Gold Derby's predictions for guest actors and actresses at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards

Slight change of plans — instead of continuing my Emmy coverage with limited series nominations at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, as I wrote at the end of 'Arcane,' 'Love, Death + Robots,' and 'Octopus!' already Emmy Award winners, I'm resuming with a condensed version of last year's Gold Derby predicts guest actor, guest actress, reality host, and voice-over at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards concentrating on guest actor and guest actress in comedy and drama. Here are the nominees for these categories at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

• Jon Bernthal – The Bear: "Napkins" as Michael Berzatto (FX)
• Bryan Cranston – The Studio: "CinemaCon" as Griffin Mill (Apple TV+)
• Dave Franco – The Studio: "CinemaCon" as himself (Apple TV+)
• Ron Howard – The Studio: "The Note" as himself (Apple TV+)
• Anthony Mackie – The Studio: "The Note" as himself (Apple TV+)
• Martin Scorsese – The Studio: "The Promotion" as himself (Apple TV+)

Bryan Cranston leads the field according to the odds at Gold Derby, with every editor and expert along with 80.1% of users picking him to win. He's followed by Martin Scorsese, Jon Bernthal, Ron Howard, Dave Franco, and Anthony Mackie, who have the support of 11.1%, 4.6%, 2.3%, 1.4%, and 0.5% of users, respectively. The Studio having multiple nominees could have split the vote, but the prognosticators at Gold Derby think the Emmy voters have settled on the best performance of the bunch, a great actor playing a role instead of just himself.

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

• Olivia Colman – The Bear: "Forever" as Chef Andrea Terry (FX)
• Jamie Lee Curtis – The Bear: "Ice Chips" as Donna Berzatto (FX)
• Cynthia Erivo – Poker Face: "The Game Is a Foot" as the Kazinsky sisters (Peacock)
• Robby Hoffman – Hacks: "Cover Girls" as Randi (HBO Max)
• Zoë Kravitz – The Studio: "The Presentation" as herself (Apple TV+)
• Julianne Nicholson – Hacks: "A Slippery Slope" as Mary-Alice (HBO Max)

There is less of a consensus about this category than for guest actor, as Julianne Nicholson is the choice of every editor, but only two-thirds of experts and 74.4% of users. The experts and users are split on who is second, with the remaining one-third of experts and 7.9% of users picking Cynthia Erivo, while 11.5% of users expect last year's winner Jamie Lee Curtis to repeat. Zoe Kravitz, Robby Hoffman, and Olivia Colman round out the rest of the field with the support of 4.8%, 0.9%, and 0.4% of users, respectively.

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

• Giancarlo Esposito – The Boys: "Beware the Jabberwock, My Son" as Stan Edgar (Prime Video)
• Scott Glenn – The White Lotus: "Killer Instincts" as Jim Hollinger (HBO)
• Shawn Hatosy – The Pitt: "9:00 PM" as Dr. Jack Abbot (HBO)
• Joe Pantoliano – The Last of Us: "The Price" as Eugene (HBO)
• Forest Whitaker – Andor: "I Have Friends Everywhere" as Saw Gerrera (Disney+)
• Jeffrey Wright – The Last of Us: "Day One" as Isaac (HBO)

Predictions by Gold Derby's prognosticators for this category follow a pattern similar to that for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. Shawn Hatosy is the choice of 80.0% of editors, 75.0% of experts, and 78.5% of users. The professionals and users are again split on the second choice, with the remaining 20% of editors and 25% of experts along with only 3.1% of users picking Scott Glenn, while 14.0% of users are voting for Jeffrey Wright. I suspect the users are responding to their perceptions of the performances, while the professionals are taking the politics of the acting community in particular into consideration. Electorates matter.

Gold Derby ranks the rest of the roster as Joe Pantoliano in fourth, Giancarlo Esposito in fifth, and Forest Whitaker last with 2.2%, 1.8%, and 0.4% of users choosing them, respectively. Too bad, as Whitaker is the only acting nominee from Andor. Being an Oscar-winning actor reprising a movie role may have helped him earn a nomination, but it's not going to help him win. Darn. Maybe at the Saturn Awards.

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

• Jane Alexander – Severance: "Sweet Vitriol" as Sissy Cobel (Apple TV+)
• Gwendoline Christie – Severance: "Cold Harbor" as Lorne (Apple TV+)
• Kaitlyn Dever – The Last of Us: "Through the Valley" as Abby (HBO)
• Cherry Jones – The Handmaid's Tale: "Exile" as Holly (Hulu)
• Catherine O’Hara – The Last of Us: "Future Days" as Gail (HBO)
• Merritt Wever – Severance: "Who Is Alive?" as Gretchen George (Apple TV+)

Speaking of the Saturn Awards, every one of these actresses is in a show that has been nominated by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, so all of them could be nominated for Best Guest Star in a Television Series except perhaps Cherry Jones. No actress from The Handmaid's Tale has ever earned a nomination at the Saturn Awards, a snub I've whined about before. I don't expect that will change. Not only do electorates matter, so do selection committees.

Enough speculation. Now for the odds. This is the third consecutive category where there is a top choice, followed by divided support for the next two. Three-quarters of both editors and experts along with 78.2% of users have lined up behind Kaitlyn Dever, while the remaining one-quarter of editors and experts along with 7.3% of users have chosen Merritt Wever and 10.5% of users have picked Catherine O'Hara. The remaining three nominees are well behind, with Gwendoline Christie having the votes of 2.3% of users, Jane Alexander with 1.4%, and Cherry Jones 0.5%. Maybe a snub of Jones at the Saturn Awards would be justified.

That's a wrap for today's installment. I'm planning this year's version of Gold Derby's predictions for TV movie and music at the Emmy Awards for tomorrow's Sunday entertainment feature. Stay tuned.

Previous posts about the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards

• No PSAs among nominees for Outstanding Commercial plus winners for Outstanding Promotional Announcement at the Emmy Awards
• 'I Am: Celine Dion,' 'Patrice: The Movie,' and 'The Remarkable Life of Ibelin,' Emmy nominees for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking
• 'Asia' and 'The Americas' lead nature documentaries at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards
• 'Pee-wee as Himself' vs. 'Will & Harper' for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special on Tequila Day
• '100 Foot Wave' leads Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series in nominations, but could lose to 'SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night'
• 'The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: MAGA: The Next Generation' plus the Emmy nominees for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special
• Emmy nominee 'Desi Lydic Foxsplains the Epstein Files' plus the rest of the short form nominees at the Emmy Awards
• John Oliver examines 'Gang Databases' plus 'Last Week Tonight's six Emmy nominations
• Colbert, Lydic, and Meyers take closer looks at the EPA and Epstein and Kimmel goes down the rabbit hole on 'windmills'
• 'Jeopardy!' favored to win Game Show categories at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards
• 'Welcome to Wrexham' vs. 'Love on the Spectrum' for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program at the Emmy Awards
• 'Shark Tank' vs. 'Queer Eye' for Outstanding Structured Reality Program at the Emmy Awards
• 'RuPaul's Drag Race' leads nominations for Outstanding Reality Competition Program, but 'The Traitors' will likely win again
• 'Arcane' leads Gold Derby odds to win Outstanding Animated Program at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards
• 'Rebel Ridge' leads Gold Derby odds to win Outstanding Television Movie at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards
• Nate Bargatze vs. Conan O'Brien for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) at the Emmys
• 'Saturday Night Live' earned seven Emmy nominations for its 50th season
• 'SNL50: The Anniversary Special' leads nominees for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) at the Emmys
• 'Arcane,' 'Love, Death + Robots,' and 'Octopus!' already Emmy Award winners

'Succession' leads drama series nominees, followed by 'The Last of Us' and 'The White Lotus'

I opened 'Ted Lasso' leads comedies in nominations, but 'The Bear' may win more Emmy Awards with the lyric "tragedy tomorrow, comedy tonight!" It's tomorrow, so time for tragedy, or at least drama. Without any further ado, here are the drama series nominees at the Primetime Emmy Awards. Watch 75th Emmy Nominations: Drama Series.

