A blog about societal, cultural, and civilizational collapse, and how to stave it off or survive it. Named after the legendary character "Crazy Eddie" in Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's "The Mote in God's Eye." Expect news and views about culture, politics, economics, technology, and science fiction.
The unique new comedy is loosely based on the true adventures of 18th century would-be pirate, Stede Bonnet, played by Rhys Darby. After trading in his comfortable life for one of a buccaneer, Stede becomes captain of a pirate ship, but struggles to earn the respect of his potentially mutinous crew. Stede’s fortunes change after a fateful run-in with the infamous Captain Blackbeard, played by Taika Waititi.
Stede Bonnet sounds like Stephen Bonnet, a pirate villain in Outlander. This is not a coincidence: "While Stephen Bonnet of the Outlander series is fictional, Diana Gabaldon has said that it is possible he is illegitimately descended from the real historical figure, Stede Bonnet." I'll add the fictional Bonnet and Blackbeard to Anne Bonny as future subjects of Talk Like A Pirate Day.
I conclude with a meme.
It helps that today actually is Monday.
That's it for today's look at pirates, both real and fictionalized. I plan on having more awards show coverage tomorrow. Stay tuned.
• A Quiet Place Part II (Paramount Pictures)
• The Black Phone (Universal Pictures)
• Last Night in Soho (Focus Features)
• The Night House (Searchlight Pictures)
• Scream (Paramount Pictures)
• X (A24)
"The Black Phone" edges out "A Quiet Place Part II" by one nomination, five to four. "Last Night in Soho" sits in third with three nominations, while "Scream" has two and "The Night House" and "X" have one each. Based on the number of nominations, "The Black Phone" has the nominal edge, but I'm voting for "A Quiet Place Part II," the Best Horror Film of 2021 at the Critics Choice Super Awards.
Deadline Hollywood mentioned the two movies it counted as tying for third: "Also getting noms are A24’s indie hit Everything Everywhere All at Once and Jordan Peele’s Universal thriller Nope with seven mentions apiece." I plan on covering "Everything Everywhere All at Once" next for fantasy.
...
The next one should be about fantasy and animated films. Stay tuned.
Here are the nominees in those two categories.
Fantasy Film
• Cruella (Walt Disney Studios)
• Everything Everywhere All at Once (A24)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Sony Pictures)
• The Green Knight (A24)
• The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (Lionsgate)
As Deadline Hollywood reported, "Everything Everywhere All at Once" has seven nominations followed by "Cruella" with five, "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" with four, and one each for "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore," "The Green Knight," and "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent." My wife and I watched "Cruella," "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore," and "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" and our favorite is "Cruella." Pencil that in for my vote until we watch "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent." I expect we'll like the former more than the latter, but my wife might enjoy Nicholas Cage and Pedro Pascal more than I'll enjoy Michelle Yeoh. That's not the important issue; it's whether I think either of them are better than "Cruella."
Animated Film
• The Addams Family 2 (United Artists)
• Encanto (Walt Disney Studios)
• Lightyear (Pixar / Walt Disney Studios)
• Luca (Pixar / Walt Disney Studios)
• Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (A24)
• Minions: The Rise of Gru (Universal Pictures)
Only "Luca" earned a second nomination, but "Encanto" won the Academy Award, so I'm voting for "Encanto."
Younger Actor in a Film
• Noah Jupe, A Quiet Place Part II (Paramount Pictures)
• Madeleine McGraw, The Black Phone (Universal Pictures)
• Millicent Simmonds, A Quiet Place Part II (Paramount Pictures)
• Mason Thames, The Black Phone (Universal Pictures)
• Jacob Tremblay, Luca (Pixar / Walt Disney Studios)
• Finn Wolfhard, Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Sony Pictures)
The two fantasy film nominees are Jacob Tremblay, the second nomination for "Luca," and Finn Wolfhard. The first is voice-acting nomination and the second reminds me that the acting committe snubbed McKenna Grace, who I thought was the real star of "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," not Wolfhard. I'm not voting for either of them. Instead, I'm voting for Millicent Simmonds reprising her role in "A Quiet Place Part II."
After two days of reality, I'm returning to fantasy (actually science fiction) by resuming my series about the Saturn Awards. Deadline Hollywood mentioned the two movies it counted as tying for third: "Also getting noms are A24’s indie hit Everything Everywhere All at Once and Jordan Peele’s Universal thriller Nope with seven mentions apiece." I plan on covering "Everything Everywhere All at Once" next for fantasy. Today, I'm blogging about the science fiction movie nominees.
