Redbox's bankruptcy and the possible end of physical media, a tale of technology and the Retail Apocalypse

I woke up this morning not feeling like covering the Emmy winners today. Instead, I'm examining a "SciFi is Now" topic, the possible end of physical media through a Retail Apocalypse story. I begin with Bright Sun Films' Bankrupt - Redbox.

From its origins as a convenience store kiosk created by the McDonald's corporation, Redbox grew to become a massive DVD rental brand with tens of thousands of locations across America. However in 2024, the company came crashing down and will soon be lost to time forever. Join me today to find out what happened to this beloved brand.

Rebox could have been another Netflix, but it declined instead. Its succession of parent companies didn't help, especially toward the end. The pandemic played its part, too. Just the same, I learned a lot from this video and it's always a good day when I learn something new, even if it's a bad day for Redbox.

This is a bigger story than just the bankruptcy and liquidation of Redbox's parent company. Erik of Retail Archaeology responded to the end of Redbox by asking Is Physical Media Dead?

In this episode of Retail Archaeology we take a look at the state of physical media at Target and Walmart and the demise of Redbox.

His answer is that physical media is still alive at Walmart, but it appears to be endangered elsewhere.

Vox also asked Is Physical Media Dead?



Vox's answer is "not exactly" and "reports of physical media's death may be greatly exaggerated." That's a lot better than what I was expecting to write, which was "not dead yet." I'm relieved.

'Ripley' wins most Creative Arts Emmy Awards for limited series, but 'Baby Reindeer' favored to win five Primetime Emmys

I told my readers to "Stay tuned for one last installment of Emmy nominees tomorrow for the Sunday entertainment feature" at the end of 'The Bear' leads comedy winners and nominees at the Emmy Awards, so I begin by noting that, unlike comedy and drama series, the nominee expected to dominate at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards did not come out of the 76th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards with the lead in awards. The big winner last Sunday was Ripley with three Emmy Awards so far, Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special, and Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Single Episode, as the image above shows. Baby Reindeer, which is favored to walk away with five Emmy Awards tonight, came in second with two statuettes for Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie and Outstanding Picture Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

Four limited series nominees earned one Emmy Award each. American Horror Story: Delicate acquired the award for Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Feud: Capote vs. The Swans swept off with Outstanding Period Costumes for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Carlos Rafael Rivera of Lessons in Chemistry came away with Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score). Masters of the Air flew away with Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Congratulations to all the winners!

Follow over the jump for celebrations of the Creative Arts winners for limited series and looks ahead to the limited series nominees contending at tonight's ceremony.

'The Bear' leads comedy winners and nominees at the Emmy Awards

I'm continuing my Emmy Awards coverage with the comedy series winners at the 76th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards and the comedy series nominees at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards. Unlike drama series, where Shogun completely dominated its competition, its co-leader at the Gold Derby TV Awards, The Bear led comedies in awards, but didn't sweep them, winning seven. Only Murders in the Building won three Creative Arts Emmys, four if one counts its short-form spinoff, How I Met Your Father won two, and Palm Royale and The Gentlemen each won one. To top it off, Only Murders in the Building beat both Shogun and The Bear for two of its awards and Palm Royale beat Shogun for its Emmy Award. Don't underestimate the quality of streaming comedies!

Gold Derby predicted The Bear's guest acting wins at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, where I wrote "Between Bernthal and Curtis, it could be a mini-sweep of comedy guest performances for The Bear." That's what happened.

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

• Jon Bernthal – The Bear: "Fishes" as Michael Berzatto (FX)
• Matthew Broderick – Only Murders in the Building: "CoBro" as Matthew Broderick (Hulu)
• Ryan Gosling – Saturday Night Live: "Host: Ryan Gosling" as host (NBC)
• Christopher Lloyd – Hacks: "The Deborah Vance Christmas Spectacular" as Larry Arbuckle (Max)
• Bob Odenkirk – The Bear: "Fishes" as Uncle Lee (FX)
• Will Poulter – The Bear: "Honeydew" as Luca (FX)

Gold Derby's editors and top 24 users have divided opinions about the likely winner. The editors are split five to five between Jon Bernthal and Christopher Lloyd with one editor picking Ryan Gosling as a dark horse. The experts are even more evenly divided among the top three nominees with four backing Bernthal and three going for Gosling, leaving two for Lloyd. On the other hand, the top 24 users display more consolidation with 18 behind Bernthal, three voting for Gosling, only two for Lloyd, and one brave user making a long shot bet on Bob Odenkirk.

Between my writing the above and showtime, one of the editors switched from Lloyd to Gosling, giving Bernthal a plurality. That same editor is almost certainly also an expert, as one of the experts also switched from Lloyd to Gosling, tying Bernthal and Gosling at four. The users called it, the editors backed into a win, and the experts are demonstrating why I like the editors better. Congrats to the users and editors, as well as Bernthal!

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

• Olivia Colman – The Bear: "Forks" as Chef Terry (FX)
• Jamie Lee Curtis – The Bear: "Fishes" as Donna Berzatto (FX)
• Kaitlin Olson – Hacks: "The Roast of Deborah Vance" as DJ Vance (Max)
• Da'Vine Joy Randolph – Only Murders in the Building: "Sitzprobe" as Donna Williams (Hulu)
• Maya Rudolph – Saturday Night Live: "Host: Maya Rudolph" as host (NBC)
• Kristen Wiig – Saturday Night Live: "Host: Kristen Wiig" as host (NBC)

The editors, experts, and top 24 users have unanimously chosen Jamie Lee Curtis. After seeing how she won an Oscar for Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, I think the prognosticators at Gold Derby have been convinced of Hollywood's love for Curtis so they agree she'll win an Emmy to go with her Oscar. To reiterate, electorates matter.

And the experts, broadly speaking, were right. I'm celebrating by sharing Gold Derby's Jamie Lee Curtis (Best Comedy Guest Actress, 'The Bear') 2024 Emmys press room interview.

Jamie Lee Curtis won Best Comedy Guest Actress for "The Bear" at the 2024 Creative Arts Emmys.

Four things from this interview stuck out to me. First, the questions about winning an Oscar and an Emmy in consecutive years and what that meas for an EGOT, which occured to me as well. Curtis may not be able to sing, but she can certainly do spoken word and narration, which could earn her a Grammy, so she can still get an EGO. I'm surprised she's never been on stage, but I'm not surprised she doesn't want to stay up late. She is less than a year older than me, and I can relate. Second, her feminism doesn't surprise me, either, and good for her. Third, a sequel to Freaky Friday! The original earned several Saturn Awards nominations, so I'm looking forward to voting on the sequel next year. Finally, Curtis knows how to make an exit! Also, congratulations!