The nominees for Outstanding Drama Series are Andor, Better Call Saul, The Crown, House of the Dragon, The Last of Us, Succession, The White Lotus, Yellowjackets.

I'm recycling my summary from Gold Derby predicts a good night for 'Barbie,' 'Oppenheimer,' 'Succession,' 'The Bear,' and 'Beef' at the Golden Globes.

[M]y interests in covering entertainment in general and awards shows in particular are speculative fiction and depictions of politics and government in general. All of the television drama nominees depict politics and government...The Crown...explores period politics and government, Succession...examine[s] contemporary politics and government, and The Last of Us does double duty by imagining the kinds of governments that arise in a post-apocalyptic horror setting.

Andor, House of the Dragon, and Yellowjackets also do double duty in exploring politics and government in fantastic and futuristic settings, including Yellowjackets, which begins in a public high school — public education is part of government — and is enough of a horror series that it had two Saturn Award nominations last year and one this year. Speaking of which, Better Call Saul led television shows at last year's Saturn Awards with seven nominations and four wins. Its protagonists are lawyers, not government employees, but they work in courtrooms and deal with law enforcement, so a government function plays an important part in the show. Finally, like last season, Season 2 of The White Lotus has a crime at the heart of its farce, so the police appear. Also, Jennifer Coolidge's character Tanya's husband Greg works for the Bureau of Land Management, although the agency itself only earned a mention for a gag based on a misunderstanding of the initials BLM.*


As the graphic above illustrates, the three HBO dramas lead in total nominations with Succession in first with 24 and The Last of Us and The White Lotus tied at 21. Andor and House of the Dragon are a long way down tied with eight, followed by Better Call Saul with seven for its final season, The Crown with six, and Yellowjackets with three, not enough to make the cutoff for the list in the image. Based on that criterion, Succession, The Last of Us, and The White Lotus are the favorites.

If one thinks the Creative Arts Emmy Awards serve as a harbinger of success at the Primetime ceremony, then The Last of Us is in the lead after winning eight Emmys, followed by The White Lotus with four. House of the Dragon won one, along with The Boys and The Mandalorian for stunts, which weren't nominated for drama series, although The Mandalorian had more nominations than Andor. Succession won no Creative Arts Emmys for the main show, but Succession: Controlling the Narrative won Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series. Other people may not count that as a win for the main show, but I do, so Succession has a Creative Arts Emmy. That might put it behind The Last of Us in total Emmy Awards when all is said and done, but it probably won't have an effect on who wins Monday night, if one believes Gold Derby, which I generally do. Both the experts and the editors unanimously think Succession will win Outstanding Drama Series and so do I.

Now for the acting nominations, beginning with 75th Emmy Nominations: Lead Actress In A Drama Series.

The nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series are Sharon Horgan, Melanie Lynskey, Elisabeth Moss, Bella Ramsey, Keri Russell, and Sarah Snook.

Both Keri Russell for The Diplomat and Elisabeth Moss for The Handmaid's Tale star in shows that prominently feature government and politics with the latter doing double duty as a speculative fiction show. These are also the only nominations for both series. Sigh.

Both the editors and experts at Gold Derby expect Sarah Snook to win, with all the editors and all but one of the experts picking her with one expert choosing Bella Ramsey. I think it will be Snook. Even if it's not, HBO still wins.

On that note, I'm sharing Sarah Snook (Best TV Drama Actress, 'Succession') 2024 Golden Globes press room.

Sarah Snook won Best TV Drama Actress for "Succession" at the 2024 Golden Globes on January 7, 2024.

I expect Snook to win for her final turn at this role up to four more times at the Critics Choice Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, Satellite Awards, and SAG Awards. I'm looking forward to all of them.

Next, 75th Emmy Nominations: Lead Actor In A Drama Series.

The nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series are Jeff Bridges, Brian Cox, Kieren Culkin, Bob Odenkirk, Pedro Pascal, and Jeremy Strong.

Jeff Bridges stars in The Old Man, a spy thriller about the CIA, so it also explores government and politics. The show also has two nominations, the second for Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (One Hour), which it lost to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Just like for Outstanding Drama Actress, the editors and experts think Kieren Culkin will win with seven of eleven editors and nine of ten experts choosing him. Three editors and one expert picked Pedro Pascal and one editor thinks Bob Odenkirk will finally win an Emmy for Better Call Saul. Not happening, but I wish.

The video of Snook in the Golden Globes press room ended with the announcer saying Culkin would be next, so here is Kieran Culkin (Best TV Drama Actor, 'Succession') 2024 Golden Globes press room.

Kieran Culkin won Best TV Drama Actor for "Succession" at the 2024 Golden Globes on January 7, 2024.

Culkin strikes me as being like Brett Goldstein, funny and a bit dirty. I'm looking forward to his winning up to three more times and whatever role he tackles next.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Jennifer Coolidge – The White Lotus as Tanya McQuoid-Hunt (HBO)
Elizabeth Debicki – The Crown as Diana, Princess of Wales (Netflix)
Meghann Fahy – The White Lotus as Daphne Sullivan (HBO)
Sabrina Impacciatore – The White Lotus as Valentina (HBO)
Aubrey Plaza – The White Lotus as Harper Spiller (HBO)
Rhea Seehorn – Better Call Saul as Kim Wexler (AMC)
J. Smith-Cameron – Succession as Gerri Kellman (HBO)
Simona Tabasco – The White Lotus as Lucia Greco (HBO)

The editors and experts at Gold Derby are fairly united behind Jennifer Coolidge with eight editors and nine experts picking her to win. Two editors chose Rhea Seehorn, one editor ranked J. Smith-Cameron for a Succession sweep, and one expert thinks Aubrey Plaza will beat Coolidge. On that note, I'm sharing Jennifer Coolidge ('The White Lotus: Sicily') on line 'These gays, they're trying to murder me!'

Jennifer Coolidge ('The White Lotus: Sicily' and 'The Watcher') on what she really thinks about Tanya's iconic 'these gays, they're trying to murder me!' line. She is thrilled that it has gone viral, as it is plastered on t-shirts and mugs worldwide and DJs sample it in gay clubs everywhere. Gold Derby editor Rob Licuria hosts this webchat.

Normally, going from limited series to drama series would hurt the Emmy prospects of a show and its actors. It doesn't seem like it for The White Lotus.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
F. Murray Abraham – The White Lotus as Bert Di Grasso (HBO)
Nicholas Braun – Succession as Greg Hirsch (HBO)
Michael Imperioli – The White Lotus as Dominic Di Grasso (HBO)
Theo James – The White Lotus as Cameron Sullivan (HBO)
Matthew Macfadyen – Succession as Tom Wambsgans (HBO)
Alan Ruck – Succession as Connor Roy (HBO)
Will Sharpe – The White Lotus as Ethan Spiller (HBO)
Alexander Skarsgård – Succession as Lukas Matsson (HBO)

Just as Succession and The Last of Us split drama guest actor nominees at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, Succession and The White Lotus split supporting actor nominations. As I wrote last week, "no matter who wins, HBO does as well...Despite the advent of streaming, the [supporting actor] drama nominees reflect the pre-Netflix reality from 1996 to 2009, when 'It's Not TV, It's HBO' was the slogan of the cable channel and people accepted it. Some things haven't changed, at least at the Television Academy."

