'Widow's Bay' breaks Emmy record with 14 including Outstanding Comedy Series

When I wrote 'Widow's Bay' wins 8 Emmys and could win up to 6 more, I was anticipating a possible sweep by Widow's Bay with Hacks winning only one award. That happened. Widow's Bay won all six categories it was contesting Monday night, including Outstanding Comedy Series. Time to revisit the predictions.

Gold Derby's prognosticators reacted to Widow's Bay's Creative Arts Emmy Awards eight wins the same way they did to DTF St. Louis winning six Emmy Awards, elevating it over the prior favorite, Hacks. The latest odds have improved 26% for Widow's Bay while they've dropped 24% for Hacks, as 87.0% of experts, 70.0% of editors, and 65.8% of users are now voting for Widow's Bay, while 13.0% of experts. 30.0% of editors, and 32.7% of users are sticking with Hacks. The remaining 1.5% of users have made long-shot bets on the rest of the nominees, 0.4% each for Abbott Elementary and The Bear (lo, how the mighty have fallen!), 0.3% each for Margo's Got Money Troubles and Only Murders in the Building, and 0.1% for Nobody Wants This. No one picked poor Shrinking.

The oddsmakers continued to move to Widow's Bay, which had the votes of 89.3% of experts, 77.8% of editors, and 74.3% of users, while support for Hacks fell to 10.7% of experts, 22.2% of editors, and 24.4% of users as people at Gold Derby jumped aboard the Widow's Bay bandwagon. Like DTF St. Louis, the bandwagoneers called it. Watch Comedy Series: 78th Emmys.

The team from Widow's Bay accept the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series at the 78th Emmy Awards.

Congratulations! I'll have a winnerview from Katie Dippold, who accepted the award, just above the jump. In the meantime, I'm moving on to Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, the one comedy category not won by Widow's Bay.

Meanwhile, the Gold Derby odds have actually improved for Jean Smart by 2% this week as every editor, 91.7% of experts, and 92.1% of users expect she will repeat for her final turn at the role. Speaking of final turns, the remaining 8.3% of experts along with 5.6% [of users] chose Lisa Kudrow for her final season of The Comeback. The rest of the users distributed their picks among Saturn Award winner Elle Fanning with 1.4%, Quinta Brunson with 0.8%, and Ayo Edebiri with 0.2%.

Every expert joined all of the editors and 94.6% of the users expecting Jean Smart to win, which she did. Watch Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: 78th Emmys.

Jean Smart accepts the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Hacks at the 78th Emmy Awards.

Smart continued being funny in Jean Smart: 78th Emmy Awards Winnerview.

Jean Smart from Hacks talks to Albert Lawrence backstage at the 78th Emmy Awards after winning the Emmy for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

Congratulations to Smart on her final Emmy for Hacks and good luck with Paradise General!

On the other hand, the odds for Matthew Rhys increased 2% this week as every editor and expert along with 95.5% of users expect he will walk away from the podium with his second Emmy (he's likely to get a third for the show as a producer). Martin Short is the users' second choice with 3.0%, followed by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Jason Segal tied at 0.6%, then Steve Carell with the final 0.3%.

By the time of the ceremony, 97.0% of the users joined every editor and expert in predicting Rhys. They were right. Watch Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: 78th Emmys.

Matthew Rhys accepts the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Widow's Bay. After his win for The Beast in Me, it is his second Emmy win of the night.

Listen to that ovation! They knew they were seeing history in the making! Also, it's not every year I hear Welsh at an awards ceremony.

Now Matthew Rhys: 78th Emmy Awards Winnerview, which I promised in the previous installment of this series.

Matthew Rhys talks to Albert Lawrence backstage at the 78th Emmy Awards after winning the Emmy for Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for The Beast in Me, and the Emmy for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Widow's Bay.

Again, congratulations!

The Gold Derby odds for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series had been close until Sunday, but that night's results caused Kate O'Flynn to fly high above Hannah Einbeinder, as O'Flynn's chances rose 16%, while Einbeinder's dropped 14% and Janelle James' odds sank 2% with hers. O'Flynn is now the choice of 83.3% of experts, 60.0% of editors and 74.3% of users, while Einbeinder retains 12.5% of experts, 30.0% of editors, and 21.7% of users. James has the remaining 4.2% of experts plus 2.5% of users. Professional and user opinion splits on the rest of the field, as the last 10.0% of experts but only 0.4% of users decided Dale Dickey deserves the Emmy, while 1.1% of users made Michelle Pfeiffer their choice. No one is picking Megan Stalter or Jessica Williams.

More of Gold Derby climbed aboard the bandwagon by the ceremony, when 93.1% of experts, 66.7% of editors, and 79.0% of users were riding it to victory. Watch Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: 78th Emmys.

Kate O'Flynn accepts the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: 78th Emmys.

O'Flynn had more to say in Kate O'Flynn: 78th Emmy Awards Winnerview.