The Bear also won Emmys for Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series, Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour), Outstanding Picture Editing for a Single-Camera Comedy Series, Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation, and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation. Gold Derby has interviews of nearly all the winners from the first season, but I could only find one definitely from this season, 'The Bear' editor Joanna Naugle: 'I loved being able to push the limits of how stressed we could be'.

'The Bear' editor Joanna Naugle: 'I loved being able to push the limits of how stressed we could be.' The Emmy winner discusses character-specific styles, editing for audio clarity and more. Gold Derby editor Joyce Eng hosts this webchat as part of the 'Meet the Experts' panel for editors.

This was fascinating discussion about how editing enhances the story and character development. Congratulations to Naugle on her second Emmy for editing The Bear and congratulations to the rest of the winners who worked on the series!

Follow over the jump for the rest of the comedy series winners and odds for the nominees at tomorrow night's ceremony.

Big Lots! files for bankruptcy, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse for Friday the 13th

Happy Friday the 13th, which is also Blame Someone Else Day! Today's victim of bad luck is Big Lots. Watch as Bloomberg Television reports Retailer Big Lots Files for Bankruptcy.

Discount retailer Big Lots Inc. has filed for bankruptcy protection and plans to sell the business to Nexus Capital. But Bloomberg's Eliza Ronalds-Hannon says this could wind up being a positive story.

At least Big Lots has a chance to survive under new ownership. That's what I hope happens to Red Lobster, but didn't happen to 99 Cents Only Stores, the last two Retail Apocalypse stories I covered.

This didn't come as a surprise to Erik of Retail Archaeology, who asked Is Big Lots! In Big Trouble? last year.

In this episode of Retail Archaeology we take a look at Big Lots!

Erik saw similarities to Tuesday Morning, which filed for bankruptcy twice. That's a worrisome comparison that turned out to be apt.

Erik answered last year's question last month, when he uploaded Big Lots is in BIG TROUBLE.

In this episode of Retail Archaeology we take a look at a closing Big Lots store.

Listening to Erik recount how the number of stores closing just kept increasing made me realize how much trouble Big Lots! is in and how much worse its situation was becoming, even before the chain declared bankruptcy.

Other than blaming inflation, Big Lots! isn't doing a lot of blaming others for driving the chain as a whole into bankruptcy, but I did find CBS News Sacramento reporting Homeless, shoplifters blamed for Big Lots closing in Citrus Heights last year.

Big Lots is raising big concerns in Citrus Heights as word got out that the store is closing up shop.

At least it wasn't Big Lots! management blaming homeless people for the closing, but the store's employees and customers. I'm not surprised the claim got amplified on Nextdoor; that site is notorious for its users making racist posts. I'm not surprised they would reinforce other stereotypes as well.

As for what will fill the spaces left by the closed stores, there's always Spirit Halloween. I have a CityNerd video about the seasonal store chain to share for Spooky Season. In the meantime, expect me to cover the limited series and comedy nominees at the Emmy Awards over the weekend. Stay tuned.

Emmy wins and nominations for 'Fallout' on Video Games Day

Happy National Video Games Day!

On September 12, National Video Games Day celebrates all the ways we enjoy a good video game challenge.

I'm celebrating with the Emmy wins and nominations for most nominated TV show based on a video game at this year's Emmy Awards, Fallout, as I promised yesterday. I begin with the two Emmy Awards the series and its spinoff won on Sunday.


I covered this award in Gold Derby's predictions for TV movie and music at the Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Music Supervision

• Baby Reindeer: "Episode 4" – Catherine Grieves (Netflix)
• Fallout: "The End" – Trygge Toven (Prime Video)
• Fargo: "The Tragedy of the Commons" – Maggie Phillips (FX)
• Mr. & Mrs. Smith: "A Breakup" – Jen Malone (Prime Video)
• Only Murders in the Building: "Grab Your Hankies" – Bruce Gilbert and Lauren Marie Mikus (Hulu)
• True Detective: Night Country: "Part 4" – Susan Jacobs (HBO)

There is a lot less unanimity at Gold Derby for this award, as seven editors, six experts, and 20 users fell for Fallout . Three editors, one expert, and one user broke for Baby Reindeer, while two experts expect Only Murders in the Building to upset, one expert and one user found the music for Fargo fascinating, and one editor made Mr. & Mrs. Smith their choice.

The editors, experts, and top users at Gold Derby got this right, so congratulations to them and to the show! To celebrate, I'm sharing Gold Derby's interview of the winner, How music supervisor Trygge Toven captured 'Fallout's' different tones through vintage songs.

How music supervisor Trygge Toven captured 'Fallout's' different tones through vintage songs. The Emmy nominee deployed post-World War II tunes by Cole, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Perry Como and more to ironic effect. Gold Derby editor Joyce Eng hosts this webchat.

Joyce Eng and Trygge Toven reminded me that many of the people who made Westworld are creating Fallout. That's good and bad, because Westworld started out great but then fell apart during the fourth season, resulting in HBO canceling the show before its planned final season. That was a disappointment. I hope that same fate isn't awaiting Fallout. Just the same, I'm looking forward to finishing this season and watching next season.


Fallout: Vault 33 on Prime Video beat four series on Meta and/or Facebook, Emperor, The Pirate Queen with Lucy Liu, Red Rocks Live in VR, and Wallace & Gromit in The Grand Getaway. Congratulations to the series and Amazon's Jeff Bezos, who beat Meta's Mark Zuckerberg by proxy.

In addition, Fallout earned twelve more nominations in eleven categories at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards that it lost to other drama series, Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More), Outstanding Main Title Design, Outstanding Period or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Makeup (Non-Prosthetic), Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup, Outstanding Picture Editing for a Drama Series (two episodes), Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour), Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour), Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Season or a Movie, and Outstanding Stunt Performance, all won by Shogun, Outstanding Stunt Coordination for Drama Programming, won by Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes, which Ahsoka pleasantly surprised me by winning. Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Ahsoka on their Emmys, which I will revisit when I cover Shogun's expected wins at the main show.

Follow over the jump as I shift focus from Fallout to Shogun.

Stewart, Colbert, and Kimmel recap last night's debate

Last year, I wished my readers "A somber Patriot Day, the anniversary of 9/11." That's still the appropriate salutation for today, but I'm not in a particularly somber mood because I'm still enjoying last night's debate performance by Kamala Harris against convicted criminal Donald Trump AKA Hoover Cleveland, which is even better filtered through the late night talk show hosts. I begin with Jon Stewart Tackles Harris & Trump's Debate and What This Means for the Election | The Daily Show.