Science Fiction Film
• Crimes of the Future (Neon)
• Dune (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Free Guy (20th Century Studios)
• Godzilla vs. Kong (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Jurassic World Dominion (Universal Pictures)
• Nope (Universal Pictures)
The two most nominated films in this category are "Nope" with seven and "Dune" with five. They are followed by "Crimes of the Future" with three and "Free Guy," "Godzilla vs. Kong," and "Jurassic World Dominion" tied at two each. "Nope" may have more nominations at these awards, but "Dune" won six Oscars and the Hugo Award for Dramatic Presentation - Long Form, so I'm voting for it. I'm betting "Nope" won't do as well at next year's Academy Awards and WorldCon.
The United Nations has marked September 15th as the International Day of Democracy. On this day the UN urges all governments to promote and uphold the principles of democracy.
Democracy is a form of government in which citizens exercise power by voting. Democracy is built on a foundation of inclusion. Equal treatment and participation are also important components. Democracy is also a building block for peace and human rights. Countries with democracies have a constitution, which helps to create an environment of protection for its citizens. Democratic states also are less likely to breed terrorists. They are also more active in the global economy.
True democracy gives power to the people. It involves dialogue between civil societies and political classes. This dialogue should influence policymaking decisions. In many countries throughout the world human rights defenders and government officials are under attack. Women remain underrepresented.
Because of these threats, it’s more important than ever to embrace democracy and the global freedoms it provides. It’s also of utmost importance to assist in the formation of new democracies.
HOW TO OBSERVE #DayOfDemocracy
On the International Day of Democracy, organizations around the world hold various events to promote democracy. These events include discussions and conferences with keynote speakers. These speakers are usually leaders or educators that support democratic governments. Information is disseminated that discusses the link between democracy and freedom of expression. The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) organizes public opinion surveys about democracy.
Some ways for you to observe include visiting your state’s capitol building and learning more about the legislative process. Use the Internet to find countries that don’t have a democracy. Learn about how this affects the citizens. Some non-democratic countries include Qatar, Cuba, United Kingdom [I tell my students that the U.K. is a democracy in a constitutional monarchy, so I disagree with its listing here], North Korea, and Saudi Arabia. Talk to your kids about democracy. Make a commitment to vote in the next election.
Take time to reflect on what democracy means to you. Write your thoughts down in the form of an essay, poem, or blog post. You can also post your thoughts on social media. When doing so, share it with #InternationalDayOfDemocracy.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DEMOCRACY HISTORY
On November 8, 2007, the UN general assembly made September 15th the International Day of Democracy. The assembly invited individuals and organizations to commemorate the day. It also called on governments to share experiences of promoting democracy. The first International Day of Democracy was celebrated in 2008 by 46 national parliaments. This date marked the 20th anniversary of the first International Conference of New or Restored Democracies.
Every year the UN creates a new theme for the International Day of Democracy. Past themes have included: “Strengthening Voices for Democracy,” “Engaging Youth on Democracy,” and “Inclusion and Participation as Foundations of Democracy.”
On the International Day of Democracy, UN Secretary-General stresses the importance of media freedom to democracy, peace, and delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals.
"Today marks the 15th anniversary of the International Day of Democracy.
Yet across the world, democracy is backsliding.
Civic space is shrinking.
Distrust and disinformation are growing.
And polarization is undermining democratic institutions.
Now is the time to raise the alarm.
Now is the time to reaffirm that democracy, development, and human rights are interdependent and mutually reinforcing.
Now is the time to stand up for the democratic principles of equality, inclusion, and solidarity.
And stand with those who strive to secure the rule of law and promote the full participation in decision-making.
This year, we focus on a cornerstone of democratic societies – free, independent, and pluralistic media.
Attempts to silence journalists are growing more brazen by the day – from verbal assault to online surveillance and legal harassment – especially against women journalists.
Media workers face censorship, detention, physical violence, and even killings – often with impunity.
Such dark paths inevitably lead to instability, injustice and worse.
Without a free press, democracy cannot survive. Without freedom of expression, there is no freedom.
On Democracy Day and every day, let us join forces to secure freedom and protect the rights of all people, everywhere.
Thank you".
