'Last Week Tonight' leads Outstanding Variety Talk Series nominees, again

I've already featured three Emmy-nominated episodes of "Last Week Tonight With John Oliver," the now-dead Sinclair-Tribune merger and long-dead Warren G. Harding, the Border Patrol, and North Korea and listed the awards for which they are nominated.  It's time to examine the competition for "Last Week Tonight," beginning with the other nominees for Outstanding Variety Talk Series.

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS)
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
The Late Late Show with James Corden (CBS)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)

As I mentioned in the three previous entries, "Last Week Tonight" leads Variety Talk Series with nine nominations in eight categories.  That's both a repeat and an improvement from last year, when it earned eight nominations in seven categories.  It's also the two-time returning winner.  Based on that Emmy history, its winning Outstanding Achievement in Sketch/Variety Shows at the TCA Awards, and its lead in nominations, I think it is easily the favorite to win Outstanding Variety Talk Series for a third consecutive time.

Two shows tied for second among variety talk series, "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee" and "The Late Late Show With James Corden," each with four nominations.  If one insists on a tiebreaker, it would have come from the nominations for their secondary series or specials, "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee Presents: The Great American* Puerto Rico (*It's Complicated)" with three nominations while "Carpool Karaoke Primetime Special 2018" has three, "James Corden's Next James Corden" has two, and "Carpool Karaoke The Series" has one.  Adding these to the main show's nominations leads to seven for two incarnations of Bee's show and ten for all of Corden's shows, breaking the tie in favor of Corden and putting him ahead of John Oliver for total nominations.  That man is versatile!  "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" has three nominations, followed by "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and "The Daily Show With Trevor Noah" with two nominations each, although the nomination for "Between The Scenes - The Daily Show" would break that tie and put it up with Colbert's show.

The next category, Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series, has four variety talk nominees and one variety sketch nominee.

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)

No surprise, "Last Week Tonight" is the two-time returning winner here, too.  Based on that and its victory at the Writers Guild of America for Comedy/Variety Talk Series, I think it's once again the favorite.  Also, this is the only nomination for "Late Night with Seth Meyers" while "The Late Late Show With James Corden" does not have a nomination in this category.  Smart call.

The proportion of variety talk to variety sketch series continues to decline in the next category, Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series.

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (Episode: "Episode 2061"), Directed by Andre Allen (TBS)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Episode: "Episode 421"), Directed by Paul Pennolino (HBO)
The Late Late Show with James Corden (Episode: "Episode 0416"), Directed by Tim Mancinelli (CBS)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (Episode: "Episode 438"), Directed by Jim Hoskinson (CBS)
Portlandia (Episode: "Riot Spray"), Directed by Carrie Brownstein (IFC)
Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Donald Glover"), Directed by Don Roy King (NBC)

For once, "Last Week Tonight" is not defending a category.  Instead, it's "Saturday Night Live."

A very similar field composes the nominees for Outstanding Interactive Program.

The Daily Show (Comedy Central)
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Online (TBS)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
The Late Late Show with James Corden (CBS)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)

"Last Week Tonight" won this category last year and in 2015 with "The Late Late Show with James Corden," so I deem that "Last Week Tonight" is the favorite with "The Late Late Show" the most likely challenger to upset it.

Next, the last category that "Last Week Tonight" won last year, Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming.

Dave Chappelle: Equanimity – Jeff U'ren (Netflix)
Drunk History – John Cason (Episode: "Heroines") (Comedy Central)
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Presents: The Great American* Puerto Rico (*It's Complicated) – Jesse Coane, Charles Divak, Daphne Gomez-Mena, Andrew Mendelson, Tennille Uithof and Ryan Barger (TBS)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver – Anthony Miale (Segment: "Wax President Harding") (HBO)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver – Ryan Barger (Segment: "Border Patrol") (HBO)
Carpool Karaoke Primetime Special 2018 – Brad Conlin and Tom Jarvis (CBS)

Yes, "Last Week Tonight" has two nominations.  That happened last year, but the voters consolidated on the better choice so that they didn't split their vote to allow another show to win.  I'm confident that they will do the same again this year.  Also, this is the first nomination for "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Presents: The Great American* Puerto Rico (*It's Complicated)" I mention.

For the next category, I am being a good environmentalist and recycling from Bill Nye, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and NASA all nominees at the 70th Emmy Awards.

Bill Nye Saves The World...has earned a nomination for Outstanding Production Design for a Variety, Reality, or Reality-Competition Series.  This is almost identical to the nomination it earned last year for Outstanding Production Design for a Variety, Nonfiction, Reality, or Reality Competition Programming.  Congratulations on the near-repeat!  On the other hand, Nye's series is competing against "Dancing With The Stars," "Last Week Tonight With John Oliver" (the episode on the now-dead Sinclair-Tribune merger and long-dead Warren G. Harding I already wrote about), "Saturday Night Live," and "The Voice."  "Saturday Night Live" won this Emmy Award last year and I think it's favored again this year.  As I wrote last year, "Bill Nye and Netflix should just be happy to get the nomination."

When I get around to Variety Sketch Series, I'll reuse this paragraph again.  I told you I am a good environmentalist!

The nominees continue to become more diverse for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special.

60th Annual Grammy Awards (CBS)
Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Episode: "Episode 421") (HBO)
The Oscars (ABC)
The Voice (Episode: "Live Finale (Part 2)") (NBC)

The Grammy Awards won this category last year, so I think they're the presumptive favorite.  My pick for upset would be "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert."

Now, the last category in which "Last Week Tonight" is contending, Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for a Series.