Jon Stewart goes live after the first presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Filled with face-offs over abortion access, border control, and for some reason eating cats? Jon breaks down what this all means for the election.

Jon Stewart is taking full advantage of the live show by dropping f-bombs on air. Standards and practices? What's that? Just the same, it's working, or at least not getting in the way. This clip has more than 2 million views!

Stewart's view count and preview image were enough to move Stephen Colbert's LIVE Monologue: Harris Gets Under Trump's Skin | Eating Cats And Dogs | Taylor Swift's Endorsement to second position from the planned first.

Stephen Colbert delivers his LIVE monologue following the first debate between VP Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump.

The only fact Harris failed to drop when she attacked Hoover Cleveland over his inviting the Taliban to Camp David to negotiate the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan that eventually resulted in the fall of Kabul was that he planned on doing so on the anniversary of 9/11. Otherwise, *chef's kiss,* which Taylor Swift also deserves for her endorsement.

I close with Jimmy Kimmel Breaks Down the Presidential Debate Between Donald Trump & Kamala Harris.

Jimmy breaks down the debate of the decade between Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump and it was quite the beating, Trump spent the day posting cat memes after a debunked story that Haitian immigrants are eating pets, VP candidate JD Vance can’t stop bringing attention to these stories, Trump keeps intentionally mispronouncing Kamala Harris’ name, he seems to KNOW and NOT KNOW a lot of things, and Jimmy checks in with our panel of political experts for their thoughts on the debate: Gavin Newsom (Josh Meyers), MyPillow Mike Lindell (James Adomian), and JD Vance (Haley Joel Osment).

While Dick Cheney endorsing Harris made Stewart ill, it made Kimmel recognize his pragmatism. I'm with Kimmel right now. Cheney almost certainly deserved his portrayal in Vice, which is not flattering, but he's a smart political player. Not only is he endorsing Harris because she has the gun that will stop the charging rhino that is Trump, but he also would like his old political party back and stopping Trump is the only way to get it. I think this is necessary but not sufficient, so he and his daughter will be disappointed, but I'll take his support for Harris regardless of his motives.

As for Trump AKA Hoover Cleveland repeating the fiction of Haitian immigrants eating pets, it's another example of his vulnerability to conspiracy theories. He still hasn't learned that the voices he's listening to aren't reliable sources. This includes JD Vance.

That's a wrap for the silly takes on the debate. Stay tuned to see if I return with serious or more silly reactions to the debate tomorrow, or I stick with my plan to cover Fallout's Emmy wins and nominations for National Video Games Day tomorrow.

James Earl Jones passes at 93

Change of plans. Instead of diversity among Creative Arts Emmy Awards winners on TV Dinner Day, which I promised in yesterday's 'Jim Henson Idea Man' and 'Girls State' win multiple Emmy Awards, I'm going to honor diversity in entertainment in a different way today by remembering the life of James Earl Jones.* Watch CNN report Actor James Earl Jones dies at 93.

James Earl Jones, an award-winning actor whose career spanned seven decades, died at the age of 93, according to his agent, Barry McPherson. CNN’s Richard Roth and Elizabeth Wagmeister report.

As my readers can see and hear, Jones's passing is personal for CNN. He was a member of their family, having been the voice of the cable channel's slogan. I can relate. I'm a Star Wars fan and I feel the loss of the voice of Darth Vader, too.

As CNN predicted, tributes poured in. I'm sharing three of them, beginning with Entertainment Tonight reporting James Earl Jones Dead at 93, which gave a more complete picture of Jones's life and career.

James Earl Jones has died. The EGOT-winner was best known for his iconic deep voice in films, provided the voice for Darth Vader in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise. Jones was also known for roles in 'The Lion King,' ‘Dr. Strangelove,’ ‘Claudine’ and ‘Field of Dreams.’ He was 93.

While it's a sad day, it's also a good day for me, as I learned new things about Jones's roles, especially his comedic ones. Any day I learn something new is a good day, even today.

Next, E! News shared James Earl Jones Dead at 93: 'Star Wars' Actor Mark Hamill and More Pay Tribute.

After James Earl Jones passed away at 93, many in Hollywood pay homage to the legendary actor including Mark Hamill, LeVar Burton, Octavia Spencer and more. Days prior to James Earl Jones' passing, 'Fight Night' star Terrence Howard recalled meeting the iconic star in an interview with E! News.

Access Hollywood shared many of these social media tributes and more in James Earl Jones Dead: Mark Hamill & Kevin Costner PAY TRIBUTE.

Stars across Hollywood are mourning the death of film and theater icon James Earl Jones, who has died at the age of 93. The legendary actor passed away on the morning of Sept. 9 at his home surrounded by family, his rep confirmed to Access Hollywood. James was known for his resonant voice and many iconic movie roles, famously voicing Mufasa in “The Lion King” and Darth Vader in the original “Star Wars” trilogy. He also memorably appeared in “Field of Dreams,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “The Sandlot,” “Coming to America,” and “Dr. Strangelove,” among other films. Access takes a look at some of the many tributes that poured in following the sad news of Jones’ death.

His fellow actors and other Hollywood creators loved Jones. He will be missed. May he rest in peace.

*The Emmy winners can wait until next week, after the main ceremony. Shogun alone will make for a diverse group of awardees.

'Jim Henson Idea Man' and 'Girls State' win multiple Emmy Awards

I proposed either "nonfiction and documentary winners or diversity among Creative Arts Emmy winners" for today's post in Star Trek vs. Star Wars at the 2024 Emmy Awards for Star Trek Day. I decided on nonfiction and documentary winners for today and saved diversity among Creative Arts Emmy winners for tomorrow. Time to revisit what I wrote in 'Girls State' stands out against field of entertainment nominees for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special at the Emmy Awards.

Now for the Gold Derby odds. The editors and top 24 users agree that Jim Henson Idea Man is the favorite with five of twelve editors and 21 of the users voting for it. The experts aren't on board that bandwagon, as only one expert voted for Jim Henson Idea Man.

The editors and the users were right while the experts weren't. Some experts! This is one of the reasons I pay more attention to the editors.

Now for the categories below the line, beginning with Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program.

Other than The Jinx - Part Two, the nominees are all archival documentaries about entertainment. That's both good and bad. On the one hand, if the voters all coalesce on one choice, it will win. On the other, they might end up splitting their votes so The Jinx - Part Two wins. Right now, I can't tell.