Like for all the drama series categories so far except Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, the editors and experts at Gold Derby are united behind the nominees from Succession with all eleven editors and nine experts picking Matthew Macfadyen. The dissenting expert chose Alexander Skarsgård, also from Succession. I think it will be Macfadyen, so I'm sharing Matthew Macfadyen (Best TV Supporting Actor, 'Succession') 2024 Golden Globes press room.

Matthew Macfadyen won Best TV Supporting Actor for "Succession" at the 2024 Golden Globes on January 7, 2024.

The sound isn't that clear, so turn on closed captioning.

Follow over the jump for the behind the camera categories, including those recognized at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

Politics, government, and diversity in television nominees at the 2022 Golden Globes

I closed Colbert, Kimmel, and 'The Daily Show' remember January 6th with an entertainment programming note.

Stay tuned for a two-part post about the Golden Globes, despite the scandal that forced it off television this year.

Without any further ado, here are the television nominees at tomorrow night's Golden Globes with handicaps of their chances to win along with analyses of their politics and government content served with side helpings of how well they present diversity.

Best Television Series: Drama

Lupin (Netflix)
The Morning Show (Apple TV+)
Pose (FX)
Squid Game (Netflix)
Succession (HBO)

In addition to "Succession" being the nominee most about American politics, it is both a former winner and the most nominated television series at these awards with five, so I consider it the favorite. While "The Morning Show" has four nominations as the second most nominated drama series and has some political content as a portrayal of a fiction morning news show, it's not my pick to upset. Instead, I think "Squid Game," IGN's Best TV Show of 2021, has that distinction. It's also the nominee with the strongest speculative fiction theme. This is despite "Pose" being the only drama nominee at the Emmy Awards in this field. "Pose," "Squid Game," and "Lupin" also have the most diverse casts.

Best Television Series: Comedy

The Great (Hulu)
Hacks (HBO Max)
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Reservation Dogs (FX on Hulu)
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

Just like the Emmy Awards, this category is a contest between "Ted Lasso" and "Hacks" that "Ted Lasso" should win as it is the most nominated comedy series with four. Of the two, "Ted Lasso" has the more diverse cast as well, but not the most diverse among the nominees. That distinction belongs to "Reservation Dogs," which also has the strongest speculative fiction themes in the form of magical realism. While police play recurring roles in both "Reservation Dogs" and "Only Murders in the Building," "The Great" has the most government and politics content, as it's a comedic look at a young Catherine the Great of Russia.

Best Miniseries or Television Film

Dopesick (Hulu)
Impeachment: American Crime Story (FX)
Maid (Netflix)
Mare of Easttown (HBO)
The Underground Railroad (Prime Video)

"Mare of Easttown" and "The Underground Railroad" are the Emmy nominees in this field, a contest in which I'm sure "Mare of Easttown" would have the advantage if it came down between them. However, I think the contest is really between "Mare of Easttown" and "Maid" with "Dopesick" being the spoiler. Both of the latter have more nominations, three each to two for "Mare of Easttown," but those aren't enough for me to think either is the favorite. While I consider "The Underground Railroad" to have the strongest diversity and speculative fiction content, it doesn't have the greatest political content. I think that goes to "Impeachment: American Crime Story."

Follow over the jump for the acting categories.

'The Crown' vs. 'The Handmaid's Tale' — politics and government in drama nominees at the Emmy Awards

I opened 'Ted Lasso' vs. 'Hacks' eclipses 'Black-ish' and 'The Flight Attendant' in comedies at the Emmy Awards with "Tragedy (or at least drama) tomorrow" and closed it by telling my readers to "stay tuned for the drama nominees." Without any further ado, here are the seven drama series categories at the Primetime Emmy Awards along with commentary on their chances of winning.

Outstanding Drama Series

The Boys (Prime Video)
Bridgerton (Netflix)
The Crown (Netflix)
The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)
Lovecraft Country (HBO)
The Mandalorian (Disney+)
Pose (FX)
This Is Us (NBC)

All of the drama series nominees except the family drama "This Is Us" are about politics and government to some degree. "The Boys" depicts fantastic U.S. poltics with superheroes. The British Royal Family makes cameos in "Bridgerton," while they are the stars of "The Crown." "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Lovecraft Country" make scorching political and social statements about American dystopia, the former about a feared future, the latter about the dreaded past. "The Mandalorian" explores the "Star Wars" universe between the fall of the Galactic Empire and the rise of the First Order. Finally, "Pose" examines society and politics during the AIDS epidemic.

Before I make my commentary, I'm sharing two videos from Gold Derby, beginning with 2021 Emmy predictions slugfest: In drama series, 'The Crown' poised to make history for Netflix.

“'The Crown' has been kind of on a roll," Gold Derby senior editor Daniel Montgomery admits about the Netflix flagship drama winning everything in its path this season. "Through the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, PGA Awards, DGA Awards, Writers Guild, it's been kind of a romp for that show, which would actually make it a first Best Drama Series for Netflix in its history,” he explains. Montgomery is joined by fellow senior editors Marcus James Dixon and Rob Licuria to dish who and what could upset the Netflix prestige drama. It's on course to finally claim its first Best Drama Series trophy for its acclaimed fourth season and finally break the streamer's inexplicable curse at the Emmys, having never won a series trophy in any genre. Watch the Emmy predictions slugfest video above.

Next, Final 2021 Emmy predictions: Expect 'Ted Lasso,' 'The Crown' and 'The Queen's Gambit' domination.

How many Emmys will "Ted Lasso," "The Crown" and "The Queen's Gambit" win? Gold Derby editors and Experts Christopher Rosen and Joyce Eng make their final picks for Sunday's ceremony.

I couldn't resist another video from my favorite critic duo of Eng and Rosen. I concur with them that the contest for Outstanding Drama Series is between "The Crown" and "The Handmaid's Tale," as both have eleven nominations at next Sunday's ceremony. "The Crown" won six Gold Derby TV Awards, Drama Series, Drama Actor for Josh O'Connor, Drama Actress for Emma Corrin, Drama Supporting Actress for Gillian Anderson, Drama Guest Actor for Charles Dance, and Ensemble of the Year. It could win four of those, as Courtney B. Vance as George Freeman from "Lovecraft Country" beat Dance for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series and the Emmys don't have an outstanding ensemble award beyond the casting categories. I'm still rooting for "The Handmaid's Tale."

