'Schitt's Creek' vs. 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' — Outstanding Comedy Series nominees that use politics and government for laughs

I told my readers first in 'Watchmen' vs. 'Mrs. America' and 'Unbelievable' — limited series at the 2020 Emmy Awards that examine politics and government and then repeated in Talk like Redd for Talk Like A Pirate Day, "stay tuned for the comedy series nominees at the Emmy Awards." Without any further ado, here are the nominations for comedy series at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Comedy Series

Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
Dead to Me (Netflix)
The Good Place (NBC)
Insecure (HBO)
The Kominsky Method (Netflix)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video)
Schitt's Creek (Pop TV)
What We Do in the Shadows (FX)

This is one of the two most prestigious categories for programs, so the Television Academy uploaded a video announcing its nominations. Watch 72nd Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Comedy Series.

The nominees for Outstanding Comedy Series are Curb Your Enthusiasm, Dead To Me, The Good Place, Insecure, The Kaminsky Method, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Schitt's Creek, and What We Do in the Shadows.

I begin by being a good environmentalist and recycling what I wrote about the equivalent category in 'Watchmen' and 'Unbelievable' lead nominees about politics and government at the 2020 Television Critics Association Awards.

The Mayor of "Schitt's Creek" is an important supporting character and the female lead, Catherine O'Hara as Moira Rose, runs for town council and wins the seat...As the Television Critics Association notes, "The Good Place" won last year, but it's contending with Program of the Year nominee "Schitt's Creek" for this award. As I mentioned yesterday, both completed their final seasons, so that makes them even in that regard. As much as I want "The Good Place" to win, I suspect "Schitt's Creek" will unseat it in this category. As for the rest of the nominees, "Insecure" deals with race and other social issues, so it's the most political, while the protagonists of "Dead to Me" are dealing with the police among their many misadventures. "What We Do in the Shadows" is not political, but it is the other speculative fiction nominee besides "The Good Place" with its comedy vampires.

As I predicted, "Schitt's Creek" won the equivalent category at the Televsion Critics Assocation (TCA) Awards. It also won both Comedy Series and Comedy Episode at the Gold Derby Awards. So far "Schitt's Creek" has also won one Emmy Award for Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series, which bodes well for the acting categories. Based on those wins, I'm convinced that "Schitt's Creek" is the prohibitive favorite.

The most political of the rest of the field other than "Insecure" is "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," which has ventured more into government and politically charged social issues in its third season, even though it's still primarily about show business. It was not nominated at the TCA Awards and won no awards at the Gold Derby Awards, losing to "Schitt's Creek" in six of seven categories, losing in the seventh to "The Good Place." However, it does have two Creative Arts Emmy Awards, so the series won't walk away empty-handed. On the other hand, none of the rest of the comedy series nominees have won any Emmy Awards yet, having run into "The Mandalorian," which competed in many of the same categories and won five Creative Arts Emmy Awards so far.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Anthony Anderson as Andre "Dre" Johnson, Sr. on Black-ish (Episode: "Love, Boat") (ABC) Don Cheadle as Maurice "Mo" Monroe on Black Monday (Episode: "Who Are You Supposed to Be?") (Showtime) Ted Danson as Michael on The Good Place (Episode: "Whenever You're Ready") (NBC) Michael Douglas as Sandy Kominsky on The Kominsky Method (Episode: "Chapter 12: A Libido Sits in the Fridge") (Netflix) Eugene Levy as Johnny Rose on Schitt's Creek (Episode: "The Pitch") (Pop TV) Ramy Youssef as Ramy Hassan on Ramy (Episode: "You Are Naked in Front of Your Sheikh") (Hulu)

Watch the Television Academy's 72nd Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

The nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series are Anthony Anderson, Don Cheadle, Ted Danson, Michael Douglas, Eugene Levy, and Ramy Youssef.

I think the favorite is Eugene Levy who won the equivalent category at the Gold Derby Awards and has two Emmy Awards already for writing. His main competition is Ramy Youssef, who won a Golden Globe and earned a TCA Award nomination for this role in a show, that like "Insecure," deals with political and social issues. As much as I want to root for Ted Danson from "The Good Place," I think two-time Oscar winner Michael Douglas and Golden Globe winner and Oscar nominee Don Cheadle are better bets. Finally, I expect Anthony Anderson will once again be the best man and not the groom as he loses again.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Christina Applegate as Jen Harding on Dead to Me (Episode: "It's Not You, It's Me") (Netflix)
Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam "Midge" Maisel on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "A Jewish Girl Walks Into the Apollo...") (Prime Video)
Linda Cardellini as Judy Hale on Dead to Me (Episode: "If Only You Knew") (Netflix)
Catherine O'Hara as Moira Rose on Schitt's Creek (Episode: "The Incident") (Pop TV)
Issa Rae as Issa Dee on Insecure (Episode: "Lowkey Happy") (HBO)
Tracee Ellis Ross as Dr. Rainbow "Bow" Johnson on Black-ish (Episode: "Kid Life Crisis") (ABC)

Watch 72nd Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

The nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series are Christina Applegate, Rachel Brosnahan, Linda Cardellini, Catherine O’Hara, Issa Rae, and Tracee Ellis Ross.

Once again, I kick off my observations by recycling from 'Watchmen' and 'Unbelievable' lead nominees about politics and government at the 2020 Television Critics Association Awards.

