2023 Emmy Predictions: Best Comedy Series
Given the fact that 75% of all shows that have won the Best Comedy Series Emmy for their first two seasons went on to achieve third consecutive victories, “Ted Lasso” can more than reasonably be expected to join the club this year. However, there is a good chance it could suffer the fate of “Cheers” and “The Golden Girls” by instead losing on its third outing to a freshman series. Whereas said ‘80s sitcoms were respectively bested by “The Cosby Show” and “The Wonder Years,” “Ted Lasso” mainly has to watch out for “The Bear,” which already earned the top comedy prize at this year’s Producers Guild of America Awards.
The other new shows “Ted Lasso” will have to fend off at the 2023 Emmys are “Jury Duty” and “Wednesday.” It is also involved in immediate rematches with “Abbott Elementary,” “Barry,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and “Only Murders in the Building,” the third of which defeated “Barry” on both of their first tries in 2018.
In order to determine the likeliest outcome of this tight race, let’s take a closer look at each nominee. Be sure to visit our predictions center to make your own picks in this and 25 other Primetime Emmy categories.
“Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
The second season of this popular network sitcom continues to follow the professional and personal lives of an eccentric group of Philadelphia elementary school coworkers. It is now the first network comedy since Fox’s “Glee” (2010-2011) to receive series nominations for both of its first two seasons. Last year, it won Emmys for its casting, creator and star Quinta Brunson’s writing, and Sheryl Lee Ralph’s supporting performance.
“Barry” (HBO)
This darkly comedic saga of a military veteran and hitman who is simply incapable of turning over a new leaf has won nine Emmys from 43 previous nominations. Now up for 10 awards, it could possibly achieve its third Best Comedy Actor (Bill Hader), Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing wins, plus its second victories in the supporting actor (Henry Winkler or Anthony Carrigan), picture editing, and stunt coordination categories.
“The Bear” (FX)
Factoring in repeat winners, “The Bear” would be the 11th PGA Award recipient to take the Best Comedy Series Emmy later in the same year, after “Ted Lasso” (2022), “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (2018), “Modern Family” (2011-2014), “30 Rock” (2008-2009), “Sex and the City” (2001), and “Frasier” (1996). Set in Chicago, the series’ plot revolves around talented chef Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), who sets out to revamp his deceased older brother’s struggling sandwich shop.
“Jury Duty” (Amazon Freevee)
One of the most unique programs ever nominated in this category serves as a social experiment in which an unsuspecting young man completes a fake jury duty stint in a manufactured courtroom filled entirely with professional actors. The breakout hit received a total of four Emmy notices, including ones for its casting, writing, and James Marsden’s featured turn as a fictionalized version of himself.
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Prime Video)
The oldest show in this lineup ended its five-season run in May after winning 20 Emmys on its first four outings, including six acting ones for Rachel Brosnahan (2018), Alex Borstein (2018-2019), Tony Shalhoub (2019), Luke Kirby (2019), and Jane Lynch (2019). Set primarily in the 1960s, the final season involves several time jumps to future decades that show viewers the professional resilience of the titular stand-up comic.
“Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
During the second season of this quirky mystery series (which won three creative arts awards in its first year), neighbors and amateur sleuths Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez) work to solve the murder of their apartment building’s former board president. Among the big name actors who make appearances during the season are Mark Consuelos, Amy Schumer, Andrea Martin, and Shirley MacLaine.
“Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+)
With 21 new nominations, “Ted Lasso” is the most-recognized comedy series of the year and has a lifetime bid total of 61. The six shows that will have preceded it in winning this award for all of their first three seasons are “The Phil Silvers Show” (1956-1958), “All in the Family” (1971-1973), “Taxi” (1979-1981), “Frasier” (1994–1996), “30 Rock” (2007-2009), and “Modern Family” (2010-2012). Assuming the sports comedy truly has come to an end, it would be the only multi-season series in the category’s history with a 100% success rate.
“Wednesday” (Netflix)
Netflix’s 10th Best Comedy Series nominee reimagines the titular Addams Family character as a sullen teenager whose public school expulsion leads to her enrollment in her parents’ private alma mater. Lead acting contender Jenna Ortega stars as the unconventional heroine under the partial Emmy-nominated direction of light horror legend Tim Burton.
So, what will win the 2023 Emmy for Best Comedy Series? “The Bear” being the clear frontrunner in the corresponding directing and writing races certainly bolsters its chances here, but it’s important to note that “Ted Lasso” has never been very popular in either of those categories anyway. Just last year, it achieved the near-impossible feat of scoring another series win after having lost the previous year’s directing and writing contests to a single program (“Hacks”), breaking a 25-year curse that had impacted “Frasier” (1998), “Will & Grace” (2000), “Sex and the City” (2001), and “The Office” (2006).
As demonstrated by “30 Rock” in 2007, it is possible for “Ted Lasso” to win Best Comedy Series and no other major awards, but the show is more likely to also pull off at least one acting, directing, or writing victory, which will come as a surprise to those who seem to be overestimating “The Bear.” After all, while the “Ted Lasso” plot can sometimes veer into seriousness, it’s not nearly as much of a pure dramedy as “The Bear,” which would arguably be the darkest show to ever win this award (even “M*A*S*H” used a laugh track). Voters will probably laud some aspects of the FX show, but it’s somewhat tough to imagine enough of them choosing to honor it as a comedy series and denying “Ted Lasso” its “perfect” record.
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