I agree with António Guterres, Secretary-General to the United Nations: "Without a free press, democracy cannot survive. Without freedom of expression, there is no freedom." Also, it's up to all of us to protect democracy. As I wrote in Representative Adam Schiff tells Stephen Colbert 'Our Democracy Is Even More Vulnerable Today Than It Was On Jan 6': "It's up to the people to protect democracy. If they don't care, they will lose a functioning democracy." Let that be a challenge to all of us.
A “tipping point” is when a system, with just a small amount of additional energy, is pushed from one stable state to another suddenly and dramatically. This can be a chair falling backwards. Or it can be a major earth system collapsing.
The IPCC recently identified 15 potential climate-related tipping points that scientists have grown increasingly worried we are getting close to crossing due to global warming. In this episode of Weathered, we look at 6 of the major candidates, how they are all interconnected and influence each other, and what it would mean if they were triggered. These tipping points or tipping elements are the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, the Amazon rainforest, global monsoons, the AMOC (Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation) and the earth’s permafrost and coral reefs.
The consequences for any of these systems being pushed over the edge would be truly catastrophic and would encompass everything from massive droughts, loss of biodiversity, increased flooding, heat waves, large scale climate migration, food shortages, and much more.
• Ambulance (Universal Pictures)
• Nightmare Alley (Searchlight Pictures)
• The Northman (Focus Features)
• Old (Universal Pictures)
• The Outfit (Focus Features)
• Pig (Neon)
"Nightmare Alley" has ten nominations, "Ambulance" has two, and the remaining four have one each. In addition "Nightmare Alley" had four Oscar nominationswhiletheresthadnone. I don't have to watch any of them to know I'm voting for "Nightmare Alley."
• Bosch: Legacy (FreeVee)
• The Boys (Amazon)
• Cobra Kai (Netflix)
• Leverage: Redemption (FreeVee)
• Peacemaker (HBOMax / DC)
• Reacher (Amazon)
• Umbrella Academy (Netflix)
The most nominated streaming superhero show is "The Boys," which earned four Saturn Award nominations for Action / Adventure Series (Streaming), Actor in a Streaming Series for Antony Starr, Actress in a Streaming Series for Erin Moriarty, and Guest Performance in a Streaming Series for Jensen Ackles. That ties it with more traditional action/thriller show "Leverage: Redemption," which has nominations for Actress in a Streaming Series for Beth Riesgraf, Supporting Actress in a Streaming Series for Aleyse Shannon, and Guest Performance in a Streaming Series for Levar Burton in addition to this category. The other superhero nominees in this category are "Peacemaker" with three nominations and "Umbrella Academy" with two. The non-superhero action/adventure nominees are "Bosch: Legacy," "Cobra Kai," and "Reacher," each with one nomination. While I'm personally inclined to vote for "Peacemaker," I think the rest of the members of the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films will vote for "The Boys."
Fantasy Series (Streaming)
• Loki (Disney+ / Marvel)
• Russian Doll (Netflix)
• Schmigadoon (Apple TV+)
• WandaVision (Disney+ / Marvel)
• The Wheel of Time (Amazon)
• The Witcher (Netflix)
When I wrote "superheroes, like horror, span the space between science fiction and fantasy, and some show more affinity for one over the other," I was making a point about the superheros that have science fiction origins. Here, the nominated superhero shows star a Norse god and a witch, so they're fantasy. Both of them also have two acting nominations for their stars and acting nominations for supporting and guest roles for a total of three each, making them the most nominated shows in this category. The rest of the nominees, high fantasy series "The Wheel of Time" and "The Witcher" and modern fantasies "Russian Doll" and "Schmigadoon," earned just one nomination each. That leaves the two Marvel shows as co-favorites. Between the two, I'll likely vote for "WandaVision," the professional choice that earned three Creative Arts Emmy Awards and eighteen other Emmy nominations over "Loki," the show that had six Emmy nominations but did not win any of them.
Limited Event Series (Streaming)
• The Book of Boba Fett (Disney+ / Lucasfilm)
• Hawkeye (Disney+ / Marvel)
• Midnight Mass (Netflix)
• Ms. Marvel (Disney+ / Marvel)
• Moon Knight (Disney+ / Marvel)
• Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney+ / Lucasfilm)
Now for the limited series nominees, which "WandaVision" could have qualified for as well. While this installment focuses on superheroes, they're not the subject of the most nominated show, "Obi-Wan Kenobi," which has five nominations to three each for "Hawkeye" and "Moon Knight" and two each for "Midnight Mass," "Ms. Marvel" and "The Book of Boba Fett." I'm voting for "Obi-Wan Kenobi" and I think the rest of the Saturn Awards electorate will as well.