Kate O'Flynn from Widow's Bay talks to Albert Lawrence backstage at the 78th Emmy Awards after winning the Emmy for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Congratulations! Now on to the last acting category today, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

Harrison Ford's odds dropped 8% this week pulling Paul W. Downs 3% with him while Stephen Root's chances rose 11%. Even so, Ford still leads with the support of 58.3% of experts, 20.0% of editors, and 57.2% of users, while Root is gaining as the choice of 80.0% of editors, 25.0% of experts, and 33.9% of users. Gold Derby's editors really like Widow's Bay. Downs' chances depend on retaining 12.5% of experts and 4.7% of users. Professionals and amateurs diverge on fourth on the odds, as 4.2% of experts but only 0.4% of users count Colman Domingo in, while 3.1% of users opt for Nick Offerman. Tyler James Williams' chances also fell 1% this week as he now has the votes of 0.5% of users, while Michael Urie retains the support of 0.1% of users.

Ford barely led by Monday's ceremony with the support of 57.1% of experts, 10.0% of editors, and 54.2% of users, while is voters drifted to Root, who ended up with the backing of 90.0% of editors but still 25.0% of experts and 37.4% of users. As I've written, the editors love Widow's Bay and they were right. Watch Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: 78th Emmys.

Stephen Root accepts the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Emmy for Widow's Bay at the 78th Emmy Awards.

Root was a good sport, thanking his fellow actors and Harrison Ford, who appreciated it. He had more to say in Stephen Root: 78th Emmy Awards Winnerview.

Stephen Root from Widow's Bay talks to Albert Lawrence backstage at the 78th Emmy Awards after winning the Emmy for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

I'm with Albert Lawrence; don't let Root's words fall on deaf ears.

Despite my using the image for Lucia Aniello of Hacks, she's in second in Gold Derby's odds behind Hiro Murai of Widow's Bay, whose chances rose 13% this week while Aniello's fell 12%. Murai is the choice of 92.0% of experts, 90.0% of editors, and 83.5% of users while Aniello retains 8.0% of experts, 10.0% of editors, and 15.4% of users. The rest of the nominees have 0.1-0.6% users support each.

One of the experts moved from Murai to Aniello, lowering his percentage to 10.0%, while multiple users shifted to Murai, raising their portion to 89.7%. Still, the overwhelming portion called it. Watch Directing for a Comedy Series: 78th Emmys.

Hiro Murai accepts the Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for Widow's Bay at the 78th Emmy Awards.

That was a very modest acceptance speech, which carried over to Hiro Murai: 78th Emmy Awards Winnerview.

Hiro Murai talks to Albert Lawrence backstage at the 78th Emmy Awards after winning the Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for Widow’s Bay.

I appreciated Murai's insights into the fine line between comedy and horror, which has now had a great year at the Emmys to match the genre's great year at the Oscars.

Hacks' odds fell 6% but the show still leads, barely, as the choice of 52.0% of experts, 30.0% of editors, and 76.7% of users while Widow's Bay rose 6% but still sits in a close second with 48.0% of experts, 70.0% of editors, and 20.9% of users. I told you, the editors love Widow's Bay. The rest of the nominees have between 1.4% and 0.2% of users choosing them.

Another 10% of editors switched to Widow's Bay for a total of 90.0% by Monday night, where the Emmy electorate proved them right. Watch Writing for a Comedy Series: 78th Emmys.

Katie Dippold accepts the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for Widow's Bay.

Dippold is just as funny and clever in person as she is on the page as translated to the screen. That carried over to Katie Dippold: 78th Emmy Awards Winnerview.

Katie Dippold talks to Albert Lawrence backstage at the 78th Emmy Awards after winning the Emmy for Writing For A Comedy Series for Widow's Bay.

Lawrence has been trying to get the winners to spoil Season 2 all evening and failed every time. Nice try!

Follow over the jump for comedy winners other than Widow's Bay at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

PBS NewsHour reports 'Trump administration ends funding for Arctic climate report' for Throwback Thursday

I opened More scientists and others fighting climate change and its effects from 'PBS NewsHour' with "I closed PBS NewsHour's Tipping Points examines scientists fighting climate change and its effects by writing 'PBS NewsHour has more, but I'm stopping here to eat lunch and grade papers.'" Here's another PBS NewsHour video on the topic of climate change that I've been saving up for a rainy day, Trump administration ends funding for Arctic climate report.

The Trump administration said it would stop funding the Arctic Report Card, the longstanding effort to collect research on how the fastest-warming place on Earth is changing. It's the latest in a series of moves by the administration to curtail scientific research into the impacts of climate change. William Brangham discussed more with glaciologist Twila Moon, the Arctic Report Card's editor.

I wish I could say I was surprised, but I posted The BBC World Service examines 'How the US election could change our climate' plus MSNBC on Project 2025 and climate almost two years ago and followed up with CityNerd warns 'The New USDOT Is Coming for Your "Woke" Projects,' a driving update on Throwback Thursday and Trump implementing Project 2025 for a Flashback Good Friday last year. None of this was a surprise and it's not like I and others didn't try to warn our readers!

That's a wrap. Stay tuned for more Emmy Award winners tomorrow and Sunday with Talk Like A Pirate Day in between.

'DTF St. Louis' wins Outstanding Limited Series while 'Beef' is shut out at the Primetime Emmy Awards

I'm resuming my Emmy Awards coverage by re-examining the predictions in 'DTF St. Louis' won six Emmy Awards and could beat 'Beef' for Outstanding Limited Series.