The voters lined up behind Jim Henson Idea Man for this award, like they did for Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score), a category I passed on other than to say about its score that "I like the variety of emotions in this track!" I then talked about all the rest of the composers because I know them and some of them have paid attention to me instead of discussing the merits of their music. Oops. May I not make that mistake again. I'm sharing David Fleming (Best Music Composition, 'Jim Henson Idea Man') 2024 Emmys press room interview to make up for it.

David Fleming won Best Music Composition (Documentary) for "Jim Henson Idea Man" at the 2024 Creative Arts Emmys.

Now I know to take Fleming seriously.

When I looked at Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program, I observed "I find it interesting that the one category where I could find a promotional image for the film. I hope that confidence isn't misplaced." It wasn't. Jim Henson Idea Man won.

Combined with the juried award for Outstanding Motion Design it won before Saturday's ceremony, Jim Henson Idea Man went home with five Emmy Awards, more than any other documentary or nonfiction nominee. Congratulations!


I thought Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program would be between Ron Howard and Rob Reiner, the two biggest names among the nominees. Instead, Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss won for Girls State. This is a case where I'm glad to be wrong. On the other hand, I was right about Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program: "This is one case where I think Girls State has a better chance than Jim Henson Idea Man because it has more original photography instead of archival footage...Good luck, Amanda, Jesse, and Laura!" All three won. Congratulations!

Follow over the jump for the other documentary or nonfiction winners.

Star Trek vs. Star Wars at the 2024 Emmy Awards for Star Trek Day

Happy Star Trek Day! Seeing today on the calendar reminded me of a possibility I described at the end of 'Barbie,' 'Poor Things,' 'Doctor Who,' and 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' among Hugo nominees for dramatic presentations.*

Seeing Star Trek and Star Wars nominated at the Hugo Awards is inspiring me to update Star Trek vs. Star Wars — futuristic politics and government at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards for this year's awards. Stay tuned to see if I follow through.

I decided to postpone posting about last night's nonfiction winners, which I suggested yesterday as the topic of today's Sunday entertainment feature, until tomorrow. Without any further ado, here are the nominations of Star Trek and Star Wars shows at the 76th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour)

• Avatar: The Last Airbender: "Legends" – Tim Kimmel, Luke Gibleon, John Matter, Bradley C. Katona, Justin Helle, Micha Liberman, Stefan Fraticelli, Jason Charbonneau, and William Kellerman (Netflix)
• Fallout: "The Target" – Sue Gamsaragan Cahill, Daniel Colman, Joseph Fraioli, Jane Boegel-Koch, Sara Bencivenga, Jonathan Golodner, Karen Triest, Randall Guth, Christopher Kaller, Clint Bennet, Nancy Parker, and Katie Rose (Prime Video)
• Shogun: "Broken to the Fist" – Brian J Armstrong, Benjamin Cook, James Gallivan, John Creed, Ayako Yamauchi, Mark Hailstone, Ken Cain, Melissa Muik, Matt Salib, and Sanaa Kelley (FX)
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: "Hegemony" – Matthew E. Taylor, Michael Schapiro, Sean Heissinger, Kip Smedley, Ian Herzon, Deron Street, Clay Weber, John Sanacore, Rick Owens, and Jesi Ruppel (Paramount+)
• 3 Body Problem: "Judgment Day" – Tim Kimmel, Paula Fairfield, John Matter, Tim Hands, Bradley C. Katona, Justin Helle, David Klotz, Stefan Fraticelli, Jason Charbonneau, and William Kellerman (Netflix)

Look at all the genre series nominated — science fiction, fantasy, and action/adventure! These are all shows I expect to see nominated at the Saturn Awards. That makes me happy. Unfortunately for the only live-action Star Trek series nominated at these awards, it's not likely to win. I think that's because I think it's between 3 Body Problem and Shogun, the former on merit (I watched the entire first season and was impressed) and the latter because it's likely to achieve a sweep or near-sweep. Shogun won the one category it was contending in last night, Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series for Shogun – The Making of Shogun. I thought it would be between Hacks: Bit by Bit or Saturday Night Live Presents: Behind the Sketch. Nope. Watch for the broom as Shogun tries to pull off a sweep tonight and next Sunday.

Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation

• Ahsoka: "Part Four: Fallen Jedi" – Matthew Wood, Bonnie Wild, David Acord, James Spencer, Vanessa Lapato, Stephanie McNally, Trey Turner, Kimberly Patrick, Tim Farrell, Joel Raabe, Chris Tergesen, Ronni Brown, Heikki Kossi, and Shelley Roden (Disney+)
• The Bear: "Forks" – Steve "Major" Giammaria, Andrea Bella, Evan Benjamin, Jonathan Fuhrer, Annie Taylor, Jason Lingle, Jeff Lingle, Leslie Bloome, and Shaun Brennan (FX)
• Blue Eye Samurai: "All Evil Dreams and Angry Words" – Myron Nettinga, Paulette Lifton, Sam Hayward, Jared Dwyer, Andrew Miller, Johanna Turner, Justin Helle, Iko Kagasoff, Stefan Fraticelli, and Jason Charbonneau (Netflix)
• Only Murders in the Building: "Sitzprobe" – Mathew Waters, Danika Wikke, Taylor Jackson, Meredith Stacy, Erika Koski, Micha Liberman, Sanaa Kelley, and Iris Dutour (Hulu)
• Star Trek: Lower Decks: "The Inner Fight" – James Lucero, Drew Guy, Mak Kellerman, John Wynn, and Michael Britt (Paramount+)>

This is the one category where Star Wars and Star Trek are competing against each other. I think the advantage goes to Ahsoka, but I'm not confident it will win here, as The Bear won last year and I expect it will win this year, too, as part of a near-sweep of its nominated categories. As a genre television fan, I find that a bit disappointing, as The Bear would also win a game of "one of these things is not like the others" in this field full of science fiction, animation, and thriller/mystery nominees. At least Blue Eye Samurai isn't walking away empty-handed; it won four Emmy Awards last night, one for Outstanding Animated Program and three for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation. Congratulations!

Follow over the jump for the rest of Ahsoka's Emmy nominations plus a combined brag and whine about my picks for the Hugo Awards.

Gold Derby's predictions for TV movie and music at the Emmy Awards

I closed Gold Derby's predictions for variety specials at the Emmy Awards with "I have one more Creative Arts Emmy nominees post planned for TV Movies and music. Stay tuned." Without any further ado, here are the TV movie and music nominees at the 76th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Television Movie

• Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie (Peacock)
• Quiz Lady (Hulu)
• Red, White & Royal Blue (Prime Video)
• Scoop (Netflix)
• Unfrosted (Netflix)

The editors at Gold Derby have changed most of their minds since I first covered this category in Gold Derby's predictions for Emmy-nominated shows. Here were the top six movies according to Gold Derby's editors in mid-July.


