Today’s the day, TV fans. Tonight the Emmys will honor the best in television — a challenge as much as it is an honor with the sheer volume of incredible television today. Truly the variety and quality of television available today is almost overwhelming at times, so capturing that in a single night of honors is nothing short of impossible.
And it’s expanding still. It’s hard to believe it’s only been four years since Netflix made history, becoming the first streaming service to receive an Emmy nomination. Tonight they’re going toe-to-toe with HBO to dominate the 2017 Emmys. It’s an incredible feat, to say the least.
This vast television landscape has brought new significance to the “honor” of just being nominated and made predicting those winners a different game. Still, as always, we’ve pulled together our collective four cents for the top categories ahead of tonight’s ceremonies.
Outstanding Comedy Series:
Nominees:
- Atlanta (FX)
- Black-ish (ABC)
- Master of None (Netflix)
- Modern Family (ABC)
- Silicon Valley (HBO)
- Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
- Veep (HBO)
Zer: “Master of None”— I’m going with my gut on this one because frankly, I have no idea. They all deserve it. Although, I’d like to make “Atlanta” my possible upset pick.
Stephanie: “Atlanta” (FX) — I will not be stunned if “Veep” gets the top honor again. It’s been a political year and it’s the only purely political plot in the group. I’m also keeping my fingers crossed for “Kimmy” because it’s nice to imagine pure, optimistic comedy winning the day, at least in television. But Donald Glover is a bit of a favorite, and I think his “Atlanta” will take home this top honor.
Outstanding Drama Series:
Nominees:
- Better Call Saul (AMC)
- House of Cards (Netflix)
- Stranger Things (Netflix)
- The Crown (Netflix)
- The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
- This Is Us (NBC)
- Westworld (HBO)
Zer: “The Handmaid’s Tale”— Can we just take a moment to appreciate the fact that Netflix has three nominees in this category. That’s kind of amazing. That being said, I don’t see any of their nominees winning. “The Handmaid’s Tale” is culturally relevant and incredibly well done. It’s a good category though, and without “Game of Thrones” in the running it could technically be anyone’s game.
Stephanie: “The Handmaid’s Tale”— I’m going to start by saying I’d like “The Crown” to win, but “The Handmaid’s Tale” is going to be hard to beat. Both lady-led series have similar, relevant themes, and I couldn’t imagine a better television face-off.
Outstanding Television Movie:
Nominees:
- Black Mirror: San Junipero (Netflix)
- Dolly Parton’s Christmas Of Many Colors: Circle Of Love (NBC)
- Sherlock: “The Lying Detective” (PBS)
- The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks (HBO)
- The Wizard Of Lies (HBO)
Zer: “Sherlock: The Lying Detective”— When in doubt, go with the show you know. In this case, it’s Sherlock. It’s smart, well-written, and its final season.
Stephanie: “Black Mirror: San Junipero”— Nothing would make me happier than a “Sherlock” upset, but I think this one is San Junipero’s to lose. This sweet, mind-bending, sci-fi tale is both futuristic and nostalgic and perfectly told in just over 60 minutes.
Outstanding Limited Series (formerly known as the Mini-Series):
Nominees:
- Big Little Lies (HBO)
- Fargo (FX)
- Feud: Bette and Joan (FX)
- Genius (National Geographic)
- The Night Of (HBO)
Zer: “Genius”— I will be thrilled if either of the lady-powered “Big Little Lies” or “Feud” wins, and they probably will. But “Genius” was my favorite in this category. It was an epic concept, covering the entire career of Albert Einstein in a television series, and Ron Howard along with this amazing cast pulled it off beautifully.
Stephanie: “Genius”— I kind of think “Big Little Lies” has got this one, but “Genius” is so very good, I’m voting for them anyway. I’m still a bit perplexed about how only one of the two men who play the title role got nominated but putting that aside, this was a fantastic television event from an unlikely network.
Outstanding Variety Series (Talk):
Nominees:
- Full Frontal With Samantha Bee (TBS)
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
- Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
- Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)
- The Late Late Show with James Corden (CBS)
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)
Zer: “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”—With the current political climate, it’s been a good year for late night, so I could see Colbert stealing this one. However, Mr. Oliver has managed to put together a show that comments on the bizarre things going on in politics while still drawing attention to other important, invisible issues…and I’d like to make Ms. Bee my second choice.
Stephanie: “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee”— There’s a strong possibility that Mr. Oliver will win this, as Zer explained. And Ms. Bee did already receive a Creative Arts Emmy Award for “Not the White House Correspondents’ Dinner,” but I have to stick with what would be a truly significant win in this category.
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