Before the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, Beef led the Gold Derby odds to win this category. Now, DTF St. Louis leads as the choice of 56.5% of experts, 87.5% of editors, and 61.5% of users, while Beef retains 43.5% of experts, 12.5% of editors, and 36.1% of users. All Her Fault, which I had penciled in as an early favorite for this category, is running far behind with 1.1% of users. The Beast in Me and Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette tie for fourth with 0.6% of users each.

By the time of the ceremony, nearly all the professionals and more of the users jumped aboard the DTF St. Louis bandwagon, as every editor, 81.3% of experts, and 82.9% committed their votes to it, while 15.6% of experts and 15.3% of users stuck with Beef. The bandwagoneers called it. Watch Limited or Anthology Series: 78th Emmys.

The team from DTF St. Louis accept the Emmy for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series at the 78th Emmys.

They had more to say in DTF St. Louis: Winnerview.

The team from DTF St. Louis talks to Albert Lawrence backstage at the 78th Emmy Awards after winning the Emmy for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.

Congratulations, including to Jason Bateman, who is one of the executive producers, so he won an Emmy for the show, if not his acting in the next category, which was not his last chance to win an Emmy at this ceremony. Oops!

Oscar Issac is down 3% in the Gold Derby odds, but is still the choice of 69.6% of experts, 50.0% of editors, and 76.7% of users. Matthew Rhys gained 3% and now has the votes of 21.7% of experts, 37.5% of editors, and 18.5% of users. Rhys could win two Emmys next Monday, as he's favored to win Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Widow's Bay, but it's not likely. Riz Ahmed is third as the pick of 8.7% of experts, 12.5% of editors, and 1.7% of users. He's followed by Jason Bateman who has the support of 2.1% of users for his final chance to win an Emmy at these awards and Charlie Hunnam with 1.0% of users.

Rhys beat the odds. Watch Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: 78th Emmys.

Matthew Rhys accepts the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for The Beast in Me at the 78th Emmys.

And he won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in a comedy series, too, making him the first actor to win two lead acting awards at the Emmys. Added to his Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for The Americans, and Rhys is the only actor so far to win in all three lead acting categories, comedy, drama, and limited series. Congratulations! Since I'm going to cover I>Widow's Bay in a future installment, I'm saving his Winnerview for then.


I'm moving on to Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, which also was a slight upset, but not a complete surprise.

Next, an update on a category I covered in 'Remarkably Bright Creatures' leads Outstanding TV Movie nominees at the Emmys.

Carey Mulligan leads as the choice of 70% of experts, 50% of editors, and 69.7%, but the professionals and fans differ on the next choice, with 10% of experts, 33.3% of editors, and 7.1% of users picking Sally Fields while 10% of experts and 17.3% of users [are] selecting Sarah Snook. Sarah Pigeon also has the support of 10% of experts along with 16.7% of editors and 4.8% of users. Claire Danes is the choice of the remaining 1% of users.

Mulligan is down 10% but retains the votes of 52.2% of experts, 37.5% of editors, and 58.4% of users. The professionals and fans still disagree on the next choice, as 21.7% of experts, 37.5% of editors, and 9.1% of users have gravitated to Field to raise her odds 2%, while 18.0% of users, 17.4% of experts and 12.5% of editors are now picking Pigeon, raising her odds 11%. Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette winning Outstanding Limited Series and Movie Casting was going to benefit someone and that's Pigeon. Snook's chances decreased by 4% as despite gaining the votes of 12.5% of editors because she her support among experts and users dropped to 8.7% and 14.1%, respectively. Daines' odds also decreased as she retained the support of 0.5% of users.

The professionals' second choice won. Watch Lead Actress in a Limited Anthology Series or Movie: 78th Emmys.

Sally Field accepts the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Anthology Series or Movie for Remarkably Bright Creatures at the 78th Emmys.

I agree with Field about Canada and the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, although the alternative would be Netflix buying Warner Brothers, not an independent Warner Brothers. What the shareholders want and what the Hollywood creatives desire are not the same and the shareholders are in charge unless the courts rule otherwise.

I close with Sally Field: 78th Emmy Awards Winnerview.

Sally Field talks to Albert Lawrence backstage at the 78th Emmy Awards after winning the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Remarkably Bright Creatures.

I appreciate Field's perspective on her character and her praise of the source material. Also, despite downplaying her age, she's the oldest winner ever in this category. She made history, just like Rhys.

That's a wrap for this installment of the series. I plan on covering more winners on Friday. In the meantime, stay tuned for something really short tomorrow.

