Saturday, September 16, 2017

2017 Emmy Predictions: Best Drama Series and Best Comedy Series

Best Drama Series
Will Win - Stranger Things

Could Win - The Handmaid's Tale, This is Us, or Westworld

Should Win - This is Us or Stranger Things

Commentary - This is still a tight race, and until the envelope is opened, we will all be waiting with anticipation. With 22 nominations, Westworld had every opportunity to continue HBO's streak. But only winning five Creative Arts Emmys is actually not great for a show with film quality technical achievements. Westworld should have been this year's Game of Thrones or Boardwalk Empire, and it fell way short. But it is still in this, because HBO is an Emmy juggernaut. The Handmaid's Tale is the newest of the contenders, and had some nice, some surprising wins last weekend. But in my mind this is a battle between two. This is Us is the one that stands out in this race. It is the only broadcast show, it is emotional, feel-good, and it is a massive phenomenon across all ages. It could win, despite missing out in directing and writing, and it would be a massive win for the veterans or traditionalists in this industry who still believe in joy and exuberance on television. But I think that after it over-performed last week, this is Stranger Things' to lose. It is nostalgic, emotional, beautifully crafted, and like This Is Us, can be categorized as a phenomenon. I think Netflix, with its clout, finally conquers one of these big races. Streaming finally eclipses its competition. And a brilliant, genre series that has enticed millions, will win a well-deserved Best Drama Series Emmy.

Best Comedy Series
Will Win - Veep

Could Win - Atlanta or Master of None

Should Win - black-ish

Commentary - Duh. Atlanta and Master of None are auteur brilliance. But neither are going to get enough votes to beat Veep. Let's face it. Emmy voters like their comedies funny. Master of None is, but Atlanta is really not. It's great. But it's not funny. Veep is the kind of show that wins this category a lot, and a third win in a row is going to happen. If anything else wins, I will eat crow, but I find it highly unlikely that anything can upset.

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