Friday, January 12, 2024

'Ted Lasso' leads comedies in nominations, but 'The Bear' may win more Emmy Awards


I told my readers to "Stay tuned for comedy and drama at the Emmy Awards." Following the advice of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, "tragedy tomorrow, comedy tonight!" Without any further ado, here are the comedy nominees at the Primetime Emmy Awards.
Outstanding Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Barry (HBO)
The Bear (FX)
Jury Duty (Amazon Freevee)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video)
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
Wednesday (Netflix)
I begin by recycling what I wrote in Gold Derby predicts a good night for 'Barbie,' 'Oppenheimer,' 'Succession,' 'The Bear,' and 'Beef' at the Golden Globes.
My interests in covering entertainment in general and awards shows in particular are speculative fiction and depictions of politics and government in general...The nominated comedies are less about politics and government, but Abbot Elementary takes place in a public school, Jury Duty in a courtroom, Barry spends part of the season in a prison, and the police play parts in Only Murders in the Building. All of those are government functions.
Police also make brief appearances on Wednesday, which is also the speculative fiction representative among the nominees, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel makes political points among its social commentary. Unfortunately, I don't think any of these will win this category, based both on total nominations and Gold Derby expert and editor opinions.


Ted Lasso leads comedy series with 21 nominations, making it the fourth most nominated show overall, followed by The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel with 14, The Bear with 13, Wednesday with twelve, Barry and Only Murders in the Building with eleven, Abbott Elementary with eight, and Jury Duty, which didn't make the cutoff for the above graphic, with only four nominations. On that criterion alone, the favorites are former Emmy winners Ted Lasso and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Golden Globe winner The Bear, the three weakest nominees for political and government content. The closest Ted Lasso comes to government is that the effects of divorce, a legal action, play an important part of the motivations of the lead characters, while health inspectors and police show up once each in two seasons of The Bear (I can't tell from the show's Wikipedia page if the fire marshal shows up; if one does, that's three cameos by government in 18 episodes).

Turning to Gold Derby's picks and odds, ten of eleven editors think Ted Lasso will repeat with the remaining editor choosing The Bear, while six of eleven experts have The Bear as their top pick with four choosing Ted Lasso and one thinking Jury Duty has a chance. Meanwhile, the top 24 users are evenly split and give the two series equal odds — "electorates matter" in miniature!

The Bear also shares the lead in Creative Arts Emmys won by comedy series with Wednesday at four each, while Ted Lasso and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel each won two and Only Murders in the Building came away with one. On that criterion, Wednesday might have a chance, but the editors and experts at Gold Derby both have the show last in their odds. The Addams Family spinoff might have to be satisfied with a possible Saturn Award or two. At least I voted for the show and Jenna Ortega.

I'm embedding two Gold Derby videos featuring the cast and crew, beginning with Ted Lasso Q&A with Jason Sudeikis and costars on their new Apple TV Plus comedy series.

"Ted Lasso" stars Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Brendan Hunt and Brett Goldstein have some fun with Gold Derby editors about what goes on behind the scenes of their popular new comedy series.
As I've written before, the cast looks like they had as much fun making the show as my wife and I are having watching it, Jason Sudeikis's accident not withstanding.

Next, ‘The Bear’ special SAG panel finds showrunners and cast taking a bow before Globes and SAG Awards.

A sizeable crowd beat a path to the TV Academy in North Hollywood Wednesday night to watch a special SAG Awards screening and panel honoring "The Bear." The panel, moderated by series recurring player and real-life Canadian restaurateur Matty Matheson, was attended by series creator and co-showrunner (and writer-director) Christopher Storer; co-showrunner and writer-director Joanna Calo; and castmates White (appearing via video hookup while out of town on a film shoot), Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce and Abby Elliott. They basked in the love of an adoring industry audience that watched the show's seventh episode,"Review," a typically frenetic and intense 20 minutes that notably was filmed in a single take from start to finish.
Hearing about hot beef sandwiches reminds that my wife, who grew up in Chicagoland, misses Italian hot beef sandwiches here. We can find Chicago-style hot dogs and Chicago-style deep-dish pizzas (pizza cakes :-) in metro Detroit, but hot beef sandwiches are another matter. Maybe The Bear will make them more known and even popular nation-wide so we can have them here.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Christina Applegate – Dead to Me as Jen Harding (Netflix)
Rachel Brosnahan – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as Miriam "Midge" Maisel (Prime Video)
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary as Janine Teagues (ABC)
Natasha Lyonne – Poker Face as Charlie Cale (Peacock)
Jenna Ortega – Wednesday as Wednesday Addams / Goody Addams (Netflix)
Five editors think that Emmy-winner Rachel Brosnahan will win for her final season as Miriam "Midge" Maisel before she becomes the latest Lois Lane, while three each picked Christina Applegate and Quinta Brunson to walk off the stage with the Emmy statuette. Meanwhile, seven of the experts chose Quinta Brunson with two each ranking Christina Applegate and Rachel Brosnahan first, a scenario supported by the top 24 users, who have Brunson first followed by Brosnahan. Once again, "electorates matter" in miniature!