Previous posts about the 2026 Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards

• 'The Tale of Silyan' vs 'The Librarians' for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking at the Emmy Awards
• Drink to Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show's Emmy nominations on National Piña Colada Day
• 'Desi Lydic Foxsplains Trump's Big Beautiful Ballroom' plus the short form nominees at the Emmy Awards
• 'Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize' plus the Emmy nominees for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special
• 'Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age' earned two Emmy nominations for its VFX and music
• 'Oceans with David Attenborough' tied with 'Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!' for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
• 'Mr. Scorsese' vs. 'The American Revolution' for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series plus Data Centers on Earth Overshoot Day
• 'The Daily Show' examines Fauci's testimony and RFK Hospital plus Emmy nominations for 'The Daily Show'
• John Oliver examines 'Trump & Crypto' plus Emmy nominations for 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'
• 'Love on the Spectrum' leads Unstructured Reality Program at the Emmy Awards
• Gold Derby predicts 'Antiques Roadshow' will win Outstanding Structured Reality Program at the Emmys
• 'Jeopardy!' predicted to repeat as Outstanding Game Show at the Emmy Awards
• Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show leads Outstanding Variety Special (Live) at the Emmys
• 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert's final Emmy nominations
• 'The Muppet Show' leads Taylor Swift and 'Wicked' for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) at the Emmys
• 'South Park' leads Outstanding Animated Series while 'Star Wars: Visions' has already won an Emmy
• 'Remarkably Bright Creatures' leads Outstanding TV Movie nominees at the Emmys
• It's Saturday, so here are SNL's eleven Emmy nominations
• Once again, 'RuPaul's Drag Race' leads nominations for Outstanding Reality Competition Program, but 'The Traitors' will likely win for the third time
• 'DTF St. Louis' vs 'Beef' at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards
• Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime show wins seven Emmys
• 'The Muppet Show' wins four Emmy Awards
• 'DTF St. Louis' won six Emmy Awards and could beat 'Beef' for Outstanding Limited Series
• 'South Park' mocks Trump after winning Emmy
• 'Widow's Bay' wins 8 Emmys and could win up to 6 more
• 'The Pitt' and 'Pluribus' each win 4 Emmys and will likely split the remaining 7

Weird History Food asks 'Is 7-Eleven In Trouble?' A tale of the Retail Apocalypse

Today's short post features Weird History Food asking Is 7-Eleven In Trouble?

Since its founding in 1927, the convenience store 7-Eleven has become an iconic part of American life, famous for its Slurpees and Big Gulps, being open 24/7 as well as the promise that no matter where you were, there was always one nearby. But recently, something feels different: there are fewer 7-Elevens than you remember. So what happened?

In this episode of Weird History, we’re digging into the strange history of 7-Eleven to explain how a small icehouse became one of the world’s most recognizable convenience store chains, how it conquered the late-night market, and why the familiar 7-Eleven on your corner may be disappearing.

Are you a regular at 7-Eleven? Let us know in the comments!

The answer is not really; I've seen lots worse since I started blogging about the Retail Apocalypse. At least 7-11 has a plan. My readers and I will see if it succeeds.

That plan involves food, which leads to Weird History Food asking Is 7-11 Food Really That Bad?

When you’re on a road trip, late for work or just feeling the vibes and looking to chow down on some munchies, the green, orange and white glow of the 7-Eleven sign is ready to accept your rumbly tummy 24 hours a day. And we know it's not good for us, but how bad is it really?

Bad tasting? No. Bad for your health? Yeah, but not all of it.

For what it's worth, I'm not personally experiencing 7-11 shrinking. Quite the opposite — the Speedway station a mile away, where I've been fueling up ever since I moved into the neighborhood eleven years ago, is now a 7-11, so I'm seeing the chain growing locally. Also, coffee became more appealing now that it's 7-11 instead of Speedway; my wife certainly thinks so. It's where I got coffee during the power outage, so we're glad it's there.

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

The Marsh Family sings 'Stormtroops and Freikorps Again'

I watched "Stormtroops & Freikorps Again" - Marsh Family parody of "Time Warp" from Rocky Horror Picture Show, so I'm taking a break from awards show coverage today.

We wanted to pick a song from The Rocky Horror Show in tribute to the wonderful Tim Curry (who sadly died last month) – who, among other stellar credits across his amazing career, played Dr. Frank-N-Furter. So this is our live attempt at parodying “Time Warp” – the hit song from 1975 with lots of spoken word, weird energy, dark intent and suggestion, and loony choreographed dance moves. The glam rock and roll song was written by Richard O’Brien and Richard Hartley, and in the stage show, served as an encore (led by Dr. Frank-N-Furter).

The choreographing of loonies brought us to this week’s headline stories in Europe, where gangs of masked men have appeared (especially in port cities) under a new banner – calling themselves “Patriot Platform” and intimidating the general public with their black costumes and menacing paramilitary vibe and chants. They disrupted the ferry port at Dover, have made life miserable for the Royal National Lifeguard Institution and its incredible volunteers (who put their lives on the line to save those at sea), and in midweek also targeted the offices of journalists (well, the Daily Mail). At the moment it’s a rather pathetic operation, but with millions of dollars of (largely American) funding pouring into all sorts of organisations, there is a sense of a new watershed in how the Far Right are mobilising. In very-much linked news, the German AfD party also just won a notable election – celebrated by their supporters Elon Musk and Donald Trump.

The comparison in the title and chorus links back to the developments in Europe/Britain in the 1920s and 1930s, when in Germany, Italy, and here, roaming paramilitary groups were coordinated to link militarism, nationalism, fascism, masculinity, and intimidate their enemies and those they blamed for decline.

The situations the Marsh Family are referring to remind me of the conclusion to Vox explains why 'Gen Z is done with both political parties'.

Now that fascism is back, the people who remember are mostly gone and today's young people see World War II as ancient history; they don't understand the relevance. That's one of the reasons why history, even if it doesn't repeat, certainly does rhyme, as Theodor Reik wrote, then had his line attributed to Mark Twain. The history is forgotten, then it returns. Cue George Santayana: Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

That's a gloomy thought...

