2024 Emmy Predictions: Best Scripted Variety Series
Heading into the 2023 Primetime Emmys, it was unclear whether or not seven-time Best Variety Talk Series winner “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” could maintain its program category success after being reclassified as a scripted variety series. In the end, however, it handily defeated its fresh challengers, laying the groundwork for a new streak that could someday match or surpass its first.
While “Last Week Tonight” competed against both “A Black Lady Sketch Show” and “Saturday Night Live” on its initial Best Scripted Variety Series outing, it now only faces the latter in a head-to-head battle. Although nearly all predictors expect Oliver’s show to prevail once more, there is a real chance that its eight-time program award-winning challenger could make a comeback.
In order to determine the likeliest outcome of this two-way race, let’s take a closer look at each nominee. Be sure to make your predictions in this and 24 other Primetime Emmy categories by September 15.
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (HBO)
Now in its 11th year, this parodic cable news recap series launched soon after “The Daily Show” Senior British Correspondent Oliver filled in for Jon Stewart as the host of that program over nearly the entire summer of 2013. Between October 2023 and May 2024, the 20-time Emmy winner put his own humorous spin on such hot-button issues as reproductive rights, book banning, and prison healthcare.
“Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
This iconic series’ 20-episode 49th season attracted a weekly average of 4.36 million viewers with such high-profile hosts as Emma Stone, Timothée Chalamet, and current guest acting nominees Ryan Gosling, Maya Rudolph, and Kristen Wiig. Among the year’s most popular sketches were “Beavis and Butt-Head” (featuring Gosling as a cartoon lookalike) and “Washington’s Dream” (starring Nate Bargatze as the titular founding father).
So, what will win the 2024 Emmy for Best Scripted Variety Series? Although “Saturday Night Live” might attract some of the support that was thrown behind “A Black Lady Sketch Show” last year, a solid majority of voters will still probably go for the alternative. Gold Derby’s simulation of the race currently shows that our readers have reached an 88% consensus that “Last Week Tonight” will easily retain its title.
Just as they did five previous times including last year, these NBC and HBO programs have already split the variety series directing and writing awards at the 76th Creative Arts Emmys. Barring a surprise on the part of “SNL,” it would make perfect sense for history to fully repeat itself by the end of the main ceremony.
PREDICT the 2024 Emmy winners through September 15
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