‘The Bear’ still leads Emmy race for Best Comedy Series, but the threat from ‘Hacks’ is no joke

“The Bear” won 10 Emmys last year, the most for a comedy series in a single season. This year it earned 23 nominations, which is also the record for the most in a single season. So it looks pretty unbeatable to repeat as Best Comedy Series, right? Not necessarily. This is the first time “The Bear” will be facing off against “Hacks,” which was on an extended hiatus and thus wasn’t eligible in 2023. And according to the combined predictions of our savvy Emmy pundits, “Hacks” poses a threat to the reigning champion.

As of this writing “The Bear” still has a significant lead with 4/1 odds of victory. It’s backed by seven out of eight Expert journalists from major media outlets (more will chime in with their forecasts in the coming weeks), eight out of 10 Gold Derby Editors, 22 of our Top 24 Users and all of our All-Star Top 24. But “Hacks” is predicted to upset by one Expert, two Editors, and two Top Users, in addition to well over 100 everyday Users who make up our largest — and often smartest — predictions bloc.

The case for “The Bear” is strong. It’s a proven winner, of course, and it got 10 more nominations this year than it did last year, so you’d think it would be a slam dunk. Also, the critically hailed second season of the FX on Hulu series, for which the show is currently nominated, has already swept the SAG, Critics Choice and Golden Globe Awards. But there’s good reason to believe “Hacks” is a threat. For starters, its 16 nominations are pretty damn impressive too. And straight comedies have almost always had an advantage against dramedies. “The Bear” and “Ally McBeal” are the only seriocomic shows ever to prevail.

Then there’s the recently premiered third season of “The Bear,” which wasn’t as universally praised as the previous two. That season isn’t what academy members are voting on (it won’t be eligible for awards until 2025), but it could influence them as they decide whether the show deserves a second Best Comedy Series trophy. If it’s a close race, that could be enough to swing support over to “Hacks.”

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