My pick would be Catherine O'Hara, who has multiple Emmy nominations and one win, albeit as a writer. Her main competition consists of...Christina Applegate, multiple Golden Globe and Emmy nominee with one Emmy win [and] Issa Rae, Golden Globe and Emmy nominee...

I would add Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam "Midge" Maisel in "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" as the only Emmy winner for the same role as O'Hara's competition ahead of Applegate, Rae, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Linda Cardellini, although Ross does have a Golden Globe to her credit.

Follow over the jump for the acting categories I covered in It's Saturday night, so here are the 15 Emmy nominations for 'Saturday Night Live' and the nominated talent behind the camera.

'Watchmen' and 'Unbelievable' lead nominees about politics and government at the 2020 Television Critics Association Awards

At the end of It's Saturday night, so here are the 15 Emmy nominations for 'Saturday Night Live', I told my readers, "I'm shifting focus to the Television Critics Association Awards for tomorrow's Sunday Entertainment feature. Stay tuned." It's tomorrow, so here is the summary paragraph from the 2020 TCA Award Nominations.

“Watchmen” and “Unbelievable” lead all programs with four nominations apiece and find themselves in direct competition in three out of four categories. “Watchmen” seeks to secure wins for Outstanding New Program, as well as for series star Regina King who will face off against “Unbelievable” standouts Kaitlyn Dever and Merrit Wever in the Individual Achievement In Drama category. The two series will meet again as they vie for accolades in Outstanding Achievement In Movie Or Miniseries and the prestigious Program Of The Year award.

Both "Watchmen" and "Unbelievable" examine politics and government through the lens of law enforcement. "Watchmen" views crime and punishment using a fantastic and futuristic perspective (even though it takes place in 2019, it's not our 2019), while "Unbelievable" based its story on real events. They're not alone, as all of the nominees for Program of the Year have politics and government as important, if not central components, of their plots and settings.

PROGRAM OF THE YEAR
"Better Call Saul" – AMC
“Mrs. America” – FX on Hulu
“Schitt’s Creek” – Pop TV
“Succession” – HBO
“Unbelievable” – Netflix
“Watchmen” – HBO

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. "Mrs. America" explicitly portrays actual politicians and activists, so it is expressly about politics and government. Finally, both "Schitt's Creek" and "Succession" concentrate on family dynamics, "Schitt's Creek" as comedy and "Succession" as drama, but politics and government contibute important, if secondary, plot elements. The Mayor of "Schitt's Creek" is an important supporting character and the female lead, Catherine O'Hara as Moira Rose, runs for town council and wins the seat. Rupert Murdoch and his children helped inspire the family in "Succession" and the Murdochs are as much about politics as they are about media. As I wrote above, all the nominees for Program of the Year portray politics and government in some way. As for which will win, I'm hoping it's "Watchmen," the one speculative fiction nominee, but it could just as easily be "Unbelievable."

"Watchmen" is also nominated in the next category.

OUTSTANDING NEW PROGRAM
"The Great" – Hulu
"The Mandalorian" – Disney+
"The Morning Show" – AppleTV+
"Never Have I Ever" – Netflix
"Watchmen" – HBO
"Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist" – NBC

"The Great" is the other series primarily about politics and government among the nominees for Outstanding New Program besides "Watchmen." It portrays the story of Empress Catherine the Great of Russia as a comedy. 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 Morning Show" and "Never Have I Ever" examine social issues, the former through the news and the latter in an immigrant family, but both have political issues making cameo appearances. "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist" is probably the least political of all the nominees in this category, but it has a strong fantasy element, making it the third speculative fiction contender for this award alongside "The Mandalorian" and "Watchmen." The Star Wars fan in me would like to see "The Mandalorian" win, but I think "Watchmen" will win instead. I won't be disappointed if it does. As for "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist," it has already won an Emmy for Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming," the one category in which the show was nominated. Congratulations!

Two nominees for Program of the Year earned nominations in the next category.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
"Better Call Saul" – AMC (2019 Winner in Category)
“The Crown” – Netflix
“Euphoria” – HBO
"The Good Fight" - CBS All Access
"Pose" – FX
"Succession" – HBO

How helpful of the Television Critics Association to remind everyone that "Better Call Saul" was last year's winner! It saved me the trouble. Its main competition will likely be the other Program of the Year nominee "Succession." 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 Good Fight" resumed this season with less of a focus on resisting Trump and more on other political issues. While it made for a refreshing change of subject, I thought the season was the weakest so far. It didn't help that the final episode ended on a dick joke about Jeffrey Epstein. Yes, really. "Pose" explores the politics around the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. "Euphoria" is the least overtly political of the nominees, but the setting is East Highland High School, a public institution, so a government facility is the setting. Remember, public education, like law enforcement and the military, is part of government.

One of the nominees in the next category is also a nominee for Program of the Year and it's competing against a returning winner.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
"Better Things" – FX
"Dead to Me" – Netflix
"The Good Place" - NBC (2018 Winner in Category)
"Insecure" – HBO
"Schitt's Creek" – Pop TV
"What We Do in the Shadows" – FX

As the Television Critics Association notes, "The Good Place" won last year, but it's contending with Program of the Year nominee "Schitt's Creek" for this award. As I mentioned yesterday, both completed their final seasons, so that makes them even in that regard. As much as I want "The Good Place" to win, I suspect "Schitt's Creek" will unseat it in this category. As for the rest of the nominees, "Insecure" deals with race and other social issues, so it's the most political, while the protagonists of "Dead to Me" are dealing with the police among their many misadventures. "What We Do in the Shadows" is not political, but it is the other speculative fiction nominee besides "The Good Place" with its comedy vampires. As for "Better Things," it's a show about show business. If the actors and other Hollywood professionals were voting for these awards, it would stand a better chance. Instead, the critics are, so it doesn't have that built-in advantage.