Four editors were forecasting Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie to win while two were picking Red, White & Royal Blue, but no one thought Quiz Lady had a chance of taking the trophy home. In contrast, these are the picks of Gold Derby's editors and site odds as of last night.


Seven editors now predict Quiz Lady will win, while four are forecasting Red, White & Royal Blue, but no editor now thinks Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie will take home the statuette. What a difference two months makes!

Neither the experts nor the top 24 users have received the memo from the editors, as six experts and 16 users are sticking with Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie, while two experts and four users picked Quiz Lady, one expert and four users have chosen Red, White & Royal Blue, and one lone expert picked Scoop. Red, White & Royal Blue and Scoop both fit my stated interest in covering awards shows, examining depictions of politics and government in entertainment, so I can justify this blog post.

Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

• Baby Reindeer – Nina Gold and Martin Ware (Netflix)
• Fargo – Rachel Tenner, Jackie Lind, Stephanie Gorin, and Rhonda Fisekci (FX)
• Feud: Capote vs. The Swans – Alexa L. Fogel (FX)
• Ripley – Avy Kaufman, Francesco Vedovati, and Barbara Giordani (Netflix)
• True Detective: Night Country – Francine Maisler, Deborah Schildt, and Alda B. Gudjónsdóttir (HBO)

TV movies could have been nominated in this category, but this year's class isn't last year's, when Weird: The Al Yankovic Story had the most nominations in the Emmy field with eight, followed by Prey with six, Hocus Pocus 2 with three, Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas with two, and Fire Island with only one. That's a lot of nominations for television movies. This year, all the TV movie nominations had only one nomination each. That's disappointing. I think the stars in Quiz Lady Awkwafina, Sandra Oh, and Will Ferrell, along with supporting actress Tawny Newsome and the next to last appearance of the late Paul Reubens, could have made it competitive here. Sigh.

Enough whining. On to the Gold Derby odds! All eleven editors along with nine experts and 22 users voted for Baby Reindeer. One expert and user each think Fargo could upset. One user hasn't chosen a winner. They should pick Baby Reindeer.

The next award is the first music category listed on Wikipedia, which is fortuitous, for it serves as a transition between TV movies and limited series above the jump and music below the jump.

Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score)

• All the Light We Cannot See: "Episode 4" – James Newton Howard (Netflix)
• Fargo: "Blanket" – Jeff Russo (FX)
• Lawmen: Bass Reeves: "Part I" – Chanda Dancy (Paramount+)
• Lessons in Chemistry: "Book of Calvin" – Carlos Rafael Rivera (Apple TV+)
• The Tattooist of Auschwitz: "Episode 1" – Kara Talve and Hans Zimmer (Peacock)

Gold Derby's forecasters favor Fargo with eight editors, seven experts, and 17 users filling in their ballots with it. Two editors and four users selected Lessons in Chemistry with one editor went out on a limb with All the Light We Cannot See while three experts and one user took a chance with The Tattooist of Auschwitz, probably based on Hans Zimmer being one of the nominated composers and the limited series also being nominated for Original Music and Lyrics. I should listen to selections from the soundtracks first, but if I don't get around to it, I'd probably pick Fargo.

Follow over the jump for the rest of the music categories with Gold Derby predictions.

Gold Derby's predictions for variety specials at the Emmy Awards

I closed Gold Derby's predictions for reality programs at the Emmy Awards by telling my readers "I plan on returning with the predictions for Variety Special tomorrow. Stay tuned." Without any further ado, here are the variety special nominees at the 76th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Variety Special (Live)

• The Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show Starring Usher (CBS)
• 66th Grammy Awards (CBS)
• The Greatest Roast of All Time: Tom Brady (Netflix)
• The Oscars (ABC)
• 76th Annual Tony Awards (CBS)

I opened Emmy nominees and winners at the Super Bowl — commercials and halftime show by asking and answering a question.

Did you know that when you watch (or watched, depending on when you read this entry) today's Super Bowl, you'll probably see several Emmy nominees and probably an Emmy winner or two? You will, because you did last year and several of the years before that. That's thanks to the commercials and halftime show, which has been a repeat nominee going back as far as Beyoncé's Super Bowl XLVII halftime show, which won Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Special in 2013.

That came true for two of the Emmy nominees for Outstanding Commercial and it came true for the halftime show itself, which Gold Derby's editors and top 24 users predict will win this category. Six of eleven editors, five of the nine experts, and 20 users voted that it will win this award. Three editors, three experts (these may be the same people, as the two groups overlap), and three users favor The Oscars, while one editor, one lone expert (again, maybe the same person), and one user have ventured that The Greatest Roast Of All Time: Tom Brady could upset both. In addition, one editor who is not an expert thinks The Grammy Awards will win. I'm going with the story I started in February and picking The Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show Starring Usher to walk off the Creative Arts Emmy Awards stage with the statuette.

Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)

• Billy Joel: The 100th — Live at Madison Square Garden (CBS)
• Dave Chappelle: The Dreamer (Netflix)
• Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic (CBS)
• Nikki Glaser: Someday You'll Die (HBO)
• Trevor Noah: Where Was I (Netflix)

Ten editors, four of the nine experts, and 22 users have voted that Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic will win. One editor, three experts, and two users chose Billy Joel: The 100th — Live at Madison Square Garden to walk off the stage with the trophy. Finally, two experts think Dave Chappelle: The Dreamer could win in an upset. I would choose Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic should I register on Gold Derby in time.

Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special

• Dave Chappelle: The Dreamer – Stan Lathan (Netflix)
• Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic – Russell Norman (CBS)
• The Oscars – Hamish Hamilton (ABC)
• Tig Notaro: Hello Again – Stephanie Allynne (Prime Video)
• 76th Annual Tony Awards – Glenn Weiss (CBS)
• Trevor Noah: Where Was I – David Paul Meyer (Netflix)

The Oscars leads among the prognosticators at Gold Derby with ten editors, seven experts, and 18 users in its corner. Two experts and four users voted for Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic, while one editor and two users selected the 76th Annual Tony Awards to upset. I'll pick The Oscars in this category.

