwyneth Paltrow (Glee)
Elaine Stritch (30 Rock)

BEST DRAMA DIRECTING
Pilot (Boardwalk Empire)
Winter is Coming (Game of Thrones)
Pilot (The Killing)
The Suitcase (Mad Men)
Days Gone Bye (The Walking Dead)

BEST DRAMA WRITING
Pilot (The Killing)
The Beautiful Girls (Mad Men)
The Suitcase (Mad Men)
Waldorf Stories (Mad Men)
Pilot (Shameless)

BEST COMEDY DIRECTING
Pilot (The Big C)
Duets (Glee)
Slow Down Your Neighbors (Modern Family)
Search Committee (The Office)
Fancy Party (Parks and Recreation)

BEST COMEDY WRITING
The Kiss (Modern Family)
Goodbye Michael (The Office)
Flu Season (Parks and Recreation)
Reaganing (30 Rock)
When It Rains, It Pours (30 Rock)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE LEAD ACTOR
Jim Broadbent (Any Human Heart)
Idris Elba (Luther)
Samuel L. Jackson (The Sunset Limited)
Tommy Lee Jones (The Sunset Limited)
Edgar Ramirez (Carlos)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE LEAD ACTRESS
Taraji P. Henson (Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story)
Jane Kaczmarek (Reviving Ophelia)
Diane Lane (Cinema Verite)
Rosie Perez (Lies in Plain Sight)
Kate Winslet (Mildred Pierce)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE SUPPORTING ACTOR
James Gandolfini (Cinema Verite)
Paul Giamatti (Too Big to Fail)
Brian F. O’Byrne (Mildred Pierce)
Guy Pearce (Mildred Pierce)
Tim Robbins (Cinema Verite)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Gillian Anderson (Any Human Heart)
Melissa Leo (Mildred Pierce)
Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)
Mare Winningham (Mildred Pierce)
Evan Rachel Wood (Mildred Pierce)

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE DIRECTING
Carlos
Cinema Verite
Downton Abbey
Mildred Pierce
Too Big to Fail

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE WRITING
Cinema Verite
Downton Abbey
Mildred Pierce
Too Big to Fail
Upstairs Downstairs

BEST MINISERIES/TV MOVIE
Carlos
Downton Abbey
Luther
Mildred Pierce
Too Big to Fail