The two most nominated shows face off in the next category, along with another Program of the Year nominee.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIE OR MINISERIES
“Little Fires Everywhere” – Hulu
"Mrs. America" – FX on Hulu
"Normal People" – Hulu
"The Plot Against America" – HBO
"Unbelievable" – Netflix
"Watchmen" – HBO

I've already described how "Mrs. America," "Unbelievable," and "Watchmen" portray politics and government, so I'll move on to the other nominees. The most political is "The Plot Against America" about "an alternative history in which Franklin D. Roosevelt was defeated in the U.S. presidential election of 1940 by Charles Lindbergh." Like "Watchmen," that qualifies it as political speculative fiction. "Little Fires Everywhere" explores social issues and includes a trial at the climax of the series, so a government function becomes a critical plot point. "Normal People," about an Irish couple, is probably the least political of the field. As for the winner, I'll repeat what I wrote for Program of the Year, "I'm hoping it's 'Watchmen'...but it could just as easily be 'Unbelievable.'" It could even be "Mrs. America" as a spoiler.

Follow over the jump for the rest of the nominees.

It's Saturday night, so here are the 15 Emmy nominations for 'Saturday Night Live'

For National Presidential Joke Day, I presented the variety talk show nominees at the Emmy Awards. I could just as easily have written about the variety sketch series nominees, as they also make jokes about President Trump. On that note, here are the nominations for Saturday Night Live and its competitors in that category from Wikipedia.

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series

A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO)
Drunk History (Comedy Central)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Last year, "Saturday Night Live" led sketch variety series nominees with 18 Emmy nominations. This year, it has 15. In contrast, both "A Black Lady Sketch Show" and "Drunk History" have three and "At Home with Amy Sedaris" has one, which was not in this category. That's something of a snub. The favorite is SNL, which won six Emmy Awards last year, including this category, and the year before, so I expect the result will be the same; SNL will win.

SNL also has supporting acting nominations, which will be awarded at the Primetime Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Mahershala Ali as Sheikh Ali Malik on Ramy (Episode: "Little Omar") (Hulu)
Alan Arkin as Norman Newlander on The Kominsky Method (Episode: "Chapter 14: A Secret Leaks, a Teacher Speaks") (Netflix)
Andre Braugher as Captain Ray Holt on Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Episode: "Ransom") (NBC)
Sterling K. Brown as Reggie on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "Panty Pose") (Prime Video)
William Jackson Harper as Chidi Anagonye on The Good Place (Episode: "Whenever You're Ready") (NBC)
Dan Levy as David Rose on Schitt's Creek (Episode: "Happy Ending") (Pop TV)
Tony Shalhoub as Abe Weissman on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "Marvelous Radio") (Prime Video)
Kenan Thompson as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "At Home #2") (NBC)

Last year, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" swept the supporting and guest acting categoris for comedies, so Tony Shalhoub is the nominal favorite. Two things work against it repeating, both here and in the next category. First, the series has two nominees that could split the vote, returning winner Shalhoub and former drama winner Sterling K. Brown. Only if the voters think one is clearly better and settle on him will it help one of them win. Second, this was the final season of "Schitt's Creek," which will only help Dan Levy. Other strong contenders are two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali and Oscar winner Alan Arkin. One of them will win, leaving both Kenan Thompson and my personal favorite, William Jackson Harper of "The Good Place," which also had its final season, out in the cold. Phooey and sorry.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Alex Borstein as Susie Myerson on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "Marvelous Radio") (Prime Video)
D'Arcy Carden as Janet on The Good Place (Episode: "You've Changed, Man") (NBC)
Betty Gilpin as Debbie "Liberty Bell" Eagan on GLOW (Episode: "A Very GLOW Christmas") (Netflix)
Marin Hinkle as Rose Weissman on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "A Jewish Girl Walks Into the Apollo...") (Prime Video)
Kate McKinnon as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Daniel Craig") (NBC)
Annie Murphy as Alexis Rose on Schitt's Creek (Episode: "The Presidential Suite") (Pop TV)
Yvonne Orji as Molly Carter on Insecure (Episode: "Lowkey Lost") (HBO)
Cecily Strong as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Eddie Murphy") (NBC)

Alex Borstein won last year and the year before, so she's the favorite. She competed against Marin Hinkle last year as well, so I'm not worried about vote splitting. She also doesn't have to contend with Oscar winner Olivia Colman. My guess for strongest competition for Borstein is Annie Murphy as Alexis Rose in "Schitt's Creek" for the same reason I think Dan Levy is a strong contender for supporting actor in a comedy series; the series has ended. As for the rest of the field, it's also strong. I'm happy D'Arcy Carden earned a nomination for playing Janet on "The Good Place," but that's as far as it goes. I'm also happy Cecily Strong earned a slot alongside repeat nominee and past winner Kate McKinnon. She played both Tulsi Gabbard and Jeanine Pirro in the same episode, clips from which I included in SNL has fun with the December Democratic debate and impeachment. Both performances were hilarious.