Animated Series
• Arcane (Netflix)
• Blade Runner: Black Lotus (Crunchyroll / Adult Swim)
• The Boys Presents: Diabolical (Amazon)
• Invincible (Amazon)
• Star Trek: Lower Decks (Paramount+)
• Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Disney+ / Lucasfilm)
• What If? (Disney+ / Marvel)
Three of these nominees are about superheroes, "The Boys Presents: Diabolical," "Invincible," and "What If...?" While "The Boys Presents: Diabolical" is the fifth nomination for the franchise and serves as a tiebreaker with "Leverage: Redemption," it almost certainly won't win. Instead, I think the Saturn Award will go to one of "Arcane" (the professionals' choice), "Star Wars: The Bad Batch" (continuing the tradition of Star Wars animation winning at the Saturn Awards), or "What If...?" with "Star Trek: Lower Decks" as a potential spoiler. I'm planning on voting for "Arcane."
The nominees for Outstanding Drama Series are Better Call Saul, Euphoria, Ozark, Severance, Squid Game, Stranger Things, Succession, and Yellowjackets.
I'll be a good environmentalist and begin my reaction by recycling. First, "My interest in covering entertainment awards consists mostly of covering shows that portray history, government, politics, and other social issues, like diversity and representation, or are speculative fiction." Second, "the drama series [nominees] best demonstrate my emphasis on looking at portrayals of politics and government in entertainment." All of the nominees qualify under least one of my criteria, including "Yellowjackets," which begins in a public high school — public education is part of government — and is enough of a horror series that it has two Saturn Award nominations. I'll write more about it, "Better Call Saul," "Severance," "Squid Game," and "Stranger Things" when I resume my series about the SaturnAwards.
The nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series are Jason Bateman, Brian Cox, Lee Jung-jae, Bob Odenkirk, Adam Scott, and Jeremy Strong.
There is more disagreement among Gold Derby editors about the winner for this category, with a bare majority of seven predicting Lee Jung-jae from "Squid Game" and three each forecasting Brian Cox from "Succession" and Bob Odenkirk from "Better Call Saul," while the readers are picking Lee Jung-jae. I'm rooting for Cox, but I wouldn't be surprised if Lee Jung-jae won. Odenkirk will have to wait for the Saturn Awards to get a better chance at winning an award.
The nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series are Jodie Comer, Laura Linney, Melanie Lynskey, Sandra Oh, Reese Witherspoon, and Zendaya.
Both the editors at Gold Derby and their readers think that Zendaya from "Euphoria," who won two years ago, will return to the stage to accept her Emmy tomorrow night, with nine editors picking her to win. The dissenters split between Melanie Lynskey from "Yellowjackets" with three, including Joyce Eng, forecasting her win and my personal favorite Laura Linney from "Ozark" with one lone editor choosing her. Mostly likely Zendaya.
Kieran Culkin from "Succession" is the favorite both among readers and editors at Gold Derby with eight top picks, followed by three for Oh Young-soo from "Squid Game" and one each for Matthew Macfadyen from "Succession" and John Turtoro from "Severance." Since Culkin is my personal favorite, I'm happy to pick him.
Unlike Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, the Gold Derby editors have no clear favorite among nominees in Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Two-time winner Julia Garner from "Ozark" has six top picks, Jung Ho-yeon from "Squid Game" has four, and Patricia Arquette from "Severance," Rhea Seehorn from "Better Call Saul," and Sarah Snook from "Succession" each have one. Since I'm rooting for Garner to three-peat, I'm glad to report that the Gold Derby readers are picking her. Arquette and Seehorn will have to wait for the Saturn Awards, where they are in different categories, to get a better chance at an award.
Both the readers and the editors at Gold Derby are predicting "Squid Game" to win with ten editors forecasting it winning. "Severance" is the second choice with two editors picking it, including Eng, and "Succession" winning with one. I'll go with "Squid Game."
"Succession" is the clear leader with twelve of the thirteen Gold Derby editors and the site's readers picking it to win. "Severance" only has one editor thinking it will take home the Emmy.
Is "Succession" in danger at Monday's Primetime Emmys? HBO's family drama has long been the favorite to win Best Drama Series for a second time, but at this past weekend's Creative Arts Emmys, it only won a single trophy for Best Drama Casting. Gold Derby's Marcus James Dixon, Daniel Montgomery and Denton Davidson discuss this hot topic as well as make their final drama predictions for the acting, writing and directing races in their latest Editors' Emmy slugfest.