The Big Bang Theory (Episode: "The Bow Tie Asymmetry") (CBS)
Dancing with the Stars (Episode: "Finale") (ABC)
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (Episode: "Jimmy Kimmel Live In Brooklyn: Billy Joel And Tracy Morgan") (ABC)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Episode: "Episode 421") (HBO)
Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Donald Glover") (NBC)
The Voice (Episode: "Live Finale, Part 2") (NBC)

Hey, look, a scripted comedy among all the variety and reality-competition shows!  Everybody sing "One of these things is not like the others!"  Seriously, "The Big Bang Theory" has won this award before, but the returning victor is "Saturday Night Live," which I expect will repeat with the possibility of being upset by "Dancing with the Stars," which won the award year before last.

Follow over the jump for the categories in which the other variety talk series hosts have nominated shows.


Like John Oliver, I featured Samantha Bee's nominated special "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee Presents: The Great American* Puerto Rico (*It's Complicated)" already in Samantha Bee helps update 'Vox on Puerto Rico statehood and John Oliver on territories,' the fourth most read entry of the seventh year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.  That was a happy accident in which I ended up looking forward to this year's Emmys just because it was the right show at the right time.  Now to look at the rest of its competitors for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded).

The Carol Burnett Show: 50th Anniversary Special (CBS)
Carpool Karaoke Primetime Special 2018 (CBS)
Dave Chappelle: Equanimity (Netflix)
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Presents The Great American* Puerto Rico (*It's complicated.) (TBS)
Steve Martin & Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget For The Rest Of Your Life (Netflix)

I'm rooting for Bee and Corden, but I suspect sentiment the vote and "The Carol Burnett Show: 50th Anniversary Special" will win instead.  Also, the other award for which this special is nominated is Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming, which I think will be won by "Last Week Tonight."  Sorry, Samantha.  The same is true for James Corden's "Carpool Karaoke Primetime Special 2018."  Sorry, James.

Now for Corden's nominations, beginning with one that demonstrates the versatility I mentioned above, Outstanding Choreography.

Chloe Arnold for The Late Late Show with James Corden (Routines: "The Greatest Showman"/"Crosswalk the Musical On Broadway") (CBS)
Travis Wall for So You Think You Can Dance (Routines: "Change is Everything" / "Strange Fruit") (Fox)
Mandy Moore for So You Think You Can Dance (Routines: "Brand New" / "To Make You Feel My Love") (Fox)
Al Blackstone for So You Think You Can Dance (Routines: "The Man That Got Away" / "L-O-V-E") (Fox)
Christopher Scott for So You Think You Can Dance (Routines: "Prism" / "Say You Won't Let Go") (Fox)

Once again, it's time to play "One of these things is not like the others."  Corden has only a ghost of chance here, as "So You Think You Can Dance" shared the trophy last year, has won seven other times, and has been nominated at least once every year since it debuted in 2006.  That makes it the favorite unless all the voters manage to split their votes nearly evenly.

The third category in which "Carpool Karaoke Primetime Special 2018" is competing in is Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special.

2018 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony (HBO)
Carpool Karaoke Primetime Special 2018 (CBS)
Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC)
The Oscars (ABC)
Super Bowl LI Halftime Show Starring Justin Timberlake (NBC)

The past two trophies have been awarded to a live musical and the one before that went to "The Oscars," so I expect this year's award will go to either "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert" or "The Oscars."

Now for the main Carpool Karaoke series' nominations, beginning with Outstanding Short Form Variety Series.

Carpool Karaoke: The Series (Apple Music)
Creating Saturday Night Live (nbc.com)
The Daily Show — Between the Scenes (thedailyshow.com)
Gay of Thrones (FunnyOrDie)
Honest Trailers (YouTube)
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon - Cover Room (nbc.com)

Corden sings, Corden dances, Corden tells jokes, Corden acts - he's versatile, but I don't think he's going to win this category, as "The Daily Show — Between the Scenes" is the returning winner.  Also, this is only nomination for "The Tonight Show."

Now for the last of Corden's nominated projects, "James Corden's Next James Corden," which has two nominations beginning with Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series.

aka Wyatt Cenac (TOPIC.com)
An Emmy for Megan (anemmyformegan.com)
Grey's Anatomy: B Team (abc.go.com)
James Corden's Next James Corden (CBS on Snapchat)
The Walking Dead: Red Machete (AMC.com)

Sorry, James, but I'm rooting for the zombies (this is the only nomination for "The Walking Dead" franchise) while expecting "aka Wyatt Cenac" to win.

Corden himself is nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series.

James Corden as James Corden on James Corden's Next James Corden (CBS on Snapchat)
Alexis Denisof as Glenn on I Love Bekka & Lucy (Stage13.com)
Melvin Jackson Jr. as Melvin Jackson Jr. /Eddie Murphy on This Eddie Murphy Role Is Mine, Not Yours (Youtube)
DeStorm Power as Himself on Caught The Series (Youtube)
Miles Tagtmeyer as Liam on Broken (Vimeo)

He might win this on name recognition alone.

I concluded Crime and punishment a major theme of Limited Series nominees at the Emmy Awards for National Wildlife Day by hoping that bariety talk shows had fewer categories and nominations.  I'd have to count to see if I was right, but I think this genre was easier and more fun, too.

Speaking of fun, I have to include some music to finish this entry.  Since Katy Perry has the new theme song for the blog, I'll go with Katy Perry Carpool Karaoke.

James and Katy Perry set off in the carpool lane, singing some of Katy's classics and new music, and James asks Katy about taking the beef with Taylor Swift off the grill.

I'll take a break from the Emmys tomorrow, when I will blog about National Coffee Ice Cream Day for a director and officer of Coffee Party USA.  Stay tuned.