Because a pick is a lot more fun than a prediction.
With mere hours until the red carpet arrivals begin, I’m making like an Emmy voter and ticking the boxes for the shows and actors in all the major comedy and drama categories that would rise to the top of my ballot if I was a member of the Television Academy. Countdown to the 70th annual show is on!
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OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
Though the fabulous and gorgeously realized The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel could make a deserving grab for gold, I’m betting on Atlanta—with its innovative approach to storytelling and unique depiction of the modern urban experience—to take the top prize for the first time in this year’s Veep-less race.
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
In one of the easiest picks of the night, I’m pulling for Atlanta’s Donald Glover, who was unforgettably creepy AF as Hollywood recluse Teddy Perkins in his tour de force episode submission.
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
This could go in any of five directions (sorry, Lily, but the nomination is your win). Multiple winner and always-a-wild-card, Allison Janney, should never be counted out, especially with a solid episode submission and the wind of the Oscar win still at her back. But my vote goes to Rachel Brosnahan of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, who dazzled in her show’s rollercoaster of a season finale.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
My shortlist comes down to a duo that couldn’t be more different. Baskets’ Louie Anderson turned in a deeply layered and touching performance in his episode submission, but The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s Tony Shalhoub—a past winner who also scored his first Tony award back in June—is likely to take it for the sheer range on display in the show’s season finale.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
While I wouldn’t be surprised if The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s Alex Borstein went two-for-two on wins this year (she already scored an Emmy for her voice-over work on Family Guy), I’m picking past winner Megan Mullally of Will & Grace, who had a knockout episode submission as her character dealt with the death of her long-suffering maid. That said, if I were voting based on laughs over layered pathos, I’d be behind Kate McKinnon three-peat’ing for her razor-sharp work on SNL.
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Game of Thrones was exceptional as always and The Handmaid’s Tale had a handful of solid entries from its somewhat subpar second season. But the final run of The Americans—which expertly wove together six seasons of story threads into a stunning series-ending tapestry—was breathtakingly realized on every level.
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Among a line-up of major talent, most seem to think Sterling K. Brown will repeat for This Is Us. But I’m calling his co-star, Milo Ventimiglia, as a potential spoiler for my top pick, Matthew Rhys of The Americans, who was absolutely riveting in the show’s finale episode where he expertly delivered a series-defining monologue.
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Talk about a deep bench of talent. Any one of these women is worthy of the gold, with half of the six nominees bucking for recognition for their final performances on their respective shows. Despite the odds (predictions put The Handmaid Tale’s Elisabeth Moss at the front of the pack), I’m going all-in on The Americans’ Keri Russell, who was flawless in the show’s sixth and final season as her character finally faced the collision of the choices she’s made for her life and the ultimate consequences.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
From my seat, this is a battle between the sci-fi/fantasy guys. While I would love to see David Harbour get proper recognition for his grounded performance on Stranger Things, multiple past winner Peter Dinklage from Game of Thrones was, once again, powerfully on-point in his episode submission as his character reunited with and confronted his evil sister with long-ranging effects.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
While it’s possible that the show’s three actresses could cancel each other out, my vote goes to The Handmaid’s Tale’s Alexis Bledel. The winner last year in Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for the same role, Bledel’s wrenching performance in her episode submission explores her character’s backstory and the moment her wife and child were ripped from her at the border as she was detained to remain in Gilead.