I'm sharing the most recent Gold Derby interview of Rachel Brosnahan ('The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel') on cheering extras: 'It was crazy! I felt like Bono'.

Rachel Brosnahan ('The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel') chats with Gold Derby editor Susan Wloszczyna about performing before a massive swarm of cheering extras: 'It was crazy! I felt like Bono.'
I will miss her character once I finish the series, but I was rooting for her to become Lois Lane and I'm looking forward to seeing her as the star investigative reporter at The Daily Planet.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Bill Hader – Barry as Barry Berkman / Barry Block (HBO)
Jason Segel – Shrinking as Jimmy Laird (Apple TV+)
Martin Short – Only Murders in the Building as Oliver Putnam (Hulu)
Jason Sudeikis – Ted Lasso as Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
Jeremy Allen White – The Bear as Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto (FX)
Both Bill Hader and Jason Sudeikis have Emmy Awards for these roles, but Jeremy Allen White has two Golden Globes and a Critics Choice Award for The Bear, so the more recent honors might help White win. The editors and experts at Gold Derby agree, with nine editors picking White to two choosing Sudekis while all eleven experts chose White to win. With that relatively clear prediction, I'm sharing Jeremy Allen White ('The Bear'): Chef Carmy is 'addicted to possibility of everything falling apart'.

Jeremy Allen White ('The Bear'): Chef Carmy is 'addicted to the possibility of everything falling apart.' His character returns to Chicago to take over his late brother's beleaguered Italian sandwich shop. Gold Derby's Tony Ruiz hosts this webchat.
I've heard, I think from John Cleese although I'm having difficulty tracking down the quote, is that comedy is about what happens when things go wrong. Based on that, The Bear qualifies, although I don't think it's as funny as Ted Lasso.

Outstanding
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Alex Borstein – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as Susie Myerson (Prime Video)
Ayo Edebiri – The Bear as Sydney Adamu (FX)
Janelle James – Abbott Elementary as Ava Coleman (ABC)
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+)
Jessica Williams – Shrinking as Gaby (Apple TV)
Both the editors and the experts at Gold Derby are picking Golden Globe winner Ayo Edebiri two win, with six editors picking her to five for Hannah Waddingham and nine experts choosing her over Emmy winners Sheryl Lee Ralph and Hannah Waddingham with one expert each and Alex Borstein with no one ranking her first.

I'm sharing two Gold Derby interviews of the nominees beginning with Ayo Edebiri ('The Bear',' 'Bottoms'): 'It's very comforting that my parents know what I do'.

Ayo Edebiri ('The Bear',' 'Bottoms'): 'It's very comforting that my parents know what I do.' Few actors are as busy as the Emmy nominee is these days, moving from television to film and one project to the next. Gold Derby editor Ray Richmond hosts this webchat.
As former fans of cooking competition shows like Chopped, The Next Food Network Star, and The Next Iron Chef, my wife and I might enjoy watching the cooking scenes in this show.

Next, Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham ('Ted Lasso'): 'I can't imagine life without it'.

Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham ('Ted Lasso'): 'I can't imagine life without it.' In the 10th episode of the second season, ‘No Weddings and A Funeral,’ Rebecca copes with the loss of her father. Gold Derby editor Matt Noble hosts this webchat.
Waddingham is even more fun in this interview than in the group video I embedded first.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Carrigan – Barry as NoHo Hank (HBO)
Phil Dunster – Ted Lasso as Jamie Tartt (Apple TV+)
Brett Goldstein – Ted Lasso as Roy Kent (Apple TV+)
James Marsden – Jury Duty as himself (Amazon Freevee)
Ebon Moss-Bachrach – The Bear as Richard "Richie" Jerimovich (FX)
Tyler James Williams – Abbott Elementary as Gregory Eddie (ABC)
Henry Winkler – Barry as Gene Cousineau (HBO)
Both the editors and experts are evenly split between two-time Emmy winner Brett Goldstein and James Marsden with five editors picking each and the eleventh editor backing Phil Dunster, while four experts each choosing Brett Goldstein and James Marsden with two experts ranking Ebon Moss-Bachrach first, and one lone expert thinking Tyler James Williams to win. The top 24 users offer a divergent choice with seven backing Ebon Moss-Bachrach, four Brett Goldstein, one each Phil Dunster and Tyler James Williams, and no one expecting James Marsden. This category is wide open!

I already featured Goldstein as a writer in Golden Globes, Critics Choice, and Emmy screenplay and writing nominees for National Screenwriters Day, so I'm moving on to the other leading nominees, beginning with Ebon Moss-Bachrach ('The Bear'): 'Like to push behavior and flirt with absurdism, but stay truthful'.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach ('The Bear'): 'I like to push behavior and flirt with absurdism, but I want to stay truthful.' He plays Richie Jerimovich, the brassy, bombastic yet oddly charming jack of all trades on the FX on Hulu hit. Gold Derby editor Ray Richmond hosts this webchat.
It sounds like the users liked Moss-Bachrach from the get go.