It still is, but laughing at it through song and dance helps.

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for a short post tomorrow, followed by more awards show coverage.

'The Pitt' and 'Pluribus' each win 4 Emmys and will likely split the remaining 7

As I promised yesterday, I'm examining the Primetime Emmy Awards nominations and Creative Arts Emmy Awards for The Pitt, Pluribus, and other drama nominees as the Sunday entertainment feature. I begin with 78th Emmy Nominations: Drama Series by the Television Academy.

The nominees for Outstanding Drama Series are The Diplomat, The Pitt, Slow Horses, The Gilded [Age], A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Paradise, Pluribus, Your Friends & Neighbors.

The Pitt has a dozen nominations in six categories pending at Monday's ceremony plus four Creative Arts Emmy Awards, five if one counts Inside The Pitt, winner of Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series as a tiebreaker. Pluribus has six Primetime Emmy nominations in six categories plus four Creative Arts Emmys. They are followed by Slow Horses and The Diplomat with five nominations, Paradise with four nominations and one Creative Arts Emmy Award, Task with four nominations, The Gilded Age with three nominations, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms with one nomination and one Creative Arts Emmy, and Your Friends & Neighbors with one nomination.

Unlike their reactions to the multiple wins by Widow's Bay and DTF St. Louis at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, Gold Derby's prognosticators maintained the odds of the existing favorites, The Pitt and Pluribus, depending on the category. Every expert and editor along with 94.1% of users predicts The Pitt will repeat as Outstanding Drama Series. Pluribus is the pick of 5.2% of users, while the rest of the nominees have 0.4% or fewer users behind each.

78th Emmys Nominations: Lead Actress in a Drama Series is next in Gold Derby's order.

The nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series are Carrie Coon, Chase Infiniti, Keri Russell, Rhea Seehorn and Zendaya.

Every editor, 84.6% of experts, and 84.4% of users agree with me that this is Rhea Seehorn's award to lose and has been since December. Keri Russell has captivated the remaining 15.4% of experts and 13.0% of users, followed by Zendaya with 2.1% of users. Carrie Coon has 0.3% user support while Chase Infiniti brings up the rear with 0.1%.

I continue with 78th Emmys Nominations: Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

The nominees for Lead Actor in a Drama Series are Sterling K. Brown, Gary Oldman, Mark Ruffalo, Rufus Sewell and Noah Wyle.

Every expert and editor plus 95.3% of users are acclaiming Noah Wyle to repeat. Mark Ruffalo is a distant second with 2.5% of users, followed by Gary Oldman with 1.2%, Sterling K. Brown with 0.9%, and Rufus Sewell with 0.1%.


Four actresses from The Pitt earning nominations in this category could result in massive vote splitting that could allow a nominee from another series to slip on through. The other outcome is that the voters look at the nominees side-by-side and decide on the best one. That's what Gold Derby thinks will happen, as a fairly consistent 80.8% of both experts and users along with 88.9% of editors expect Katherine LaNasa will return to the stage, followed by 11.5% of experts and 9.4% of users who suspect Sepideh Moafi will upset, then 11.1% of editors and 5.9% of users captivated by Karolina Wydra, then the remaining 7.7% of experts and 1.8% of users who anticipate Allison Janney will be the best TV president. Taylor Dearden has the support of 1.1% of users, followed by Julianne Nicholson with 0.7%, then Fiona Dourif with 0.2%.


Every editor, 57.7% of experts, and 62.7% of users have picked Patrick Ball to win. On the other hand, 34.6% of experts and 27.4% of users think Tom Pelphrey will take home the Emmy, giving Task the best chance for a drama series other than The Pitt or Pluribus to win an Emmy tomorrow. The remaining 7.7% of experts along with 5.6% of users selected Shawn Hatosy to upset. No, he's not better than Ball, although I think he and the night shift deserve their own spinoff series. They look like fun. The rest of the user vote splits among Billy Crudup at 2.1%, Carlos-Manuel Vesga at 1.0%, Jack Lowden at 0.7%, and Gerran Howell at 0.6%.

Now for the nominees behind the camera.

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series

• The Gilded Age: "My Mind Is Made Up" – Salli Richardson-Whitfield (HBO)
• Paradise: "Exodus" – Hanelle Culpepper (Hulu)
• The Pitt: "12:00 P.M." – Noah Wyle (HBO Max)
• Pluribus: "We Is Us" – Vince Gilligan (Apple TV)
• Slow Horses: "Scars" – Saul Metzstein (Apple TV)
• Task: "Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a river." – Salli Richardson-Whitfield (HBO)

Professional opinion is split on the top two in this category with the users breaking a virtual tie in favor of Vince Gilligan and Pluribus, which has the support of 65.4% of experts, 44.4% of editors, and 74.2% of users, while The Pitt's support consists of 34.6% of experts, 55.6% of editors, and 22.6% of users. Task follows with 1.9%, then The Gilded Age and Slow Horses tied at 0.6%, with Paradise bringing up the rear at 0.1%.