Now for the acting nominations recognized at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Adam Driver as Host on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Adam Driver") (NBC)
Luke Kirby as Lenny Bruce on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "It's Comedy or Cabbage") (Prime Video)
Eddie Murphy as Host on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Eddie Murphy") (NBC)
Dev Patel as Joshua on Modern Love (Episode: "When Cupid Is a Prying Journalist") (Prime Video)
Brad Pitt as Dr. Anthony Fauci on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "SNL at Home #2") (NBC)
Fred Willard as Frank Dunphy on Modern Family (Episode: "Legacy") (ABC)

SNL has three nominees in this category, Adam Driver, Eddie Murphy, and Brad Pitt. The two strongest are Murphy and Pitt, whose nominated performance I used to open SNL at Home on last week's coronavirus news. That alone is enough to get me to root for him. However, he has tough competition. Luke Kirby won for playing Lenny Bruce on "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" last year, so he's the nominal favorite. Also, Fred Willard passed away, so he might earn a sympathy vote in tribute. Dev Patel is also a talented actor, so I have to mention him.

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

Angela Bassett as Mo on A Black Lady Sketch Show (Episode: "Angela Bassett Is the Baddest B***h") (HBO)
Bette Midler as Hadassah Gold on The Politician (Episode: "Vienna") (Netflix)
Maya Rudolph as The Judge on The Good Place (Episode: "You've Changed, Man") (NBC)
Maya Rudolph as Senator Kamala Harris on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Eddie Murphy") (NBC)
Wanda Sykes as Moms Mabley on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "A Jewish Girl Walks Into the Apollo...") (Prime Video)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Host on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Phoebe Waller-Bridge") (NBC)

On the one hand, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" won this category last year. On the other, the Emmy went to a different actress in a different role, so I'm not considering Wanda Sykes as Moms Mabley to be the nominal favorite, as talented as Sykes is. That means that someone else actually has a good shot at winning. My personal favorite is Maya Rudolph as The Judge on "The Good Place," but she also earned a nomination for playing Kamala Harris crashing the December Democratic debate. I'd prefer her winning as The Judge, but I'll take her carrying home an Emmy for either performance. I just hope vote-splitting doesn't hurt her chances.

As for the rest of the competition, it's pretty stiff. Phoebe Waller-Bridge won last year as an actress, producer, and writer for "Fleabag," so she's a contender, although her roles on SNL were not as memorable as Rudolph's Harris. This is the second Emmy nomination this season for Oscar nominee Angela Bassett, the other being for Outstanding Narrator. Finally, Bette Midler is a two-time Oscar nominee and multiple Grammy winner. I can't count any of them out.

Follow over the jump for the rest of SNL's nominations.

Television Academy pays farewell tribute to 'Veep' while other comedies win Emmy Awards

Speaking of big winners, "Game of Thrones" took home the most Emmy Awards with a full dozen.  I'll see if I can manage to write up its wins as well as those of the other dramas tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

That was the plan I announced yesterday to conclude 'Chernobyl' dominates Limited Series with ten Emmy Awards.  However, I meant it when I wrote "I'll see if I can manage" to follow through; there was always a possibility I wasn't up for it for one reason or another.  So it shouldn't surprise my readers that I decided I would rather tackle "Veep" and the other Outstanding Comedy Series nominees today and save the Outstanding Drama Series nominees tomorrow for a big finish to the series.  At least I'm blogging about the Emmy Awards.

I begin by noting that the Emmy Awards paid tribute to "Veep" with a montage of the funniest scenes followed by a skit featuring the actors in character on last time.

The Emmys says farewell to the VEEP.

Yes, the bit doubled as the lead-in for an award.  That's what happens when an awards show has no host.

Before the show, Julia Louis-Dreyfus talked about the end Of Veep on the red carpet and admitted she was nervous.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus talks about ending Veep and what's to come.

She was right to be nervous; neither she nor the rest of the cast and its writers won a single award.  I wasn't surprised.  I wrote "The final season of "Veep" will have to be content with its Golden Coffee Cup for Best Comedy Series about Politics and Government."  That was premature.  "Veep" won for its sixth season; its final season will be eligible for the next awards, as I noted in August.

In this category, both the professionals and the Coffee Party's volunteers agreed; "Veep" was the best political comedy of 2017.  It will be around to defend its award in the next round, as the show's final season is eligible for 2018-2019, just as it is for this year's Emmy Awards.  Its toughest competition will probably be "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" — all of our volunteers have NBC, but not all watch HBO.

It might be the final award for the show proper should it win (the actors and others may have better chances at individual awards).  As I wrote in September, "I'm not even sure the Golden Globes will deliver for ['Veep' and 'The Good Place']; they were the first to jump on the bandwagon for 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' and might prefer 'Fleabag' or 'Schitt's Creek' over either."

One last time, farewell to "Veep."  Follow over the jump for the winners.

Outstanding Comedy Series nominees at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards include "Veep," a political comedy

"Stay tuned," I told my readers at the end of Outstanding Drama Series Emmy nominees examine politics and family dynamics as "I should have one more nomination post for comedies."  Since the awards will be given out tonight, I have only a few hours to write this post, so here goes.

First, watch 71st Nominees: Outstanding Comedy Series from the Television Academy.