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Sterling K. Brown as Randall Pearson on This Is Us (Episode: "Forty: Part 2") (NBC)
Jonathan Majors as Atticus Freeman on Lovecraft Country (Episode: "Sundown") (HBO)
Josh O'Connor as Prince Charles on The Crown (Episode: "Terra Nullius") (Netflix)
Regé-Jean Page as Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings on Bridgerton (Episode: "Art of the Swoon") (Netflix)
Billy Porter as Pray Tell on Pose (Episode: "Take Me To Church") (FX)
Matthew Rhys as Perry Mason on Perry Mason (Episode: "Chapter 8") (HBO)

This field features three former winners, Sterling K. Brown, Billy Porter, and Matthew Rhys. Of the three of them, I think Porter has the best shot at deposing nominal favorite O'Connor for this award, although I still think it's O'Connor's award to lose.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Uzo Aduba as Dr. Brooke Taylor on In Treatment (Episode: "Brooke – Week 5") (HBO)
Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown (Episode: "48:1") (Netflix)
Emma Corrin as Princess Diana on The Crown (Episode: "Fairytale") (Netflix)
Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne / Offred on The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "Home") (Hulu)
Mj Rodriguez as Blanca Evangelista on Pose (Episode: "Series Finale") (FX)
Jurnee Smollett as Letitia "Leti" Lewis on Lovecraft Country (Episode: "Holy Ghost") (HBO)

This field pits Oscar winner Olivia Colman against Emmy winner Elisabeth Moss. That makes for good headlines, but I doubt either will win, as Emma Corrin has been beating Colman for her portrayal of Princess Diana in "The Crown" and will probably win. Too bad, as I praised Moss's acting this season and voted for her in the Saturn Awards.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Giancarlo Esposito as Moff Gideon on The Mandalorian (Episode: "Chapter 16: The Rescue") (Disney+)
O-T Fagbenle as Luke Bankole on The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "Home") (Hulu)
John Lithgow as Elias Birchard "E.B." Jonathan on Perry Mason (Episode: "Chapter 4") (HBO)
Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on The Crown (Episode: "Gold Stick") (Netflix)
Max Minghella as Commander Nick Blaine on The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "The Crossing") (Hulu)
Chris Sullivan as Toby Damon on This Is Us (Episode: "In the Room") (NBC)
Bradley Whitford as Commander Joseph Lawrence on The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "Testimony") (Hulu)
Michael K. Williams as Montrose Freeman on Lovecraft Country (Episode: "Rewind 1921") (HBO) (posthumous)

The late Michael K. Williams won the Gold Derby Award and was alive to accept it, but he died since then. If that had happened during Emmy voting, it might have propelled a sympathy vote in addition to the momentum he earned winning the equivalent Gold Derby and Critics Choice Awards. I'd be fine with that, as Williams was more memorable than any of the nominees from "The Handmaid's Tale" and more intense than Giancarlo Esposito on "The Mandalorian" as much as he chewed the scenery as the main villain. If "Perry Mason" were a better show, then I think John Lithgow would have a good chance of winning, but I think the quality of this season of "The Crown" would more likely give Tobias Menzies the advantage instead. Williams should win, but Menzies probably will. Sigh. I hope I'm wrong.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher on The Crown (Episode: "Favourites") (Netflix)
Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret on The Crown (Episode: "The Hereditary Principle") (Netflix)
Madeline Brewer as Janine Lindo on The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "Testimony") (Hulu)
Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia on The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "Progress") (Hulu)
Aunjanue Ellis as Hippolyta Freeman on Lovecraft Country (Episode: "I Am.") (HBO)
Emerald Fennell as Camilla Parker Bowles on The Crown (Episode: "Fairytale") (Netflix)
Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy Waterford on The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "Home") (Hulu)
Samira Wiley as Moira on The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "Vows") (Hulu)

I think Gillian Anderson will win this. She beat all of her co-stars from "The Crown" for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series at the SAG Awards and they were in leading roles while she was in a supporting one. Otherwise, it's the clearest matchup between "The Crown" and "The Handmaid's Tale" at next Sunday's awards.

Follow over the jump for the nominees behind the camera and the awards drama series won at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

Gold Derby predicts the Creative Arts Emmy Awards plus animation and drama guest acting nominees

I know that I wrote I "have run out of time" because "the first night of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards" is tonight, so "Creative Arts Emmy winners should be next in the series" at the end of 'Oslo' earned two nominations at the 2021 Emmy Awards, but I realized last night that I really wanted to write this year's version of Star Trek vs. Star Wars — futuristic politics and government at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. Fortunately, Gold Derby uploaded Emmy Experts slugfest: Final Creative Arts predictions (and some bonus Oscar chatter) yesterday, which gave me an opportunity to take that bite at the apple without overexerting myself after writing 9/11 memorials on the 20th anniversary. Watch to see if they agreed with all the predictions I made over the past two months.

There's not one, not two but three Emmy ceremonies this weekend, Sept 11-12, with Creative Arts honors being handed out on Saturday (one ceremony) and Sunday (two). Gold Derby editors and Experts Christopher Rosen and Joyce Eng are back to make their final(ish) Creative Arts predictions -- and also discuss the Oscar race!

Those are the expert predictions for tonight and tomorrow, most of which agree with mine, although they disagree with me about "Oslo" being the favorite; they think "Sylvie's Love" is instead. That's reasonable, but I'm not convinced that "Hamilton" will fail as badly as they do, although we won't find out until a week from tomorrow because so many of its categories will be awarded at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards. Follow over the jump for the acting and show nominations for speculative fiction programs that will be awarded at tonight's and tomorrow's ceremonies.

Coffee Party USA announces the 2019-2020 Golden Coffee Cup Television Winners!

For the past three weeks, the members and volunteers of Coffee Party USA have been voting on the nominees for the 2019-2020 Golden Coffee Cups for television. Voting closed Sunday so it's time to announce the winners in seven categories showcasing the best in politics and government on the small screen during the 2019-2020 television season.

Watchmen earned two awards, Best Miniseries or Movie for Television about Politics and Government and split Best Comedy, Drama, Miniseries, or Movie for Television about Fantastic and Futuristic Politics and Government with The Mandalorian. The Handmaid's Tale won Best Drama Series about Politics and Government. Schitt's Creek defeated last year's winner Saturday Night Live for Best Comedy Series about Politics and Government. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver returned as Best Talk Show. Frontline won the initial award for Best Documentary, Nonfiction, or Reality Series about Politics and Government. Kiefer Sutherland as Tom Kirkman on Designated Survivor and Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live will share the office of Best Television President for 2018-2019 Season, replacing Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer on Veep, whose term expired. Sorry, this category does not go to the House of Representatives to break the tie. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all of our members and volunteers who voted for the best shows and performances about politics and government during the 2019-2020 television season!

With the 2019-2020 television season out of the way, the members and volunteers of Coffee Party USA will move on to the best political movies of the 2020 awards season. Watch for the posting of the shortlists for the show categories on our blog along with an invitation to stream them while staying safe at home.

Coffee Party USA is a project of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.  Follow the Coffee Party at our website and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Follow over the jump for the nominees in each category.

Coffee Party USA announces the nominees for the 2019-2020 Golden Coffee Cups for television

This past February, Coffee Party USA invited its supporters to stream the political TV series on the Golden Coffee Cups shortlist while staying safe at home. For the past four months, the members and volunteers of Coffee Party USA did just that. For the past three weeks, they voted on the nominees. Today, Coffee Party USA announces the nominees for the 2019-2020 Golden Coffee Cups for television.

After the preliminary round of voting, Saturday Night Live leads with four nominations, one for Best Political Comedy and three for Best TV President. Madam Secretary, Outlander, The Handmaid's Tale, and Watchmen all earned two nominations each. The remaining 29 shows have one nomination apiece.

Here are the nominees in seven categories showcasing the best in politics and government on the small screen during the 2019-2020 television season.

Best Drama Series about Politics and Government

Madam Secretary
Mr. Robot
Outlander
The Blacklist
The Crown
The Handmaid's Tale

Madam Secretary and The Handmaid's Tale return from last year's field of nominees. Both earned other nominations, Madam Secretary for Best TV President and The Handmaid's Tale for Best Comedy, Drama, Miniseries, or Movie for Television about Fantastic and Futuristic Politics and Government. The previous two winners, Mindhunter and Succession, did not repeat as nominees. Replacing them are Mr. Robot, Outlander, The Blacklist, and The Crown. While new to this category, Outlander earned a nomination last year for Best Comedy, Drama, Miniseries, or Movie for Television about Fantastic and Futuristic Politics and Government. The Crown returns after having been nominated in this category for the 2017-2018 season. Mr. Robot, and The Blacklist are first-time nominees at these awards.