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

• The Diplomat: "Amagansett" – Peter Akerman and Debora Cahn (Netflix)
• The Pitt: "1:00 P.M." – Kirsten Pierre-Geyfman and R. Scott Gemmill (HBO)
• The Pitt: "12:00 P.M." – Valerie Chu (HBO)
• Pluribus: "We Is Us" – Vince Gilligan (Apple TV)
• Slow Horses: "Scars" – Will Smith (Apple TV)
• Task: "A Still Small Voice" – Brad Ingelsby (HBO)

Professional opinion is much more united behind Vince Gilligan and Pluribus for his writing, as every editor and 80.0% of experts along with 80.1% of users expect Gilligan will escape the podium with the statuette. The next choice among experts at 8.0% and users at 10.9% is the "12:00 P.M." of The Pitt. Slow Horses also has 8.0% of experts and 6.7% of users. The "1:00 P.M." episode of The Pitt picked up the remaining 4.0% of experts along with 0.7% of users. The Diplomat and Task split the rest of the user vote at 1.0% and 0.6%, respectively.

Follow over the jump for the Creative Arts Emmys won by The Pitt and Pluribus.

'Widow's Bay' wins 8 Emmys and could win up to 6 more

I closed 'PBS NewsHour' on 9/11 25 years later by telling my readers, "Stay tuned for more Emmy Awards coverage. Tragedy today, comedy tomorrow." I begin by sharing 78th Emmys Nominations: Comedy Series from the Television Academy.

The nominees for Outstanding Comedy Series are Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Hacks, Margo's Got Money Troubles, Nobody Wants This, Only Murders In The Building, Shrinking and Widow's Bay.

Widow's Bay was the big winner Sunday night, taking home eight Emmys. It also has seven nominations at next Monday's Primetime Emmy Awards, tying it with Hacks, which only earned one Emmy on Sunday. Abbott Elementary follows with six pending nominations but no wins, then Shrinking with five nominations, Margo's Got Money Troubles with four nominations pending and three wins, The Bear with three nominations and one win, Only Murders in the Building with two nominations, and Nobody Wants This with only this one.

Gold Derby's prognosticators reacted to Widow's Bay's Creative Arts Emmy Awards eight wins the same way they did to DTF St. Louis winning six Emmy Awards, elevating it over the prior favorite, Hacks. The latest odds have improved 26% for Widow's Bay while they've dropped 24% for Hacks, as 87.0% of experts, 70.0% of editors, and 65.8% of users are now voting for Widow's Bay, while 13.0% of experts. 30.0% of editors, and 32.7% of users are sticking with Hacks. The remaining 1.5% of users have made long-shot bets on the rest of the nominees, 0.4% each for Abbott Elementary and The Bear (lo, how the mighty have fallen!), 0.3% each for Margo's Got Money Troubles and Only Murders in the Building, and 0.1% for Nobody Wants This. No one picked poor Shrinking.

The next category in Gold Derby order is 78th Emmys Nominations: Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

The nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series are Quinta Brunson, Ayo Edebiri, Elle Fanning, Lisa Kudrow and Jean Smart.

Meanwhile, the Gold Derby odds have actually improved for Jean Smart by 2% this week as every editor, 91.7% of experts, and 92.1% of users expect she will repeat for her final turn at the role. Speaking of final turns, the remaining 8.3% of experts along with 5.6% chose Lisa Kudrow for her final season of The Comeback. The rest of the users distributed their picks among Saturn Award winner Elle Fanning with 1.4%, Quinta Brunson with 0.8%, and Ayo Edebiri with 0.2%.

The last category that the Television Academy uploaded a video for is 78th Emmys Nominations: Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

The nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series are Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Steve Carell, Matthew Rhys, Jason Segel, and Martin Short.

On the other hand, the odds for Matthew Rhys increased 2% this week as every editor and expert along with 95.5% of users expect he will walk away from the podium with his second Emmy (he's likely to get a third for the show as a producer). Martin Short is the users' second choice with 3.0%, followed by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Jason Segal tied at 0.6%, then Steve Carell with the final 0.3%.

The Gold Derby odds for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series had been close until Sunday, but that night's results caused Kate O'Flynn to fly high above Hannah Einbeinder, as O'Flynn's chances rose 16%, while Einbeinder's dropped 14% and Janelle James' odds sank 2% with hers. O'Flynn is now the choice of 83.3% of experts, 60.0% of editors and 74.3% of users, while Einbeinder retains 12.5% of experts, 30.0% of editors, and 21.7% of users. James has the remaining 4.2% of experts plus 2.5% of users. Professional and user opinion splits on the rest of the field, as the last 10.0% of experts but only 0.4% of users decided Dale Dickey deserves the Emmy, while 1.1% of users made Michelle Pfeiffer their choice. No one is picking Megan Stalter or Jessica Williams.

Harrison Ford's odds dropped 8% this week pulling Paul W. Downs 3% with him while Stephen Root's chances rose 11%. Even so, Ford still leads with the support of 58.3% of experts, 20.0% of editors, and 57.2% of users, while Root is gaining as the choice of 80.0% of editors, 25.0% of experts, and 33.9% of users. Gold Derby's editors really like Widow's Bay. Downs' chances depend on retaining 12.5% of experts and 4.7% of users. Professionals and amateurs diverge on fourth on the odds, as 4.2% of experts but only 0.4% of users count Colman Domingo in, while 3.1% of users opt for Nick Offerman. Tyler James Williams' chances also fell 1% this week as he now has the votes of 0.5% of users, while Michael Urie retains the support of 0.1% of users.