The Nominees for Outstanding Comedy Series are Barry, Fleabag, The Good Place, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Russian Doll, Schitt's Creek, and Veep.

Before I add any original commentary on this category, I will be a good environmentalist and recycle what I wrote about it in Nine Emmy nominations for 'Veep' on National Veep Day.

"Veep" will have very stiff competition for its nominations, particularly from "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," which won eight Emmy Awards last year and is nominated for twenty this year, the most of any comedy both seasons.  It is contending with "Veep" for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series, Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series, Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series, where it has two nominees to one for "Veep," and Outstanding Casting For A Comedy Series, and is the returning winner in four of them, Comedy Series, Lead Actress, Supporting Actress, and Casting.  There are other match-ups to watch in comedy particularly between "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" and "Barry," but this is the one I plan on looking at closest when I examine all the comedy nominees and make predictions.  Stay tuned.

Comedy series have nearly as many top-nominated shows as limited series, as the following infographic demonstrates.


In addition to the 20 nominations for "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," second only behind "Game of Thrones," "Barry" tied "Fosse/Verdon" for 17 and "Russian Doll" has 13 (how oddly appropriate).  "Veep" doesn't even rank fourth, as "Fleabag" has 11 nominations.  So that means that I don't think I will be looking as closely at "Veep" vs. "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" as I had planned today.  The matchup really is between "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" and "Barry" with "Fleabag" as the likely spoiler, as it won Outstanding Achievement in Comedy at the Television Critics Association Awards while "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" was not even nominated.

Too bad, as my other favorite comedies besides "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel", "Veep" and "The Good Place," do not look like they have good chances of winning.  The final season of "Veep" will have to be content with its Golden Coffee Cup for Best Comedy Series about Politics and Government while "The Good Place" will need to be satisfied with its Hugo Award.  I'm not even sure the Golden Globes will deliver for either; they were the first to jump on the bandwagon for "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" and might prefer "Fleabag" or "Schitt's Creek" over either.

Speaking of "Schitt's Creek," it is the other comedy that covers politics and government besides "Veep," albeit on a much smaller scale, a small Canadian town, where the Mayor is a supporting character, not the federal government of the U.S. where a once and future President is the title character.  Political figures make cameos in "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" but the show primarily makes social points while examining family dynamics.

Now for the acting nominees, beginning with 71st Nominees: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

The Nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series are Bill Hader, Don Cheadle, Anthony Anderson, Ted Danson, Michael Douglas, and Eugene Levy.

While I think this award is Bill Hader's to lose, my reaction to watching this clip is "damn, this is a strong field!"  Personally, I'm happy that Ted Danson is being recognized for his work in "The Good Place," but Don Cheadle is an Oscar-nominated and Golden-Globe-winning actor while Michael Douglas is a two-time Oscar winner.  Either one, particularly Douglas, could upset Hader.

Next, 71st Nominees: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

The Nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series are Christina Applegate, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Rachel Brosnahan, Natasha Lyonne, Catherine O'Hara, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Again, this is a strong field, although I would have preferred Kristen Bell from "The Good Place" instead of Christina Applegate.  As for the favorites, it's between the previous two winners, Rachel Brosnahan and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, with Phoebe Waller-Bridge as the spoiler.  It helps Waller-Bridge that she won Individual Achievement in Comedy at the Television Critics Association Awards.

Continuing on with 71st Emmy Nominees: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

The Nominees for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series are Anthony Carrigan, Stephen Root, Henry Winkler, Alan Arkin, Tony Shalhoub, and Tony Hale.

Like his co-star Hader, I think this award is Henry Winkler's to lose, but Tony Hale of Veep is strong competition as the previous winner for the same role.  It doesn't help that he has two other actors from "Barry" competing against him.  Of the two, I prefer Anthony Carrigan, who became familiar to me as Victor Zsasz from "Gotham."  He obviously has experience playing bloodthirsty crazy criminals.  The other two nominees with decent chances to upset Winkler are Alan Arkin and Tony Shalhoub.

The final video is 71st Emmy Nominees: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

The Nominees for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series are Sarah Goldberg, Sian Clifford, Olivia Colman, Betty Gilpin, Alex Borstein, Marin Hinkle, Kate McKinnon, and Anna Chlumsky.

Once again, I'm going to be a good environmentalist and recycle my analysis from 'Saturday Night Live' leads sketch variety series nominees with 18 Emmy nominations.

Alex Borstein won this award last year for "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," so I think she's the favorite.  However, I'm not as confident about that as I was last year because she's up against an Oscar winner in Olivia Colman who surprised me by winning for her role in "The Favourite."  In addition, the vote for "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" might be split with Marin Hinkle, which could decrease Borstein's odds even more.

It says something that I didn't even mention Kate McKinnon's chances in an entry about SNL, even though she is the previous winner before Borstein.

Now for the people behind the camera nominated at the Primetime Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series

Barry (Episode: "The Audition"), Directed by Alec Berg (HBO)
Barry (Episode: "ronny/lily"), Directed by Bill Hader (HBO)
The Big Bang Theory (Episode: "The Stockholm Syndrome"), Directed by Mark Cendrowski (CBS)
Fleabag (Episode: "Episode 1"), Directed by Harry Bradbeer (Prime Video)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "All Alone"), Directed by Amy Sherman-Palladino (Prime Video)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "We're Going to the Catskills!"), Directed by Daniel Palladino (Prime Video)

Amy Sherman-Palladino is the returning winner, so I think she's the favorite.  The only other returning nominee is Bill Hader, so he, along with Daniel Palladino and Alec Berg are my picks for the major contenders.  In any event, it looks like either "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" or "Barry."  Watch them split their votes so that "Fleabag" sneaks in.