Follow over the jump for the rest of the nominees

Coffee Party USA invites you to stream the political TV series on the 2019-2020 Golden Coffee Cups shortlists while staying safe at home

Hey, all of you binge-watching your guilty pleasure shows while staying safe at home, relaxing after working from home, returning for work after wearing a mask all day, or just stressed out from the real world! I have another suggestion to make your time in front of the big-screen TV in the living room, the slightly smaller screen in the bedroom, or even holding your tablet or smartphone work to help your appreciation of politics and government on television and then apply your understanding to help Coffee Party USA in one of our projects.

With the 2018-2019 television season out of the way, the members and volunteers of Coffee Party USA will move on to the 2019-2020 television season. Watch for the posting of the shortlists for the show categories along with an invitation to stream them while staying safe at home. If you want to become one of the voters for this or future Golden Coffee Cups, such as for the best political movies of 2020, become a member. Voting will happen on a members-only Facebook group.

Before I present the shortlists, I'm sharing a two-part activity Coffee Party USA and I are proposing our readers and supporters do.

The first part of the activity is to stream as many of the shows on the shortlists between now and March 13, 2021 to see which have the best portrayals of politics and government on television. The second is to become a member of Coffee Party USA by March 13, 2021, which you can do for as little as $30.00 per year. That's because the members will also vote on the nominees and winners this year. That means you!

That's your two-part activity. Now, have fun watching television while supporting the work of Coffee Party USA, whose core values include continuous learning on behalf of an informed citizenry, joining Coffee Party USA, and voting on the nominees!

Without any further ado, I present the shortlists for the Golden Coffee Cups for Television, beginning with the shortlist for Best Drama Series about Politics and Government.*

#FreeRayshawn
9-1-1
Better Call Saul
Big Little Lies
Billions
Black Mirror
Carnival Row
David Makes Man
Designated Survivor
Doctor Who
Euphoria
Evil
For All Mankind
Godfather of Harlem
His Dark Materials
Homeland
How to Get Away with Murder
Hunters
Killing Eve
Madam Secretary
Mindhunter
Mr. Robot
Outlander
Ozark
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels
Pose
Snowpiercer
Star Trek: Picard
Star Trek: Short Treks
Star Wars Resistance
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Stranger Things
Stumptown
Succession
S.W.A.T.
The Blacklist
The Boys
The Crown
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
The Good Fight
The Handmaid's Tale
The Mandalorian
The Man in the High Castle
The Morning Show
The Outsider
The Rookie
The Witcher
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan
Vikings
Westworld

Succession won last year and Mindhunter the year before. In addition, the first winner of Best Miniseries or Movie for Television about Politics and Government, Black Mirror, has been moved here based on the reclassification of the series by the Television Academy. The shortlist sets up a situation where they could go up against each other for the trophy. Of course, they have to be nominated first. Will you be one of the people to join so you nominate them and the rest of the field?

Follow over the jump to read the shortlists for television shows in the other four categories along with a two-part activity involving them.

Coffee Party USA announces the 2018-2019 Golden Coffee Cup Television Winners!

For the past three weeks, the members and volunteers of Coffee Party USA have been voting on the nominees for the 2018-2019 Golden Coffee Cups for television. Voting closed this morning and it's time to announce the winners in six categories showcasing the best in politics and government on the small screen during the 2018-2019 television season.

Succession won Best Drama Series about Politics and Government. Saturday Night Live defeated last year's winner Veep for Best Comedy Series about Politics and Government. Chernobyl earned the award for Best Miniseries or Movie for Television about Politics and Government, unseating Black Mirror. The inaugural title of Best Talk Show went to Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. The Man in the High Castle displaced Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for Best Comedy, Drama, Miniseries, or Movie for Television about Fantastic and Futuristic Politics and Government. Finally, Coffee Party USA inaugurates Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer on Veep as Best Television President for 2018-2019 Season, replacing Kiefer Sutherland as Tom Kirkman on Designated Survivor, whose term expired. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all of our members and volunteers who voted for the best shows and performances about politics and government during the 2018-2019 television season.

With the 2018-2019 television season out of the way, the members and volunteers of Coffee Party USA will move on to the 2019-2020 television season. Watch for the posting of the shortlists for the show categories along with an invitation to stream them while staying safe at home. If you want to become one of the voters for this or future Golden Coffee Cups, such as for the best political movies of 2020, become a member. Voting will happen on a members-only Facebook group.

Coffee Party USA ia a 501c(4) nonprofit social welfare organization dedicated to empowering and connecting communities to reclaim our government for the people. To support its efforts, which include educating the public on our website and on our Facebook page, registering people to vote with our partners TurboVote and National Voter Registration Day, and reminding them to vote through our Voter Buddy program, please consider donating. A donation of $10.00 for ten years of Coffee Party USA is recommended. Ten dollars will also buy our partner stamp with Stamp Stampede to stamp money out of politics. For those who wish to give at a higher level of support and be more involved in the organization, please consider becoming a member, which will allow you to vote for future Golden Coffee Cup nominees and winners. To do the valuable work of the Coffee Party, volunteer. Not only will Coffee Party USA thank you for it, so will our democracy!

Follow over the jump for the nominees in each category.

Coffee Party USA announces the nominees for the 2018-2019 Golden Coffee Cups for television

At the end of May, Coffee Party USA invited its supporters to stream the political TV series on the Golden Coffee Cups shortlist while staying safe at home and asked them to become members so they could vote on the shortlist to determine the nominees. For the past three weeks, the members and volunteers of Coffee Party USA did that just as they did earlier this year for the Golden Coffee Cup movie nominees.

After the preliminary round of voting, Veep leads nominees with three nominations, followed by House of Cards, Madame Secretary, and The Handmaid's Tale with two each. All of the other 32 nominees have one nomination each.

Here are the nominees in six categories showcasing the best in politics and government on the small screen during the 2018-2019 television season.

Best Drama Series about Politics and Government

House of Cards
Killing Eve
Madam Secretary
Ozark
Succession
The Good Fight
The Handmaid's Tale

Four are repeats from last year, House of Cards, Madam Secretary, Ozark, and The Good Fight, while three, Killing Eve, Succession, and The Handmaid's Tale, are new, although The Handmaid's Tale was nominated last year for Best Comedy, Drama, Miniseries, or Movie for Television about Fantastic and Futuristic Politics and Government as it is again this year. Last year's winner, Mindhunter, was not eligible, so it didn't return. That means there will be a new winner in this category this year. Become a member so you can vote!

Best Comedy Series about Politics and Government

Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Drunk History
I Love You, America
Orange Is the New Black
Schitt's Creek
Saturday Night Live
Veep

Three of the nominees are repeats from last year, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Orange is the New Black, and returning winner Veep. Sketch variety shows were added to the category along with the comedy series, so Drunk History, I Love You, America, and Saturday Night Live became eligible this year. Joining the field is the Canadian comedy Schitt's Creek. Will Veep repeat for its final season? It's up to you, should you become a member.

Best Miniseries or Movie for Television about Politics and Government

A Very English Scandal
Black Mirror
Brexit
Chernobyl
Sharp Objects
When They See Us

Black Mirror is the returning winner. Do you think its episodes are still the best short movies about politics and government for television or should a new nominee take its place? Once again, it's up to you, should you become a member.

Best Talk Show

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Real Time with Bill Maher
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

This is a new category, so there is no obvious favorite. Which is yours? Join and vote!

