Emmy Experts Typing: What comedy underdogs could surprise?

Welcome to Emmy Experts Typing, a weekly column in which Gold Derby editors and Experts Joyce Eng and Christopher Rosen discuss the Emmy race — via Slack, of course. This week, we revisit comedy, which has some open slots in every category.

Christopher Rosen: Hello, Joyce! We’re back to type about the Emmys comedy race, which means you can expect a whole lot of “Hacks” here at the start since we’re both certified members of its stan club. At least anecdotally, the show’s momentum continues to build after its incredible Season 3 finale — so much so that at least one half-baked hot take about how “Hacks” isn’t a “good comedy” was published this week. (I’m much too cynical to fall for that kind of bellyflop outrage bait, but the link is there if anyone is interested in self-harm.) I’m here for all the “Hacks” attention, and I remain convinced it can win Hannah Einbinder her deserved Emmy plus perhaps bring another writing award to the shelves of Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky. But “The Bear” — a show that also weathered a “is it a comedy?” storm this week once again — feels all but certain to win Best Comedy Series and will compete strongly in the other three acting races, two of which it’s all but locked to secure. (I’m still 50/50 on whether Jean Smart or Ayo Edebiri will ultimately prevail in Best Comedy Actress.) We’ve both been pretty set on the other nominees here beyond the obvious two: “Abbott Elementary” (fresh off its best season yet), “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Only Murders in the Building,” “What We Do in the Shadows,” “Reservation Dogs,” and “The Gentlemen.” This week, I’ve seen more than a few people suggesting “Colin From Accounts” could surprise with a series nomination after its wins at the inaugural Gotham TV Awards for Film Twitter (*not its official name). I could see it: there does seem to be some enthusiasm for the show and it could be this year’s “Jury Duty” with a surprise series nomination and then maybe an acting citation for star Harriet Dyer. If Dyer were to crash the party, that would leave someone big out in the cold, however — perhaps even Selena Gomez again for “Only Murders.” I’ve also started to toy with the notion that “Loot” might make it into the series race too — and not just because I’ve done multiple interviews about the show with the cast and crew, including Maya Rudolph. Apple is pushing “Loot” pretty strongly and it has the benefit of being an a) easy watch b) traditional comedy c) with a well-liked ensemble. We know Apple shows don’t have tremendous normie breakthrough, but the industry does pay attention to its content. So is it possible “Loot” gets in? And if either “Loot” or “Colin” does make the leap, what show might fall out?

joyceeng: “Reservation Dogs,” much to John Landgraf‘s chagrin. I’m not sure about series, but I think they could snatch nominations elsewhere, like in acting and writing. As you know, I’ve had five-time Emmy winner since 2020 Maya Rudolph in my actress lineup from the start. Between “Loot,” her “Saturday Night Live” hosting stint and “Big Mouth,” she’s closer to bagging three nominations than most people realize. But while “Loot” and “Colin From Accounts” are well-liked shows in the iykyk vein, they’re not really like “Jury Duty,” whose buzz was getting louder by the day this time last year. There was more chatter and hype, by virtue of it being a new show with a Movie Star, for “Shrinking” last year, and that fell short in series but managed two acting bids, neither of which were for said Movie Star. I’d feel better about “Colin From Accounts” if Paramount+, né CBS All Access, had a solid Emmy footprint, but the streamer has never received an above-the-line nomination (remember all the futile Christine Baranski predictions for “The Good Fight”? And your futile Matthew Goode prediction for “The Offer?”). I type this as Kelsey Grammer is in seventh place in the Best Comedy Actor odds for P+’s “Frasier” revival, but the long tail of Frasier Crane is doing a lotta work there. That being said, there wasn’t a huge breakout comedy this season (“The Gentlemen” is the closest, but it’s not a “Wednesday” or even a “Jury Duty”), so who knows how close the votes will be between the fringe contenders. Apple renewed “Palm Royale” for a second season this week and the show is still predicted to make it into series, sitting in eighth place. You were very high on it when it launched in March (also because you talked to them), whereas I was “wait and see.” I waited and I saw, and I haven’t added it anywhere, but it’s another one that I can see getting noms here and there but not series, with Kristen Wiig being the most obvious option. If Best Comedy Actress expands back to six slots, a lineup of Smart, Edebiri, Quinta Brunson, Wiig, Rudolph and Gomez seems likely, but I also won’t believe a Gomez nomination until I see it. “Only Murders” might not get her in, but Steve Martin definitely ought to return to the actor lineup. If he doesn’t, something has gone very, very wrong for my favorite murder podcast this side of “Based on a True Story.”

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Christopher Rosen: My feeling is always that no one likes to back a loser — it’s why I scoff at those predicting “Winning Time” in the drama guest acting categories, no disrespect to those actors! — so “Palm Royale” getting its confirmed second season at this moment feels like a boost for it to get some above-the-line recognition. The Emmys aren’t always sentimental, but I could see Carol Burnett making it into the supporting race with Wiig landing among the leads. (I too think Best Comedy Series might be tougher than expected.) If we do go back to six slots, all of these races feel less competitive than we’ve thought: Gomez would likely be secure in her nomination and even Jharrel Jerome would probably make it into the actor race (I’m not convinced Grammer would be the beneficiary of another position). I know you’re out on “SNL” but I think it’s ready for a comeback as it heads into Season 50. I recently put Bowen Yang back into supporting at the expense of Carl Clemons-Hopkins (even though I talked to them). Yang has been working the trail and he remains the one breakout from this era of “SNL”; meanwhile, Clemons-Hopkins took a backseat a bit in Season 3 of “Hacks” (and mostly I’m just trying to manifest that PWD acting nomination he so rightly deserves). But if those supporting categories pop to eight slots, I’d have Clemons-Hopkins back in there. And as I type all this, I still don’t have Paul Rudd in my predictions and he sits solidly in fifth place in the odds. Joyce, what would it take for you to predict Rudd? 10 slots? 12?

joyceeng: Is this the shadiest question you’ve ever asked? I love me some Rudd always, but, uh, yeah, it’d take double digits before I slot him in. “Only Murders” is one of my faves — not to mention, it’s one of the very, very, very few series in this Mass TV era that has pumped out new seasons every year like a proper TV show — but as I’ve said before, I fear it will never be Emmy voters’ fave. There’s always something else they like more or is a bigger hit, both of which is out of its control. Is that guest trophy for Nathan Lane the biggest Emmy it will win? Possibly. Of course, Meryl Streep remains in first in the supporting actress odds, but we know the #reasons for that, as we’ve discussed numerous times. I’m sure Einbinder will be out in front post-noms, deservedly so. We might be scarred from “Hacks'” underperformance in the main acting categories for Season 2, but we haven’t talked about Megan Stalter that much. There are still Jimmy-Kayla haters out there, but their Season 3 storyline and growth were great and hilarious. And if you’re a “Hacks” stan and you’re voting for PWD, could you ignore Stalter? That doesn’t mean she’ll get in — different category, different competition — but if the category returns to eight slots, why not?

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Christopher Rosen: I once had her in on a lark but eventually swapped her out for Molly Gordon (Claire Bear) and then pushed Gordon out for Queen Campaigner Lisa Ann Walter. If we get to eight, Stalter would absolutely be my pick to get in. You can’t account for taste and comedy is subjective blah blah blah, but I agree that she’s reliably hilarious on that very “good comedy” and would make for a deserved nominee. I’ll let you have the last word here while I go build a dreamcatcher for the Einbinder win.

joyceeng: What exactly are Wolf Girl’s powers? Manifesting Emmy wins? If so, we need to get our hands on that ring (not the Ring camera though).

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