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

Barry (Episode: "ronny/lily"), Written by Alec Berg and Bill Hader (HBO)
Fleabag (Episode: "Episode 1"), Written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Prime Video)
The Good Place (Episode: "Janet(s)"), Written by Josh Siegal and Dylan Morgan (NBC)
PEN15 (Episode: "Anna Ishii-Peters"), Written by Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle, and Stacy Osei-Kuffour (Hulu)
Russian Doll (Episode: "Nothing in This World Is Easy"), Written by Natasha Lyonne, Leslye Headland and Amy Poehler (Netflix)
Russian Doll (Episode: "A Warm Body"), Written by Allison Silverman (Netflix)
Veep (Episode: "Veep"), Written by David Mandel (HBO)

That Amy Sherman-Palladino, last year's winner for "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," was not even nominated makes me worried about the likelihood of winning Outstanding Comedy Series.  On the other hand, I'm encouraged about "The Good Place," as "Janet(s)" won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.  I'm not sure that it has the best chance of winning, as "Barry" is the only other returning nominee while "Veep" is the only previous winner nominated.  I think it is between those two for the Emmy.

Follow over the jump for the awards already won by comedy series at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

My 2019 Saturn Awards votes and predictions

When I reached the end of 'Better Call Saul' vs. 'Riverdale' for Best Action/Thriller TV Series again plus home entertainment nominees at the 2019 Saturn Awards, I wrote "That's it for the Saturn Awards for July.  The next one will probably be in August, when I post my actual votes."  It's August, so I'm following through and adding my predictions, just as I did in 2018.  I begin with my votes for the movie nominees.

Best Action/Adventure Film: My vote — Mission: Impossible - Fallout.  My prediction — Mission: Impossible - Fallout.
Best Actor in a Film: My vote — Robert Downey Jr. (Avengers: Endgame).  My prediction — Robert Downey Jr. (Avengers: Endgame).
Best Actress in a Film: My vote — Emily Blunt (Mary Poppins Returns).  My prediction — Brie Larson (Captain Marvel).
Best Animated Film Release: My vote — Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse.  My prediction — Incredibles 2.
Best Comic to Motion Picture Release: My vote — Aquaman.  My prediction — Captain Marvel.
Best Fantasy Film Release: My vote — Mary Poppins Returns.  My prediction — Aladdin.
Best Film Costume Design: My vote — Sandy Powell (Mary Poppins Returns).  My prediction — Aladdin.
Best Film Director: My vote — Jordan Peele (Us).  My prediction — Anthony Russo & Joe Russo (Avengers: Endgame).
Best Film Editing: My vote — Christopher Tellefsen (A Quiet Place).  My prediction — Avengers: Endgame or John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum.
Best Film Make Up: My vote — Suspiria (Mark Coulier, Fernanda Perez).  My prediction — The Dead Don't Die or Pet Sematary.
Best Film Music: My vote — Marc Shaiman (Mary Poppins Returns).  My prediction — Alan Silvestri.
Best Film Production Design: My vote — John Myhre (Mary Poppins Returns).  My prediction — Aladdin or Avengers: Endgame.
Best Film Special / Visual Effects: My vote — Ready Player One (TBD).  My prediction — Avengers: Endgame or Godzilla: King of Monsters.
Best Film Writing: My vote — Bryan Woods, Scott Beck, John Krasinski (A Quiet Place).  My prediction — Avengers: Endgame.
Best Horror Film Release: My vote — A Quiet Place.  My prediction — Us.
Best Independent Film Release: My vote — American Animals.  My prediction — Mandy.
Best International Film Release: My vote — Border.  My prediction — Shadow.
Best Performance By A Younger Actor in a Film: My vote — Millicent Simmonds (A Quiet Place).  My prediction — Tom Holland (Spider-Man: Far From Home).
Best Science Fiction Film Release: My vote — Solo: A Star Wars Story.  My prediction — Ready Player One.
Best Supporting Actor in a Film: My vote — Lin-Manuel Miranda (Mary Poppins Returns).  My prediction — Josh Brolin (Avengers: Infinity War).
Best Supporting Actress in a Film: My vote — Amber Heard (Aquaman).  My prediction — Scarlett Johansson (Avengers: Endgame).
Best Thriller Film Release: My vote — Destroyer.  My prediction — Bad Times at The El Royale.

Follow over the jump for my votes and predictions in the television and streaming categories.

'Game of Thrones' vs. 'Outlander' at the 2019 Saturn Awards

I announced a shifting of gears at the end of Action, Thriller, Independent, and International Films at the 2019 Saturn Awards.

That's it for the movie nominees.  Tomorrow I start examining the television nominees beginning with fantasy.  Once again, it's "Game of Thrones" vs. "Outlander."

As I wrote in "Game of Thrones" vs. "Outlander" two years ago, "This is a rivalry that has been going on for as long as Best Fantasy Television Series has been presented and "Outlander" has won every time so far, which is twice."  Make that three times now, so I expect that "Outlander" will once again be the favorite.