Emmys predictions slugfest 2022: Chris Beachum and Rob Licuria debate all 25 categories in 25 minutes. It's an annual tradition going back at least 15 years. Some of the toughest to pick are Comedy Series (Abbott Elementary, Barry, Hacks, Only Murders in the Building, Ted Lasso?), Drama Actor (Lee Jung-jae, Jeremy Strong, Brian Cox?) and Limited/Movie Actress (Amanda Seyfried or Lily James?).
Gold Derby editors and Experts Christopher Rosen and Joyce Eng share their final picks for the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards. Will "Ted Lasso" rebound after getting zero wins at Creative Arts or will "Abbott Elementary" parlay its casting victory into a series win? And can anything usurp "Succession" and "The White Lotus"?
The nominees for Outstanding Comedy Series are Abbott Elementary, Barry, Curb Your Enthusiam, Hacks, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Only Murders in the Building, Ted Lasso, and What We Do in the Shadows.
As I wrote yesterday, "My interest in covering entertainment awards consists mostly of covering shows that portray history, government, politics, and other social issues, like diversity and representation, or are speculative fiction." "Abbott Elementary" is about public education and "public education is part of government," a thought I'll repeat tomorrow for "Euphoria." "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" has had wonderful social commentary but became more political during the second season. "What We Do in the Shadows" has "a lot of political intrigue and comedic conflict among different factions of vampires with other fantastic creatures, particularly werewolves, so the show has a lot of fantastic politics." It also has two Saturn Award nominations, so I'll write about it more later this month. Of the three, "Abbott Elementary" has the best chance of winning according to the Gold Derby editors with three editors, including Joyce Eng, picking it to win. That puts it ahead of "Hacks" with two editors choosing it, and behind the returning winner "Ted Lasso" with eight editors thinking it is the favorite (so do the readers). That written, "Ted Lasso" won no Creative Arts Emmy Awards, despite having the most nominations of any comedy series with twenty!
The nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series are Donald Glover, Bill Hader, Nicholas Hoult, Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Jason Sudeikis.
"Atlanta" has a lot of social and political commentary in its comedy and "The Great" has the most government and politics content, as it's a comedic look at a young Catherine the Great of Russia. This is a rich field with Donald Glover, Bill Hader, and Jason Sudeikis having won this category for these same roles before and Steve Martin and Martin Short winning Emmy Awards for comedy writing. Nine of the Gold Derby editors think that Hader will win, including Eng, three have picked Sudeikis to repeat, and one thinks Steve Martin will win his first Emmy for acting. The readers think it will be a close win for Hader. I can see that.
The nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series are Rachel Brosnahan, Quinta Brunson, Kaley Cuoco, Elle Fanning, Issa Rae, and Jean Smart.
As I wrote last year "Kaley Cuoco's Cassie Bowden is recruited as an undercover agent at the end of the first season," adding a lot more government content to the show. That turned out surprisingly well, although I think the finale stuck the landing and then tripped. That's not Cuoco's fault as an actress, but it's indirectly her fault as a producer. Issa Rae has brought a lot of social commentary in "Insecure." Neither will win. Instead, twelve of the thirteen Bold Derby editors along with the majority of uses think Jean Smart will repeat for "Hacks" with only editor predicting Quinta Brunson for "Abbott Elementary." That fits with my usual handicapping favoring the most recent returning winner.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Carrigan – Barry as NoHo Hank (HBO/HBO Max)
Brett Goldstein – Ted Lasso as Roy Kent (Apple TV+)
Toheeb Jimoh – Ted Lasso as Sam Obisanya (Apple TV+)
Nick Mohammed – Ted Lassoas Nathan Shelley (Apple TV+)
Tony Shalhoub – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as Abe Weissman (Prime Video)
Tyler James Williams – Abbott Elementary as Gregory Eddie (ABC)
Henry Winkler – Barry as Gene Cousineau (HBO/HBO Max)
Bowen Yang – Saturday Night Live as various characters (NBC)
As much as Bowen Yang deserves this nomination and is the only one nominated from "SNL," I don't think he's going to win, as he's up against three previous winners in Brett Goldstein, Tony Shalhoub, and Henry Winkler. I'll handicap their chances and the rest of the nominees from comedy series later.