Best Comedy, Drama, Miniseries, or Movie for Television about Fantastic and Futuristic Politics and Government

American Dad
Counterpart
Gotham
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Outlander
Star Trek: Discovery
The Handmaid's Tale
The Man in the High Castle
The Orville

Like last year, this category has the most nominees with nine. This year, it also has the most returning nominees with six, Gotham, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Outlander, Star Trek: Discovery, The Handmaid's Tale, and The Orville. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. won this category last year. Do you think it's the best speculative fiction series about politics and government or do you think one of the other nominees deserves the honor more? Join to make your opinion known!

Best Television President for 2018-2019 Season

Keith Carradine as President Conrad Dalton on "Madame Secretary"
Lynda Carter as President Olivia Marsdin on "Supergirl"
Michael Gaston as President Andrew Pickett on "Jack Ryan"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as President Selina Meyer on "Veep"
Andrea Savage as President Laura P. Montez on "Veep"
Robin Wright as President Claire Underwood on "House of Cards"

Only Julia Luis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer and Andea Savage as Laura P. Montez are returning from last year. That means that last year's winner, Kiefer Sutherland as Tom Kirkman on Designated Survivor, did not return either, so the members of Coffee Party USA will elect a new TV president, just as they will elect one in real life. Become one of us to vote!

The members and volunteers of Coffee Party USA will vote for their favorite nominees over the next two weeks, at the end of which Coffee Party USA will announce the winners on its blog and Facebook page. If you want to become one of the voters for this or future Golden Coffee Cups, become a member. Voting will happen on a members-only Facebook group.

Coffee Party USA ia a 501c(4) nonprofit social welfare organization dedicated to empowering and connecting communities to reclaim our government for the people. To support its efforts, which include educating the public on our website and on our Facebook page, registering people to vote with our partners TurboVote and National Voter Registration Day, and reminding them to vote through our Voter Buddy program, please consider donating. A donation of $10.00 for ten years of Coffee Party USA is recommended. Ten dollars will also buy our partner stamp with Stamp Stampede to stamp money out of politics. For those who wish to give at a higher level of support and be more involved in the organization, please consider becoming a member, which will allow you to vote for future Golden Coffee Cup nominees and winners. To do the valuable work of the Coffee Party, volunteer. Not only will Coffee Party USA thank you for it, so will the country!

Reposted and modified from the original at Coffee Party USA's blog.

Outstanding Drama Series nominees at the Emmys once again examine politics and government

I told my readers to "stay tuned for the Drama Series nominees tomorrow" at the end of 'Schitt's Creek' vs. 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' — Outstanding Comedy Series nominees that use politics and government for laughs, so, without any further ado, here are the nominations for drama series at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Drama Series

Better Call Saul (AMC)
The Crown (Netflix)
The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)
Killing Eve (BBC America)
The Mandalorian (Disney+)
Ozark (Netflix)
Stranger Things (Netflix)
Succession (HBO)

Watch 72nd Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Drama Series.

The nominees for Outstanding Drama Series are Better Call Saul, The Crown, The Handmaid's Tale, Killing Eve, The Mandalorian, Ozark, Stranger Things, and Succession.

As I have in the past two installments, I begin my commentary by being a good environmentalist and recycling.

The protagonists of "Better Call Saul" are lawyers, not government employees, but they work in courtrooms and deal with law enforcement, so a government function plays an important part in the show...."Succession" concentrate[s] on family dynamics...but politics and government contibute important, if secondary, plot elements...Rupert Murdoch and his children helped inspire the family in "Succession" and the Murdochs are as much about politics as they are about media.
...
Both the Galactic Republic and the remnants of the Galactic Empire, which will eventually become the First Order, appear in "The Mandalorian" with the agents of the government of the Dark Side promising to play an important part in the second season.
...
The rest of the nominees all deal with politics and government in some way, some more directly than others. "The Crown" continues its dramatization of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II with a new cast...

The same is true of the remaining nominees in the Emmy field. "Killing Eve" sets its tale of twisted romance inside a spy thriller. So does "Stranger Things," as the horror turns out to be part of a Soviet plot. "The Handmaid's Tale" is one of a dystopian theocratic future. Finally, "Ozark" plays lots of local politics.

I didn't say which nominee would win at the Television Critics Association (TCA) Awards, but I think it will be "Succession." It won Outstanding Achievement in Drama at the TCA Awards and both Drama Series and Drama Episode at the Gold Derby Awards. HBO has found a new awards favorite now that "Game of Thrones" is over.

Follow over the jump for the nominations for acting, directing, and writing.

Star Trek vs. Star Wars — futuristic politics and government at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards

I asked my readers for advice at the end of 'El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie' vs. 'Bad Education' and 'American Son' — Outstanding Television Movie nominees about crime and punishment at the Emmy Awards.

I plan on continuing the series tomorrow for the Sunday entertainment feature, although I'm torn between children's programming and animation on the one hand and music and dance nominees on the other. It's been a long time since I've asked for my readers to help me decide, but I'm feeling like asking now. Comments, anyone?

Last I checked, no one responded. It's just as well, because I decided overnight to combine the two ideas and convert the result into an examination of my two favorite science fiction franchises, Star Trek and Star Wars, both of which have two shows with nominations at the Emmy Awards and both of which explore politics and government in a futuristic setting.

I begin with sole nomination for "Star Wars Resistance," which I voted for at the Saturn Awards and which won Best Animated Series on Television.

Outstanding Children's Program
Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Netflix)
Star Wars Resistance (Disney Channel)
We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest (HBO)

All three nominees examine politics as both of the speculative fiction series have resistance in their titles and "We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest" has a social theme with a political dimension. With "Sesame Street" not being renominated in this category, the field is wide open. It should be no surprise that I am rooting for "Star Wars Resistance." It helps that it's the only returning nominee in this category. "Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance" had more and better buzz, so I expect it will win.

I already wrote about the Star Trek series nominated for a program award at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards in 'Short Treks,' '#FreeRayshawn,' and 'Reno 911!' — government in short form at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, so I'll be a good environmentalist and recycle.

Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series

Better Call Saul Employee Training: Legal Ethics with Kim Wexler (AMC.com)
The Good Place Presents: The Selection (NBC)
Most Dangerous Game (Quibi)
Reno 911! (Quibi)
Star Trek: Short Treks (CBS All Access)

Based on just the nominees for this category, I would have included "funny and futuristic government" in the title of this entry. The funny nominees about government are "Reno 911!," a Comedy Central series that has been revived on Quibi and "Better Call Saul Employee Training: Legal Ethics with Kim Wexler." The futuristic one is "Star Trek: Short Treks." As a Star Trek fan, I'm rooting for "Short Treks." However, I doubt either it or "Reno 911!" will win, even though "Reno 911!" has two nominations in this category and Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series. Instead, I think the other nominee for this category with a second nomination, "Most Dangerous Game," has the inside track to win the Emmy.

Now for the acting nominations for "The Mandalorian" at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

Jason Bateman as Terry Maitland on The Outsider (Episode: "Fish in a Barrel") (HBO)
James Cromwell as Ewan Roy on Succession (Episode: "Dundee") (HBO)
Giancarlo Esposito as Moff Gideon on The Mandalorian (Episode: "Chapter 8: Redemption") (Disney+)
Ron Cephas Jones as William Hill on This Is Us (Episode: "After the Fire") (NBC)
Andrew Scott as Chris Gillhaney on Black Mirror (Episode: "Smithereens") (Netflix)
Martin Short as Dick Lundy on The Morning Show (Episode: "Chaos Is the New Cocaine") (Apple TV+)

I've been impressed with Giancarlo Esposito ever since I watched him play the antagonist in Revolution eight years ago. He was even more scary now and promises to be a great villain for season 2. That written, I was even more impressed by Jason Bateman as Terry Maitland in "The Outsider," so I think he will win instead.