Now for a category to be presented at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special

• Alex Edelman: Just for Us – Alex Edelman (HBO)
• Jacqueline Novak: Get on Your Knees – Jacqueline Novak (Netflix)
• John Early: Now More Than Ever – John Early (HBO)
• Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool – Mike Birbiglia (Netflix)
• The Oscars – Jamie Abrahams, Rory Albanese, Amberia Allen, Tony Barbieri, Jonathan Bines, Joelle Boucai, Bryan Cook, Blaire Erskine, Devin Field, Gary Greenberg, Josh Halloway, Eric Immerman, Jesse Joyce, Jimmy Kimmel, Carol Leifer, Jon Macks, Mitch Marchand, Gregory Martin, Jesse McLaren, Molly McNearney, Keaton Patti, Danny Ricker, Louis Virtel, and Troy Walker (ABC)

It's a little early for final predictions, so not all the prognosticators at Gold Derby have made their predictions yet, as ten editors, eleven experts, and 13 users have so far picked Alex Edelman: Just for Us, while two experts and three users have chosen The Oscars, one expert and one editor (again, maybe the same person) staked out a long-shot position with Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool, and one expert went way out on a limb by picking John Early: Now More Than Ever. I might go against the grain by voting for The Oscars, which should at least win a game of "one of these things is not like the others."

I close with Gold Derby's Editors 2024 Emmy slugfest: Reality, variety and special program categories predictions.

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west - and RuPaul Charles always wins the Emmy for Best Reality Host. A victory for RuPaul for his iconic hit "RuPaul's Drag Race" has literally become as dependable as the behavior of that big ball in the sky. Since 2016, in fact, he hasn't lost, winning the trophy for the category eight consecutive times and gunning for a ninth straight this year. He has, in fact, never lost in the category. Will he keep his perfect record intact?

There is alas evidence that this could be the year he finally meets his match. The predictions in Gold Derby still favor RuPaul by a wide margin - but they've been wrong before. To get a better assessment, Gold Derby senior editors Denton Davidson, Daniel Montgomery and Marcus James Dixon and news and features editor Ray Richmond got together to slug it out with their opinions of how the host race will play out along with several other reality, variety and special program categories that will be decided at both the Creative Arts Emmys on September 7 and 8 and the Primetime Emmy ceremony on September 15. Watch the foursome's colorful debate above.

The opening fits more with Gold Derby's predictions for reality programs at the Emmy Awards but that hasn't turned into a pumpkin yet. That magic should wear off tomorrow night between 8:00 and 11:00 P.M. EDT. In the meantime, I have one more Creative Arts Emmy nominees post planned for TV Movies and music. Stay tuned.

Previous posts about the 76th Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards

• Gold Derby's predictions for Emmy-nominated shows
• How did Gold Derby's Emmy nominations predictions fare?
• Sandy Hook Promise's 'Just Joking' the sole PSA among Emmy nominees for Outstanding Commercial
• 'Beyond Utopia,' ' Going to Mars,' and 'Stamped from the Beginning,' Emmy nominees for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking
• Entertainment and true crime the themes of Emmy nominees for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
• John Oliver debunks 'Migrant Crime' in the middle of covering the RNC on 'Last Week Tonight'
• 'Jon Stewart Debunks GOP’s City Crime Narrative' plus 'The Daily Show's Emmy nominations
• Emmy-nominated 'Desi Lydic Foxsplains Accusations that Republicans are "Weird"' plus the short form Emmy nominees
• Planet Earth III's Emmy nominations for World Lion Day
• Presidential jokes from Stephen Colbert for National Presidential Joke Day
• 'Jeopardy!' and 'Password' favored to win Game Show categories at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards
• 'Girls State' stands out against field of entertainment nominees for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special at the Emmy Awards
• 'Conan O'Brian Must Go' vs. 'Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.' for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special at the Emmy Awards
• Gold Derby predicts guest actor, guest actress, reality host, and voice-over at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards
• Gold Derby's predictions for reality programs at the Emmy Awards

Gold Derby's predictions for reality programs at the Emmy Awards

I told my readers "I plan on returning with more Emmy coverage this week" at the end of Gold Derby predicts guest actor, guest actress, reality host, and voice-over at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, so I'm continuing with the next categories I would have covered during last week's power outage, reality programs. Here are the reality program nominees at the 76th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program

• Below Deck Down Under (Bravo)
• Love on the Spectrum U.S. (Netflix)
• RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked (MTV)
• Vanderpump Rules (Bravo)
• Welcome to Wrexham (FX)

Welcome to Wrexham won this category last year, and Gold Derby's editors and top 24 users overwhelmingly agree it will repeat, with all eleven editors, seven of eight experts, and 23 of the top 24 users picking it to win. One expert and one user voted for Love on the Spectrum U.S. to win, which is not an unreasonable choice, as it won this category in 2022. Still, if I get around to registering on Gold Derby tonight or tomorrow, I'd pick Welcome to Wrexham.

Outstanding Structured Reality Program

• Antiques Roadshow (PBS)
• Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food Network)
• Love Is Blind (Netflix)
• Queer Eye (Netflix)
• Shark Tank (ABC)

Queer Eye has won this category six years in a row and the prognosticators at Gold Derby generally agree that it will extend its streak to seven with nine editors, six experts, and 20 of the top 24 users picking it to win. Two editors, one expert, and four users think Shark Tank will upset Queer Eye. In addition, one expert each have made long-shot picks for Love Is Blind and Antiques Roadshow. If I voted for Love Is Blind, it would be an expression of sympathy for Vanessa Lachey, who was unpleasantly surprised when CBS canceled NCIS: Hawaii, a show my wife and I enjoyed. Otherwise, no. As for Antiques Roadshow, I think Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has a better chance of winning Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special. I'd pick Queer Eye to win once more.

Now for a category presented at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Reality Competition Program

• The Amazing Race (CBS)
• RuPaul's Drag Race (MTV)
• Top Chef (Bravo)
• The Traitors (Peacock)
• The Voice (NBC)

RuPaul's Drag Race has won this category five of the past six years, including earlier this year for 2023 and the forecasters at Gold Derby agree, as ten of eleven editors, eleven of sixteen experts, and fifteen users have chosen it as the winner. One editor, five experts, and six users think The Traitors could walk away with the statuette in an upset (three users haven't made up their minds yet). I would pick RuPaul's Drag Race given the opportunity.