Later is now, when I'm reporting that twelve of the thirteen editors along with the readers think that Brett Goldstein will repeat. Only one editor, Rob Licuria, thinks that Anthony Carrigan from "Barry," who first came to my attention as Victor Zsasz in "Gotham," will upset. Licuria is not Eng, so I'm going with Goldstein.
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Alex Borstein – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as Susie Myerson (Prime Video)
Hannah Einbinder – Hacks as Ava Daniels (HBO/HBO Max)
Janelle James – Abbott Elementary as Ava Coleman (ABC)
Kate McKinnon – Saturday Night Live as various characters (NBC)
Sarah Niles – Ted Lasso as Dr. Sharon Fieldstone (Apple TV+)
Sheryl Lee Ralph – Abbott Elementary as Barbara Howard (ABC)
Juno Temple – Ted Lasso as Keeley Jones (Apple TV+)
Hannah Waddingham – Ted Lasso as Rebecca Welton (Apple TV+)
Unlike Yang, Kate McKinnon is a previous winner of this award, but she's competing against last year's winner Hannah Waddingham and two-time winner AlexBorstein, so I don't consider her the favorite.
Waddingham barely qualifies as the favorite, as only six of the thirteen Gold Derby editors have picked her to repeat. Five editors picked Hannah Einbinder of "Hacks" and two, including Eng, chose Janelle James of "Abbott Elementary" to upset. That gives me pause. If I had to bet, I would put my money on Waddingham, but I would only wager a small sum.
Now for the two behind-the-camera categories to be awarded on Monday.
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series Atlanta: "New Jazz" – Hiro Murai (FX) Barry: "710N" – Bill Hader (HBO/HBO Max) Hacks: "There Will Be Blood" – Lucia Aniello (HBO/HBO Max) The Ms. Pat Show: "Baby Daddy Groundhog Day" – Mary Lou Belli (BET+) Only Murders in the Building: "The Boy from 6B" – Cherien Dabis (Hulu)
Only Murders in the Building: "True Crime" – Jamie Babbit (Hulu) Ted Lasso: "No Weddings and a Funeral" – MJ Delaney (Apple TV+)
This is the only nomination for "The Ms. Pat Show," a program that all of the Gold Derby editors and the readers have in last place. Their first choice is Bill Hader for "Barry" with the readers and twelve of the editors choosing it. Hader could end up with two Emmy Awards Monday if they're right. The readers' second choice is "Hacks," while "Only Murders in the Building" has one editor as the upset choice. I've seen enough of the nominated episode that I agree it deserves to win.
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Abbott Elementary: "Pilot" – Quinta Brunson (ABC) Barry: "710N" – Duffy Boudreau (HBO/HBO Max) Barry: "starting now" – Alec Berg and Bill Hader (HBO/HBO Max) Hacks: "The One, the Only" – Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky (HBO/HBO Max) Only Murders in the Building: "True Crime" – Steve Martin and John Hoffman (Hulu) Ted Lasso: "No Weddings and a Funeral" – Jane Becker (Apple TV+) What We Do in the Shadows: "The Casino" – Sarah Naftalis (FX) What We Do in the Shadows: "The Wellness Center" – Stefani Robinson (FX)
My previous comment about this category was in 'Abbott Elementary' wins four Television Critics Association Awards, including Program of the Year, where I wrote "I think these four wins at the TCA Awards have definitely improved the odds of the show winning its categories, but I currently think the only categories where that might push it into the winners circle are for writing and casting, although the competition is stiff for those, too." It won casting and the Gold Derby readers think it will win writing, although the editors split their picks with "Hacks," with six each predicting "Abbott Elementary" and "Hacks," while one editor forecast "Ted Lasso" upsetting the two front runners. My usual handicapping would lead me to pick "Hacks," but the readers break the tie in favor of "Abbott Elementary," as does Eng.
“There are so many amazing comedy series and the nominees here are sensational,” declares Gold Derby senior editor Rob Licuria about the state of the Best Comedy Series Emmy race this year, which features one of the strongest lineups in decades. Licuria suggests that the frontrunner is not necessarily last year's winner "Ted Lasso" or probable runner-up "Hacks," but actually the Hulu breakout success story "Only Murders in the Building," which has just concluded a buzz-worthy second season while Emmy voting was winding down.
Licuria is joined by fellow Gold Derby contributors Charles Bright and Tony Ruiz to debate the most likely winners in this year’s top comedy races. Above, watch our 2022 Emmy predictions slugfest video on the comedy categories.
They don't sound quite as unanimous as they seem just reading their predictions.