Those are all the nominees in front of the camera. Follow over the jump for all the nominees behind the camera and the winners on Sunday night.

'PBS NewsHour' on 9/11 25 years later

A somber Patriot Day, the 25th anniversary of 9/11 to my readers. For this year's observance, I'm sharing four videos by PBS NewsHour, beginning with The lasting psychological impact of 9/11 on America.

Judy Woodruff recently visited the September 11 Memorial in New York for a look at how the attacks, 25 years ago, continue to shape our lives today. It's part of her series, Crossroads: America at 250.

I leave New York for Virginia near Washington, DC with 'Total chaos.' How PBS News crews filmed the Pentagon on 9/11.

On 9/11, when a hijacked plane struck the Pentagon, two WETA camera men and a NewsHour with Jim Lehrer intern rushed to the scene.

Home to PBS News for decades, the WETA studios in Arlington, Virginia, are just a five-minute drive from the building that houses the Defense Department.

"As a camera man, you divorce yourself from reality when you're looking through the viewfinder. It's just, you're doing your job. But this one hit home with me, it really did," Ed Lee said, recalling that day.

As the 25th anniversary of the terror attacks approaches, Lee, Jeff Rathner and Josh Gershenson reflect on the scenes they captured, and how it stays with them.

This video was produced by Julia Griffin.

I return to New York with George Pataki on how New York responded to 9/11 and its lasting impact.

Twenty-five years ago, George Pataki was governor of New York when the Sept. 11 attacks transformed his state and the country. In the hours that followed, Pataki helped lead New York through an unimaginable crisis as the country confronted the enormity of what had happened. Pataki joined Geoff Bennett to discuss that response.

I conclude with Mamdani: NYC leaders 'lied' about 9/11 toxic air.

New York City officials released thousands of documents on Tuesday that raise new concerns about air quality following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

More than 170,000 documents from across government agencies were made public via an online portal. They suggest that authorities were aware of the health risks at the time, despite public assurances that the air was safe to breathe.

At a news conference, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that families, survivors and first responders deserve transparency.

The 9/11 Memorial and Museum says at least 49,000 first responders and survivors have been diagnosed with cancer as a result of the attacks.

A quarter century later, the death toll is still mounting.

That's a wrap for today's holiday post. Stay tuned for more Emmy Awards coverage. Tragedy today, comedy tomorrow.

'South Park' mocks Trump after winning Emmy

I promised I would examine a "small" category, Outstanding Animated Series today. It turns out that the winner of this category made news. Watch Brian Tyler Cohen report South Park publicly mocks Trump after Emmy win.

I wrote about Donald "Pervert Hoover" Trump's beef with the Emmys in Melania Trump prefers Trump Tower to the White House ten years ago.

Considering that [The Apprentice] was nominated for eight nine Emmy Awards in its history, but never won, the "Emmy Idol" was the only award The Donald has ever won at the Emmys. No wonder he wanted it so bad.

As Cohen pointed out, it's the only award he's likely to get from the Television Academy, unless they decide to give him an honorary one for lifetime achievement. Fat chance.

Time to revisit the prediction for South Park's category.

Outstanding Animated Program

• Bob's Burgers: "Grand Pre-Pre-Pre-Opening" (Fox)
• Rick and Morty: "There's Something About Morty" (Adult Swim)
• The Simpsons: "Homer? A Cracker Bro?" (Fox)
• Smiling Friends: "Le Voyage Incroyable de Monsieur Grenouille" (Adult Swim)
• South Park: "Sermon on the 'Mount" (Comedy Central)
• Star Wars: Visions: "BLACK" (Disney+)

South Park leads with three nominations, followed by Star Wars: Visions with one nomination and a win, The Simpsons with two nominations, and Bob's Burgers, Rick and Morty, and Smiling Friends with just this one nomination. Gold Derby's prediction page for the Creative Arts Emmy Awards also has South Park leading, as every editor, 90.9% of experts, and 92.6% of users believe it will win with professional and user opinion split among the rest of the nominees with the remaining 9.1% of experts and 1.7% of users selecting Smiling Friends while Bob's Burgers and The Simpsons tied at 2.5% of users each, followed by Rick and Morty with the final 0.8% of users.

By the time of the ceremony, every editor and expert picked South Park to win, and the were right. Watch South Park Wins for Animated Program 78th Emmys.

I had to look up Eric Bauza, the presenter, after watching his introduction. He's a worthy successor to Mel Blanc, as well as an Emmy winner in his own right. Also, congratulations to Trey Parker and all the rest of the cast and crew of South Park!

That's a wrap for today's installment. I plan on returning to Emmy coverage on Saturday because tomorrow is the 25th anniversary of 9/11. Stay tuned.