Next, James Marsden had a blast playing douchey version of himself on 'Jury Duty': 'I did that with glee'.

James Marsden had a blast playing a douchey version of himself on 'Jury Duty': 'I did that with glee.' "There was an opportunity there to send up the cliché, Hollywood, entitled celebrity," the actor says. Gold Derby editor Joyce Eng hosts this webchat.
While I first encountered Marsden when he played Cyclops in the X-Men and became a fan when he played Teddy in Westworld, the first time I've written about him being nominated for an acting award was for playing himself in Gold Derby predicts a good night for 'Barbie,' 'Oppenheimer,' 'Succession,' 'The Bear,' and 'Beef' at the Golden Globes. He lost to Matthew Macfadyen from Succession, but he has a better chance competing only in comedy. I'm glad to see his acting skills recognized.

Follow over the jump for the nominees for directing and writing along with the Creative Arts Emmy Awards won by comedy series.

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
Barry: "wow" – Bill Hader (HBO)
The Bear: "Review" – Christopher Storer (FX)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: "Four Minutes" – Amy Sherman-Palladino (Prime Video)
The Ms. Pat Show: "Don't Touch My Hair" – Mary Lou Belli (BET+)
Ted Lasso: "So Long, Farewell" – Declan Lowney (Apple TV+)
Wednesday: "Wednesday's Child Is Full of Woe" – Tim Burton (Netflix)
Seven editors think Christopher Storer will win for The Bear, three chose Declan Lowney for Ted Lasso, and one picked Tim Burton for Wednesday. The experts agree with eight supporting Storer and three ranking Lowney first. The one interview of the three contenders is Declan Lowney ('Ted Lasso' director): 'An education in film almost every day'.

Declan Lowney ('Ted Lasso' director): 'An education in film almost every day.' This is actually his second Emmy nom as a director, plus he also won an Emmy last year as a producer. This segment is part of the Gold Derby 'Meet the Experts' directors panel for 2023 Emmy nominees hosted by news and features editor Ray Richmond.
Lowney could win twice, both as a producer and a director. May he be so fortunate, although it would come as a pleasant surprise. Believe!

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
Barry: "wow" – Bill Hader (HBO)
The Bear: "System" – Christopher Storer (FX)
Jury Duty: "Ineffective Assistance" – Mekki Leeper (Amazon Freevee)
Only Murders in the Building: "I Know Who Did It" – John Hoffman, Matteo Borghese, and Rob Turbovsky (Hulu)
The Other Two: "Cary & Brooke Go to an AIDS Play" – Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider (Max)
Ted Lasso: "So Long, Farewell" – Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, and Jason Sudeikis (Apple TV+)
The Gold Derby editors and experts are split on this category, with the editors picking Ted Lasso over The Bear seven to four, while the experts overwhelmingly chose The Bear ahead of Ted Lasso eight to one. Once again, it's "electorates matter" in miniature!
Sentiment has shifted to The Bear among the experts, with ten now picking The Bear and only one is sticking with Ted Lasso. The editors haven't changed. The top 24 users so far are agreeing with the experts, breaking the deadlock.

Now for the winners in comedy series at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.


Judith Light won the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance in Poker Face, the show's and Peacock's first Emmy. Surprise!


Sam Richardson won the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance in Ted Lasso, one of two the show won. I'll have more on his win for MLK Day. The show also won for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. I'll embed the video at the bottom of the post.





Those are the four Emmy Awards for The Bear so far.


Wednesday trumpeted its four wins, but named the categories it's competing in at the Primetime Emmy Awards. I applaud the show's competitiveness in waging its social media campaign, but it means I'll have to list its Creative Arts Emmy Awards myself: Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More), Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for a Series, Outstanding Contemporary Makeup (Non-Prosthetic), and Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music. I'll embed that video at the end.


The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel won two Emmy Awards for its final season.


And now the Emmy won by Only Murders in the Building.


Night Court won Outstanding Picture Editing for a Multi-Camera Comedy Series. Finally, an Emmy for a comedy about government!


Barry won Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Comedy Series or Variety Program for at least the second time.


Finally, Atlanta won the one Creative Arts Emmy Award it was nominated in, Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (Half-Hour).

Congratulations to all the winners, including the music winners from comedy series, first from Ted Lasso, A Beautiful Game by Ed Sheeran.


If anyone could beat "Weird" Al Yankovic, it would be Ed Sheeran. That is as pretty a song as "Now You Know" was funny.

I close with Wednesday Addams | Title Sequence | Netflix.

Main Title Sequence for Netflix's new series, Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY -- starring Jenna Ortega in the title role, alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzman, Gwendoline Christie, Christina Ricci and more -- is a sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery charting Wednesday Addams' years as a student at Nevermore Academy. Snap snap.
This was my second favorite nominated Main Title Sequence after The Last of Us, which won. I'll get to that tomorrow, when I plan on covering drama. Stay tuned.

Previous posts about the 2023 Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards
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