So, what shows are competing to get beaten by either "Outlander" or "Game of Thrones"?  File 770 lists all the nominees.

Best Fantasy Television Series

    American Gods  (Starz)
    Charmed  (The CW)
    Game of Thrones  (HBO)
    The Good Place (NBC)
    The Good Witch (Hallmark Channel)
    The Magicians  (SyFy)
    Outlander  (Starz)
    The Outpost (The CW)

That's actually a good field of nominees.  "Game of Thrones" leads all television series with nine nominations.  "Outlander" has five, and all the rest have just the one nomination for Best Fantasy Television Series.  That written, I'm voting for the same show I voted for last time, "The Good Place."  If it won a Hugo, it's good enough to get my vote.


Follow over the jump for the television acting nominees, along with my predictions of who will win and who I plan on voting for.

2019 Environmental Media Association Awards update politics in entertainment for the eighth year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News

Happy Throwback Thursday!  I told my readers to "Stay tuned" at the conclusion of 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver' on opioids updates decreasing life expectancy for the eighth year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News as "I plan on posting the next installment in the series next Thursday, when I plan on recapping the top entries about entertainment."  Two entries about entertainment that did not also feature Last Week Tonight with John Oliver made the 40 most read posts of last year and I will tell their stories over the jump.

Before I do, I am updating the topic of serious issues in entertainment by examining this year's nominees for the Environmental Media Association Awards for film and television AKA the EMA Awards.  As the Environmental Media Association Awards page states, "The EMA Awards honor film and television productions and individuals that increase public awareness of environmental issues and inspire personal action on these issues."  Here are the nominees along with my comments on them.

Feature Film

Aquaman (Warner Bros.)
Isle of Dogs (Twentieth Century Fox)

This reminds me of the 2017 field of "Moana" and "Okja."  The first just showed the beauty of nature, while the second actually explored an environmental issue.  "Okja," the more serious nominee, won.  I think the same will happen here with "Isle of Dogs" beating "Aquaman."  Just the same, "Aquaman" is getting surprising recognition for its themes, as it was also one of the Coffee Party Entertainment Awards movie nominees for 2018 for examining politics in film.

Documentary Film

Above and Beyond: NASA's Journey to Tomorrow (Discovery Channel)
Eating Animals (IFC Films)
Living in the Future's Past (Vision Films)

Unlike the past two years, when “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power” and "Jane" were clear leaders, I don't see a prohibitive favorite in this field.  I'd root for "Above and Beyond: NASA's Journey to Tomorrow" but I suspect "Eating Animals" has the edge.

Television Episodic Drama

The Blacklist "General Shiro" (Sony Pictures Television)

"The Blacklist" was nominated two years ago and won last year, so I'm not surprised that it repeated.  I am surprised that it was the only television drama nominated, so of course it has already won.  Maybe I should start watching "The Blacklist."

Television Episodic Comedy

Full Frontal With Samantha Bee (TBS)
The Good Place "Don't Let the Good Life Pass You By" (NBCUniversal)
Saturday Night Live "Season 44, Episode 3" (NBCUniversal)

Of all these, only my favorite fantasy television series "The Good Place" is really an episodic comedy.  The others are variety shows, talk in the case of "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee" and sketch in the case of "SNL."  I think the variety shows have an edge, as "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" won two years ago for Coal, which got him sued, and "Adam Ruins Everything" won last year, but that won't stop me from rooting for "The Good Place."

Reality Television

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown "Bhutan" (CNN)
Jimmy Kimmel Live! "Kids Explain Climate Change" (ABC Studios)
One Strange Rock (Nutopia Ltd for National Geographic)
VICE "Engineering Earth" (HBO)

None of these are really reality television except for Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown and even the Television Academy considers it an Informational Series, not reality TV.  Just the same, a conventional entertainment electorate would vote for the late chef's show, but this isn't a conventional electorate.  They might vote for "Kids Explain Climate Change," which I included in Noah, Colbert, and Kimmel find the humor in the polar vortex and Trump's 'Global Waming' (sic) tweet.  It was both hilarious and effective.

Children's Television

Cousins for Life "Hot Dog Day Afternoon" (Nickelodeon)
Mission Force One "Sea Change" (Disney Junior)
Peg + Cat "The Compost Problem" (PBS Kids)

No Sesame Street?  I'm surprised.  Other than that, I don't have a dog (or a hot dog) in this fight, but my gut says to root for "The Compost Problem."

That's it for this year's nominees, which I finally covered in a timely fashion, until the first Sunday in June, when I plan on reporting on the winners.  Follow over the jump for the top posts about politics in entertainment from the eighth year of this blog.

Speculative fiction movie and television first-round nominees at the 2018 People's Choice Awards

I told my readers to "stay tuned for an entry about the People's Choice Awards nominees" to conclude Diversity and speculative fiction in dramas at the 2018 Primetime Emmy Awards.  Here are the categories that include speculative fiction first-round nominees for movies and television from Wikipedia along with my choices.

The Movie of 2018

Avengers: Infinity War
Black Panther
Deadpool 2
Fifty Shades Freed
Incredibles 2
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Ocean's 8
A Quiet Place
Ready Player One
Solo: A Star Wars Story
A Wrinkle in Time

It's easier to pick out the non-speculative fiction movies from this field than to list the speculative fiction ones — "Fifty Shades Freed," "Mission: Impossible – Fallout," and "Ocean's 8."  Even the last two are genre films nominated under action, which means I'm likely to see both on the Saturn Awards ballot next May.  This shows how strong speculative fiction movies are, at least for the first nine months of the year, before movies meant for the Oscars show up in theaters.  Speaking of which, I'm voting for the current box office leader, "Black Panther."  I also think it has a good chance of winning with its main competition being "Avengers: Infinity War."