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance

Hank Azaria as Professor Frink, Moe, Chief Wiggum, Carl, Cletus, Kirk and Sea Captain on The Simpsons (Episode: "Frinkcoin") (Fox) Nancy Cartwright as Bart Simpson, Nelson, Ralph and Todd on The Simpsons (Episode: "Better Off Ned") (Fox) Leslie Odom Jr. as Owen on Central Park (Episode: "Episode One") (Apple TV+) Maya Rudolph as Connie the Hormone Monstress on Big Mouth (Episode: "How to Have an Orgasm") (Netflix) Wanda Sykes as Gladys on Crank Yankers (Episode: "Bobby Brown, Wanda Sykes & Kathy Griffin") (Comedy Central) Taika Waititi as IG-11 on The Mandalorian (Episode: "Chapter 8: Redemption") (Disney+)

Taika Waititi's droid voice expressed a lot for a robot supposedly devoid of emotion. Even so, he's up against a lot of veteran voice actors and bigger name actors and comedians, so he's facing an uphill battle. Out of that field, I am rooting for Maya Rudolph in her third nomination, but I expect it will be Hank Azaria or Nancy Cartwright, who have been voicing their characters on "The Simpsons" for 30 years.

Follow over the jump for the technical awards nominations for both "The Mandalorian" and "Star Trek: Picard."

Coffee Party USA invites you to stream the political TV series on the Golden Coffee Cups shortlist while staying safe at home

Hey, all of you binge-watching your guilty pleasure shows while staying safe at home, relaxing after working from home, returning for work after wearing a mask all day, or just stressed out from the real world! I have another suggestion to make your time in front of the big-screen TV in the living room, the slightly smaller screen in the bedroom, or even holding your tablet or smartphone work to help your appreciation of politics and government on television and then apply your understanding to help Coffee Party USA in one of our projects.

Last month, Coffee Party USA invited you to watch these political movies while staying safe at home, which led to the 2019 Coffee Party Entertainment Awards for movies, AKA the Golden Coffee Cups for Movies. It is now time for the next phase of these awards.

The members will also be voting on the nominees and winners of the Golden Coffee Cups for television programs and their performers that demonstrate the best in politics and government on the small screen. Watch for an announcement of the shortlist of possible nominees from the 2018-2019 television season and an invitation to watch them next week, much like Coffee Party USA invites you to watch these political movies while staying safe at home, followed by the nominees of the 2019-2020 season in the summer.

Follow over the jump to read the shortlists for television shows in five categories along with a two-part activity involving them.

Politics and government on television at the 2020 WGA Awards for National Screenwriters Day

Happy National Screenwriters Day!  Two years ago, I celebrated by looking at the science and speculative fiction among WGA film nominees.  This year, I'm observing the day by highlighting the television nominees about politics and government at the Writers Guild of America (WGA) Awards.*  It turns out that many of the categories have nominees examine one or both.  With no further ado, here they are with my commentary and handicapping.

DRAMA SERIES

The Crown, Written by James Graham, David Hancock, Peter Morgan; Netflix

The Handmaid’s Tale, Written by Marissa Jo Cerar, Yahlin Chang, Nina Fiore, Dorothy Fortenberry, Jacey Heldrich, John Herrera, Lynn Renee Maxcy, Bruce Miller, Kira Snyder, Eric Tuchman; Hulu

Mindhunter, Written by Pamela Cederquist, Joshua Donen, Marcus Gardley, Shaun Grant, Liz Hannah, Phillip Howze, Jason Johnson, Doug Jung, Colin J. Louro, Alex Metcalf, Courtenay Miles, Dominic Orlando, Joe Penhall, Ruby Rae Spiegel; Netflix

Succession, Written by Jesse Armstrong, Alice Birch, Jon Brown, Jonathan Glatzer, Cord Jefferson, Mary Laws, Lucy Prebble, Georgia Pritchett, Tony Roche, Gary Shteyngart, Susan Soon He Stanton, Will Tracy; HBO

Watchmen, Written by Lila Byock, Nick Cuse, Christal Henry, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Cord Jefferson, Jeff Jensen, Claire Kiechel, Damon Lindelof, Janine Nabers, Stacy Osei-Kuffour, Tom Spezialy, Carly Wray; HBO

Every single Drama Series nominee at the WGA Awards is about politics and government, whether historical, as in "The Crown" and "Mindhunter," fantastic and futuristic, like "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Watchmen, or contemporary but completely fictional, such as "Succession," which is primarily about family dynamics within a business, but has political elements.  While my personal favorite is "Mindhunter" because it won Best Drama Series about Politics and Government at the 2017-2018 Golden Coffee Cups for television, I don't think it will win.  Instead, one of the three series that also have nominations for Episodic Drama, "The Crown" and "Succession," or New Series, "Watchmen," have the inside track.  Of the three, I'd say "Succession" would be the betting favorite, as the series won Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series at last season's Emmy Awards.

EPISODIC DRAMA

“407 Proxy Authentication Required” (Mr. Robot), Written by Sam Esmail; USA Network

“A Good Man is Hard to Find” (Ray Donovan), Written by Joshua Marston; Showtime

“Mirror Mirror” (The OA), Written by Dominic Orlando & Claire Kiechel; Netflix

“Moondust” (The Crown), Written by Peter Morgan; Netflix

“Our Little Island Girl” (This Is Us), Written by Eboni Freeman; NBC

“Tern Haven” (Succession), Written by Will Tracy; HBO

In addition to "Succession" and "The Crown," "Mr. Robot" is the political series nominee.  Just like Drama Series, I think the favorite is "Succession."

Now for the lighter side of scripted television.

COMEDY SERIES

Barry, Written by Alec Berg, Duffy Boudreau, Bill Hader, Emily Heller, Jason Kim, Taofik Kolade, Elizabeth Sarnoff; HBO

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Written by Kate Fodor, Noah Gardenswartz, Daniel Goldfarb, Alison Leiby, Dan Palladino, Sono Patel, Amy Sherman-Palladino, Jordan Temple; Prime Video

PEN15, Written by Jeff Chan, Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle, Gabe Liedman, Stacy Osei-Kuffour, Andrew Rhymer, Jessica Watson, Sam Zvibleman; Hulu

Russian Doll, Written by Jocelyn Bioh, Flora Birnbaum, Cirocco Dunlap, Leslye Headland, Natasha Lyonne, Amy Poehler, Tami Sagher, Allison Silverman; Netflix

Veep, Written by Gabrielle Allan-Greenberg, Rachel Axler, Emilia Barrosse, Ted Cohen, Jennifer Crittenden, Alex Gregory, Steve Hely, Peter Huyck, Erik Kenward, Billy Kimball, David Mandel, Ian Maxtone-Graham, Dan Mintz, Lew Morton, Dan O'Keefe, Georgia Pritchett, Leila Strachan; HBO

While I'm rooting for "Veep" to win because it holds the Golden Coffee Cup for Best Comedy Series about Politics and Government, I don't think it will.  "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" is the returning winner and also has a nomination for Episodic Comedy.  That wouldn't be a total loss for the topic of politics and government, as the show makes political points in addition to its many social points (I'm starting to see how "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" does to entertainment what "Mad Men" did for advertising) and Midge goes on a USO tour this season.  Remember, the government includes the military, so supporting our troops helps the government.