Follow over the jump as I recycle a category from Gold Derby predicts guest actor, guest actress, reality host, and voice-over at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

Colbert, Meyers, and Kimmel return to take closer looks at the presidential campaigns

I haven't featured the late night talk show hosts since Closer looks at the DNC from Stewart, Colbert, and Meyers nearly two weeks ago. That's because I had changed over to posts I could share this week because I had made my page view goal for August and the shows weren't producing new content anyway. I guess The Late Show and The Daily Show needed the week to move from Chicago back to New York, then everyone took the week leading up to Labor Day off. It's a new month, so it's time to resume topical posts and nearly all the talk shows resumed releasing new shows last night. I begin with Colbert's monologue, Harris's Momentum Dominates The News | Trump's Crimes At Arlington Cemetery | RFK Jr. & The Whale.

VP Kamala Harris is leading in national polls, her opponent Donald Trump brushed aside federal law and Army personnel for his photo opp at Arlington National Cemetery, and we're learning of another bizarre animal-related scandal involving former presidential candidate RFK Jr.

Last week was really eventful and Colbert was just catching up. Speaking of which, I was missing his enthusiastic Chicago audience and I suspect he was, too, until his jokes finally starting landing. Welcome back, Stephen!

Seth Meyers didn't have to come back from Chicago — he was in New York during the DNC — but he took last week off, too. He was busy just catching up to convicted criminal's misdeeds last week in Declining Trump Rambles Incoherently About Bacon, Wind and Body Parts: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at a series of major controversies and sagging poll numbers causing Trump to devolve in a way that's unusual, even for him.

Hoover Cleveland has just enough self-awareness to say "I meant to do that" about his rambling, calling it "the weave." Sure you did. Throwing in the English professors makes it sound like another one of his "sir" stories.

As for The Former Guy including the detail about people, particularly, "big, strong men," crying, I consider it a tell that he's BSing or lying (there is a difference, but both involve not telling the truth) right up with with them addressing him as "Sir." Not only that, but both also mark this as a story in service to his ego and image. Don't believe any story that contains either.

Same with "the weave."

Seth only had a week to catch up. Jimmy Kimmel has been on vacation for two months with guest hosts filling in, so he had even more material to cover in Jimmy Kimmel Recaps All the Crazy Stuff Donald Trump Did Over the Summer.

Jimmy makes his return after being away for the summer with his family. He talks about all of the news he missed this summer, the craziness that came out of Trump’s bigly mouth, his comments at “The Moms for Liberty” event over the weekend, new VP picks JD Vance and Tim Walz, the incredible twist that Netflix put on their hot dog eating contest this weekend, and all of our summer guest hosts rate their experience at the show on Yelp.

Welcome back, Jimmy. I missed you.

Harris campaigns in Detroit on Labor Day

I closed Project 2025's plans for labor and unions, part 7 of MSNBC examines Project 2025, a Labor Day special with a program note.

By the way, Kamala Harris is speaking in Detroit for Labor Day as I type this. I might visit that tomorrow. Stay tuned.

CBS Detroit uploaded her speech as Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to union members in Detroit during Labor Day visit.

Vice President Kamala Harris made a stop in Detroit on Labor Day to speak with union members and leaders.

I watched this speech on Instagram yesterday, but I enjoyed CBS Detroit's coverage of it even more. I guess it took a second listen to appreciate it more fully, including Harris's applause lines and the enthusiastic crowd reaction.

MSNBC reacted to Harris's address in the following segments, beginning with David Jolly telling Nicolle Wallace ‘She’s putting in the work, Trump is sitting at his golf course’: VP Harris hits swing states hard.

Eddie Glaude, Princeton University Professor, David Jolly, former Republican Congressman from Florida join Nicolle Wallace on Deadline White House to break down the battle ground tour that the Harris campaign is embarking on for Labor Day and how VP Harris has begun to hone in her message to voters.

I agree with Wallace and her guests, particularly Jolly. Harris is working hard and becoming more effective, while convicted criminal Donald Trump AKA Hoover Cleveland is staying at one of his homes. His running mate JD Vance didn't hold any events yesterday, either. I guess they wanted to relax on the holiday. That's the point Jason Johnson made in Trump's 2024 nightmare: Women voting surge could elect Harris.

Kamala Harris takes the lead with women voters, as abortion access becomes a crucial issue on the ballot in key swing states. MSNBC’s Ari Melber reports and is joined by Molly Jong Fast and Jason Johnson.

My wife and I watched this clip together last night and it also benefited from a second viewing. In particular, the contrast between Trump and Vance staying home while not just Harris, but also President Joe Biden, Governor Tim Walz, and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff all campaigning yesterday. It's obvious which ticket has the energy.

That's a wrap for today's post. I might resume Emmy Awards coverage tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Project 2025's plans for labor and unions, part 7 of MSNBC examines Project 2025, a Labor Day special

Happy Labor Day! Instead of reviewing the history of the holiday for this year's observance, I'm looking ahead at a possible future by resuming MSNBC examines Project 2025, which I promised I would do in July. About time to work the eye again!

I begin with MSNBC's most recent video on the subject, Ali Velshi's Inside Project 2025’s plan to weaken unions and lower workers’ wages.

Project 2025’s chapter on the Department of Labor aims to make union organizing more difficult, give unions less bargaining leverage and repeal long-standing anti-discrimination laws. Fmr. Acting Secretary of Labor under President Obama, Seth Harris says the policies in Project 2025 are fit for “a society where your only goal is for employers to make more money.”

Velshi's listing of all the reversions of labor law to before the New Deal would have made this worth sharing on its own, but Seth Harris's mentions of all the victories of organized labor during the past twelve months, including those by the WGA, UAW, and SAG-AFTRA after strikes, and the Teamsters and UPS contract averting a strike were exactly what I wanted to highlight today, the resurgence of organized labor. Two for one!

Joy Reid had examined the subject earlier last month in Project 2025 Exposed: Child labor and decimated unions promised by Trump’s election.

Donald Trump took a private flight with the head of Project 2025, Kevin Roberts, The Washington Post reports. Jody Calemine, director of advocacy for the AFL-CIO, joins Joy Reid to discuss the potential, destructive impact of Project 2025 on labour unions and the American worker.

As I wrote in PBS NewsHour explains 'Why several states are pushing to loosen child labor restrictions' on World Day Against Child Labor and the posts I linked to there, "I think relaxing child labor laws is not a good way to deal with a labor shortage. I prefer raising wages and improving working conditions so more adults will return to the workforce." I also suggested increased legal immigration as a solution to labor shortages, but that goes against the recommendations I included in U.S. birth rates resume falling while life expectancy increases for World Population Day 2024 and repeated in John Oliver debunks 'Migrant Crime' in the middle of covering the RNC on 'Last Week Tonight': "MSNBC examines Project 2025, part 5 lists even more extreme positions beyond restricting immigration: 'Mass deportation of immigrants and incarceration in 'camps' and 'End birth right citizenship.' Yikes, especially the second, which attacks the currently accepted idea of who is an American and will affect citizens and others here legally, not just undocumented immigrants." I think the revisions (reversions) in federal labor law in Project 2025 would be make exactly the wrong choice.