Previous posts about the 2026 Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards

• 'The Tale of Silyan' vs 'The Librarians' for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking at the Emmy Awards
• Drink to Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show's Emmy nominations on National Piña Colada Day
• 'Desi Lydic Foxsplains Trump's Big Beautiful Ballroom' plus the short form nominees at the Emmy Awards
• 'Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize' plus the Emmy nominees for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special
• 'Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age' earned two Emmy nominations for its VFX and music
• 'Oceans with David Attenborough' tied with 'Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!' for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
• 'Mr. Scorsese' vs. 'The American Revolution' for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series plus Data Centers on Earth Overshoot Day
• 'The Daily Show' examines Fauci's testimony and RFK Hospital plus Emmy nominations for 'The Daily Show'
• John Oliver examines 'Trump & Crypto' plus Emmy nominations for 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'
• 'Love on the Spectrum' leads Unstructured Reality Program at the Emmy Awards
• Gold Derby predicts 'Antiques Roadshow' will win Outstanding Structured Reality Program at the Emmys
• 'Jeopardy!' predicted to repeat as Outstanding Game Show at the Emmy Awards
• Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show leads Outstanding Variety Special (Live) at the Emmys
• 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert's final Emmy nominations
• 'The Muppet Show' leads Taylor Swift and 'Wicked' for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) at the Emmys
• 'South Park' leads Outstanding Animated Series while 'Star Wars: Visions' has already won an Emmy
• 'Remarkably Bright Creatures' leads Outstanding TV Movie nominees at the Emmys
• It's Saturday, so here are SNL's eleven Emmy nominations
• Once again, 'RuPaul's Drag Race' leads nominations for Outstanding Reality Competition Program, but 'The Traitors' will likely win for the third time
• 'DTF St. Louis' vs 'Beef' at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards
• Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime show wins seven Emmys
• 'The Muppet Show' wins four Emmy Awards
• 'DTF St. Louis' won six Emmy Awards and could beat 'Beef' for Outstanding Limited Series

'DTF St. Louis' won six Emmy Awards and could beat 'Beef' for Outstanding Limited Series

 I closed 'The Muppet Show' wins four Emmy Awards by telling my readers, "Stay tuned as I look back at 'Remarkably Bright Creatures' leads Outstanding TV Movie nominees at the Emmys and 'DTF St. Louis' vs 'Beef' at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards and ahead to next Monday's Primetime Emmy Awards." I begin with 78th Emmys Nominations: Limited or Anthology Series from the Television Academy.

The nominees for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series are All Her Fault, The Beast in Me, Beef, DTF St. Louis and Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette.

Before the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, Beef led the Gold Derby odds to win this category. Now, DTF St. Louis leads as the choice of 56.5% of experts, 87.5% of editors, and 61.5% of users, while Beef retains 43.5% of experts, 12.5% of editors, and 36.1% of users. All Her Fault, which I had penciled in as an early favorite for this category, is running far behind with 1.1% of users. The Beast in Me and Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette tie for fourth with 0.6% of users each.

In contrast, Gold Derby still thinks Beef is the favorite in both lead acting categories. First, watch 78th Emmys Nominations: Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

The nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie are Riz Ahmed, Jason Bateman, Charlie Hunnam, Oscar Isaac and Matthew Rhys.

Oscar Issac is down 3% in the Gold Derby odds, but is still the choice of 69.6% of expers, 50.0% of editors, and 76.7% of users. Matthew Rhys gained 3% and now has the votes of 21.7% of experts, 37.5% of editors, and 18.5% of users. Rhys could win two Emmys next Monday, as he's favored to win Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Widow's Bay, but it's not likely. Riz Ahmed is third as the pick of 8.7% of experts, 12.5% of editors, and 1.7% of users. He's followed by Jason Bateman who has the support of 2.1% of users for his final chance to win an Emmy at these awards and Charlie Hunnam with 1.0% of users.

Next, an update on a category I covered in 'Remarkably Bright Creatures' leads Outstanding TV Movie nominees at the Emmys, 78th Emmy Nominations: Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

The nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie are Claire Danes, Sally Field, Carey Mulligan, Sarah Pidgeon and Sarah Snook.

...Carey Mulligan leads as the choice of 70% of experts, 50% of editors, and 69.7%, but the professionals and fans differ on the next choice, with 10% of experts, 33.3% of editors, and 7.1% of users picking Sally Fields while 10% of experts and 17.3% of users [are] selecting Sarah Snook. Sarah Pigeon also has the support of 10% of experts along with 16.7% of editors and 4.8% of users. Claire Danes is the choice of the remaining 1% of users.

Mulligan is down 10% but retains the votes of 52.2% of experts, 37.5% of editors, and 58.4% of users. The professionals and fans still disagree on the next choice, as 21.7% of experts, 37.5% of editors, and 9.1% of users have gravitated to Fields to raise her odds 2%, while 18.0% of users, 17.4% of experts and 12.5% of editors are now picking Pigeon, raising her odds 11%. Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette winning Outstanding Limited Series and Movie Casting was going to benefit someone and that's Pigeon. Snook's chances decreased by 4% as despite gaining the votes of 12.5% of editors because she her support among experts and users dropped to 8.7% and 14.1%, respectively. Daines' odds also decreased as she retained the support of 0.5% of users.

Those are the categories still to be awarded. Follow over the jump for the winners this past Sunday. when DTF St. Louis won six Emmys, Beef won three, and The Beast in Me, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, and Remarkably Bright Creatures tied at one each.