EPISODIC COMEDY

“Here’s Where We Get Off” (Orange Is the New Black), Written by Jenji Kohan; Netflix

“It’s Comedy or Cabbage” (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Written by Amy Sherman-Palladino; Prime Video

“Nice Knowing You” (Living With Yourself), Written by Timothy Greenberg; Netflix

“Pilot” (Dead to Me), Written by Liz Feldman; Netflix

“The Stinker Thinker” (On Becoming a God in Central Florida), Written by Robert F. Funke & Matt Lutsky; Showtime

“Veep” (Veep), Written by David Mandel; HBO

In addition to "Veep" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," "Orange Is the New Black" is the show about politics and government among the nominees.  Its final season was very political, as it not only looked at the politics of private prisons, but focused on how they are used to detain undocumented immigrants prior to deportation.  Of the three, I think "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" is the favorite, but either "Veep" or "Dead To Me" could pull off an upset.  "Orange Is the New Black" should just be happy to be nominated at these award, but should look forward to Emmy nominations next summer.

Speaking of "Dead to Me," it's also nominated in the next category.

NEW SERIES

Dead To Me, Written by Rebecca Addelman, Njeri Brown, Liz Feldman, Kelly Hutchinson, Anthony King, Emma Rathbone, Kate Robin, Abe Sylvia; Netflix

PEN15, Written by Jeff Chan, Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle, Gabe Liedman, Stacy Osei-Kuffour, Andrew Rhymer, Jessica Watson, Sam Zvibleman; Hulu

Russian Doll, Written by Jocelyn Bioh, Flora Birnbaum, Cirocco Dunlap, Leslye Headland, Natasha Lyonne, Amy Poehler, Tami Sagher, Allison Silverman; Netflix

Watchmen, Written by Lila Byock, Nick Cuse, Christal Henry, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Cord Jefferson, Jeff Jensen, Claire Kiechel, Damon Lindelof, Janine Nabers, Stacy Osei-Kuffour, Tom Spezialy, Carly Wray; HBO

What We Do in the Shadows, Written by Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain, Jemaine Clement, Josh Lieb, Iain Morris, Stefani Robinson, Duncan Sarkies, Marika Sawyer, Tom Scharpling, Paul Simms,Taika Waititi; FX Networks

The sole political nominee is "Watchmen," which is also a speculative fiction series.  That means I'm rooting for it twice over.  However, I'm not as confident about it winning.  "Dead To Me," "PEN15," and "Russian Doll" all have two nominations and so I think they have just as much likelihood of taking home the trophy, if not more.  Of all of them, "Russian Doll" would be my second choice, as it's a Saturn Award nominee for Best Streaming Fantasy, Sci-Fi, or Action/Thriller Television Series.  However, I suspect "Dead To Me" will win.  As for the third speculative fiction nominee, "What We Do in the Shadows," which earned a nomination for Best Streaming Horror and Thriller Series at the 2019 Saturn Awards, it should also be satisfied just being nominated.

Now for movies and limited series.

ORIGINAL LONG FORM

Chernobyl, Written by Craig Mazin; HBO

The Terror: Infamy, Written by Max Borenstein, Alessandra DiMona, Shannon Goss, Steven Hanna, Naomi Iizuka, Benjamin Klein, Danielle Roderick, Tony Tost, Alexander Woo; AMC

Togo, Written by Tom Flynn; Disney+

True Detective, Written by Alessandra DiMona, Graham Gordy, Gabriel Hobson, David Milch, Nic Pizzolatto; HBO

"Chernobyl," "The Terror: Infamy," and "True Detective" are all examine politics and government, "Chernobyl" the eponymous nuclear disaster, "The Terror: Infamy" Japanese internment during World War II, "True Detective" police work.  All things being equal, I'd root for "The Terror: Infamy" because it is also speculative fiction (horror), but all things are not equal. "Chernobyl" won ten Emmy Awards including Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special
, so I think it's the odds-on favorite.

ADAPTED LONG FORM

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, Written by Vince Gilligan; Netflix

Fosse/Verdon, Written by Debora Cahn, Joel Fields, Ike Holter, Thomas Kail, Steven Levenson, Charlotte Stoudt, Tracey Scott Wilson, Based on the book Fosse by Sam Wasson; FX Networks

The Loudest Voice, Written by John Harrington Bland, Laura Eason, Tom McCarthy, Alex Metcalf, Gabriel Sherman, Jennifer Stahl, Based on the Book The Loudest Voice in the Room and the New York Magazine Articles by Gabriel Sherman; Showtime

Unbelievable, Written by Michael Chabon, Susannah Grant, Becky Mode, Jennifer Schuur, Ayelet Waldman, Based on the Pro Publica & The Marshall Project article “An Unbelievable Story of Rape” and This American Life radio episode “Anatomy of Doubt;” Netflix

"The Loudest Voice" relates the story of Roger Ailes and Fox News, while "Unbelievable" is an examination of the criminal justice system, among other things, so it's about government.  In it's own take on crime and punishment, so is "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie," albeit from the criminals' side, not the government's or victims'.  Of all of them, I'm rooting for "The Loudest Voice."  However, I think "Fosse/Verdon" is the favorite with "El Camino" my choice for an upset.

Follow over the jump for the rest of the nominees.

'Game of Thrones,' 'Ozark,' 'Killing Eve,' and 'Succession'—drama series winners examine political intrigue

"Veep" wasn't the only program to receive a farewell tribute at the Emmy Awards for its final season.  "Game of Thrones" did as well.  Watch A Tribute To Game Of Thrones.

Seth Meyers introduces a tribute to the end of Game of Thrones.

Also like "Veep," the "Game Of Thrones" cast presented an award, in this case Supporting Actress In Limited Series Or Movie.

The Game of Thrones cast takes the stage to present the award for Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.

To see how that award turned out, read 'Chernobyl' dominates Limited Series with ten Emmy Awards.

The similarities end there, for unlike "Veep," "Game of Thrones" repeated its Emmy Awards from last year, earning two for the night and a total of twelve for the season.  I called both of them in Outstanding Drama Series Emmy nominees examine politics and family dynamics, beginning with Outstanding Drama Series, writing "I'm sure "Game of Thrones" will win this award one last time, repeating last year's victory."  Watch Game Of Thrones Wins Best Drama Series.

Game of Thrones takes home the Emmy for Best Drama Series.

Congratulations!

As for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, I didn't even bother assessing the chances of the other nominees, writing "Peter Dinklage won this award last year and I think he'll win again this year, so off to the next category."  I took a risk being so dismissive of the other nominees, but I was right to do so as he won.  Watch Peter Dinklage Wins Emmy For Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series.

Peter Dinklage Wins Emmy For Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series For Tyrion Lannister in Season 8 Emmys 2019.

I support that message from Dinklage, especially since I've made a point of emphasizing the importance and portrayal of acceptance and diversity in entertainment.  His speech came up in Emmy Winners for 'Game of Thrones' Full Press Room Speeches from The Hollywood Reporter.

'Game of Thrones' won Outstanding Drama Series and Peter Dinklage won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the 2019 Emmy Awards. Watch their full press room interviews here!

Mark Kelly, brother of Scott Kelly, the subject of "A Year in Space," himself a subject of "Beyond a Year in Space," and candidate for U.S. Senate in Arizona, guessed 90% of the ending?  I'm impressed.  I'm also impressed that Kit Harington was able to handle the final question about the controversy around the ending as well as he did.  Congratulations to Harington and the rest of the crew and good luck on their future endeavors in show business!

In addition to "Game of Thrones," other Emmy winners in drama also tackled themes involving government and politics, particularly "Ozark," "Killing Eve," and "Succession," while "Pose" examined social issues.  Follow over the jump for their awards.