I conclude with Velshi examining Inside Project 2025: ‘Schedule F’s’ direct threat to public servants.

Olivia Troye, a longtime civil servant across various government agencies and administrations, first saw Project 2025’s drafted ‘Schedule F’ plan to purge government of nonpartisan experts in favor of political loyalists back in 2020 while working in the Trump Administration.
Project 2025 isn’t just about the ultra-conservative policies that Donald Trump and his allies are preparing for a possible second term in office. It’s also about how they’re going to implement those policies. A goal is to rid the government of the “Deep State” and a former Trump executive order called “Schedule F” would play a huge role. Troye joins Ali Velshi to clarify the dangers of Project 2025 and Schedule F for the United States government and the ways they could affect American life.

I usually see Schedule F portrayed as a good government issue, but it's also a labor issue, even though it's directed at management, not rank-and-file civil servants. It would remove civil service protection from middle management and the bottom level of top management, which definitely affects their job security and working conditions along with making the rest of Project 2025, including its erosion of worker rights, more easy to implement. Remember, in their own way, the civil servants that would be impacted by Schedule F work for a living; unlike their equivalents in the corporate world, they're not getting rich by higher salaries and investments in their employer to compensate for being at-will employees.

By the way, Kamala Harris is speaking in Detroit for Labor Day as I type this. I might visit that tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Gold Derby predicts guest actor, guest actress, reality host, and voice-over at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards

I was confused when I wrote CNBC explains 'Why Automakers Are Invading Your Privacy,' a double driving update yesterday; the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina is next year, so the Sunday entertainment feature it is. Time to return to the Emmy Awards with nominations for guest actor, guest actress, reality show host, and voice-over performance plus odds from Gold Derby, so here are the nominees at the 76th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards!

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

• Jon Bernthal – The Bear: "Fishes" as Michael Berzatto (FX)
• Matthew Broderick – Only Murders in the Building: "CoBro" as Matthew Broderick (Hulu)
• Ryan Gosling – Saturday Night Live: "Host: Ryan Gosling" as host (NBC)
• Christopher Lloyd – Hacks: "The Deborah Vance Christmas Spectacular" as Larry Arbuckle (Max)
• Bob Odenkirk – The Bear: "Fishes" as Uncle Lee (FX)
• Will Poulter – The Bear: "Honeydew" as Luca (FX)

Gold Derby's editors and top 24 users have divided opinions about the likely winner. The editors are split five to five between Jon Bernthal and Christopher Lloyd with one editor picking Ryan Gosling as a dark horse. The experts are even more evenly divided among the top three nominees with four backing Bernthal and three going for Gosling, leaving two for Lloyd. On the other hand, the top 24 users display more consolidation with 18 behind Bernthal, three voting for Gosling, only two for Lloyd, and one brave user making a long shot bet on Bob Odenkirk.

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

• Olivia Colman – The Bear: "Forks" as Chef Terry (FX)
• Jamie Lee Curtis – The Bear: "Fishes" as Donna Berzatto (FX)
• Kaitlin Olson – Hacks: "The Roast of Deborah Vance" as DJ Vance (Max)
• Da'Vine Joy Randolph – Only Murders in the Building: "Sitzprobe" as Donna Williams (Hulu)
• Maya Rudolph – Saturday Night Live: "Host: Maya Rudolph" as host (NBC)
• Kristen Wiig – Saturday Night Live: "Host: Kristen Wiig" as host (NBC)

The editors, experts, and top 24 users have unanimously chosen Jamie Lee Curtis. After seeing how she won an Oscar for Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, I think the prognosticators at Gold Derby have been convinced of Hollywood's love for Curtis so they agree she'll win an Emmy to go with her Oscar. To reiterate, electorates matter.

Between Bernthal and Curtis, it could be a mini-sweep of comedy guest performances for The Bear. That probably won't happen at the Primetime Emmys, as Hacks could win both actress awards while both actors could repeat for The Bear.

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

• Néstor Carbonell – Shogun: "Anjin" as Vasco Rodrigues (FX)
• Paul Dano – Mr. & Mrs. Smith: "A Breakup" as Harris Materbach (Prime Video)
• Tracy Letts – Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty: "The New World" as Jack McKinney (HBO)
• Jonathan Pryce – Slow Horses: "Footprints" as David Cartwright (Apple TV+)
• John Turturro – Mr. & Mrs. Smith: "Second Date" as Eric Shane (Prime Video)

Eight of the eleven editors voted for Néstor Carbonell, two for John Turturro, and one for Jonathan Pryce. The experts exhibit a similar split with six for Carbonell, two for John Turturro, and one for Jonathan Pryce. The top 24 users are generally playing it safe with 21 chosing Carbonell, while one each are making long shot picks for Paul Dano, Pryce, and Turturro.

Speaking of sweeps, Shogun could see one for its nominated actors between the Creative Arts Emmy Awards and the Primetime Emmy Awards. I'll get to its nominations next week.

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

• Michaela Coel – Mr. & Mrs. Smith: "Infidelity" as Bev (Prime Video)
• Claire Foy – The Crown: "Sleep, Dearie Sleep" as Queen Elizabeth II (Netflix)
• Marcia Gay Harden – The Morning Show: "Update Your Priors" as Maggie Brener (Apple TV+)
• Sarah Paulson – Mr. & Mrs. Smith: "Couples Therapy (Naked & Afraid)" as Therapist (Prime Video)
• Parker Posey – Mr. & Mrs. Smith: "Double Date" as Second Other Jane (Prime Video)

Eight editors chose Claire Foy to claim another Emmy for her part of the role, two voted for Michaela Coel, and one picked Parker Posey. The experts are just as evenly split among the top nominees here as they are for guest drama actor with three for Foy, and two each voting for Coel, Sarah Paulson, and Posey. As they are for guest actress, the users display more agreement with the editors than the experts with 20 fine with Foy, three choosing Coel, and one picking Paulson.

As I observed in Gold Derby's predictions for Emmy-nominated shows, "Shogun moved from limited series to drama series just in time to make the ballot in this category, unseating The Crown as the favorite." Fortunately for Foy, no one from Shogun earned a nomination in this category, so she might be the one acting winner for the series' final season.

Follow over the jump for the nominees and Gold Derby odds for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance and Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program plus a linkspam to previous entries in this series.