There are no speculative fiction nominees for The Comedy Movie of 2018, but three stand out, "Book Club," "Crazy Rich Asians," and "Game Night."  That last might be nominated for Best Action Movie along with "Mission: Impossible – Fallout" and "Ocean's 8" at the Saturn Awards.  On the other hand, my favorite of the three is "Book Club," so I'm voting for it but I think "Crazy Rich Asians" will win.  Speaking of which, I plan on voting for Awkwafina for The Comedy Movie Star of 2018 even though I think Constance Wu or Tiffany Haddish will likely win.

The Action Movie of 2018

Ant-Man and the Wasp
Avengers: Infinity War
Black Panther
Deadpool 2
The Equalizer 2
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
The Meg
Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Ocean's 8
Rampage
Ready Player One
Solo: A Star Wars Story

Again, it's easier to pick out the non-speculative fiction movies from this field than to list the speculative fiction ones — "The Equalizer 2," "Mission: Impossible – Fallout" and "Ocean's 8."  The rest are superhero and science fiction movies, although I suspect "Rampage," a video game movie, might be classified as fantasy at next year's Saturn Awards.  Again, my choice for this award is the same as for The Movie of 2018, "Black Panther."

The Drama Movie of 2018

12 Strong
The 15:17 to Paris
Acrimony
Adrift
Annihilation
BlacKkKlansman
Breaking In
Fifty Shades Freed
The First Purge
Midnight Sun
A Quiet Place
Red Sparrow

Despite this being the most mainstream and "serious" of the categories, three of these movies are still speculative fiction, "Annihilation," "The First Purge," and "A Quiet Place," the latter two of which are horror movies and the first is a science fiction film that plays like a horror film.  My favorite is "A Quiet Place," so I'm voting for it.  I also plan on voting for it next year for Best Horror Film at the Saturn Awards.

The Family Movie of 2018

A.X.L.
A Wrinkle in Time
Christopher Robin
Early Man
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
I Can Only Imagine
Incredibles 2
Paddington 2
Peter Rabbit
Sherlock Gnomes
Show Dogs
Teen Titans Go! To the Movies

Other than "I Can Only Imagine," all of these movies are speculative fiction, mostly fantasy or animation with the exception of the science fiction film "A.X.L."  Out of all of them, the box office leader and personal favorite is "Incredibles 2," which I think will repeat the accomplishments of "Coco" by winning every award for which it is nominated, including Best Animated Film at the Saturn Awards.  I'm voting for it now and I'll vote for it then.

The Drama Movie Star of 2018

Emily Blunt – A Quiet Place
Jamie Dornan – Fifty Shades Freed
Chris Hemsworth – 12 Strong
John Krasinski – A Quiet Place
Jennifer Lawrence – Red Sparrow
Ewan McGregor – Christopher Robin
Natalie Portman – Annihilation
Gina Rodriguez – Annihilation
John David Washington – BlacKkKlansman
Oprah Winfrey – A Wrinkle in Time
Reese Witherspoon – A Wrinkle in Time
Shailene Woodley – Adrift

Since my favorite "drama" film is "A Quiet Place," I'm voting for my favorite star from the move, which is Emily Blunt.  Sorry, John Krasinski, I liked your wife's performance better.

The Male Movie Star of 2018

Chadwick Boseman – Black Panther
John Boyega – Pacific Rim Uprising
Pierce Brosnan – Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Tom Cruise – Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Robert Downey Jr. – Avengers: Infinity War
Chris Hemsworth – Avengers: Infinity War
Dwayne Johnson – Skyscraper
Michael B. Jordan – Black Panther
Chris Pratt – Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool 2
Nick Robinson – Love, Simon
Paul Rudd – Ant-Man and the Wasp

By the logic above that drove me to vote for Emily Blunt, I should vote for Chadwick Boseman.  I'm not.  He will probably still win, but I enjoyed Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool far more, so I'm voting for him.

The Female Movie Star of 2018

Emily Blunt – A Quiet Place
Sandra Bullock – Ocean's 8
Anne Hathaway – Ocean's 8
Bryce Dallas Howard – Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Lily James – Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Scarlett Johansson – Avengers: Infinity War
Jennifer Lawrence – Red Sparrow
Evangeline Lilly – Ant-Man and the Wasp
Leslie Mann – Blockers
Melissa McCarthy – Life of the Party
Oprah Winfrey – A Wrinkle in Time
Reese Witherspoon – A Wrinkle in Time

Oprah Winfrey has the biggest name, Sandra Bullock and Jennifer Lawrence have both won Oscars, and Scarlett Johansson has the only nomination from the highest grossing movie with a nominee in this category, but I'm not voting for any of them.  Instead, its Emily Blunt.  I hope to see her on the list of nominees for Best Actress in a Film at next year's Saturn Awards, where she's the front runner for my vote so far.

The Action Movie Star of 2018

Chadwick Boseman – Black Panther
Tom Cruise – Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Donald Glover – Solo: A Star Wars Story
Danai Gurira – Black Panther
Chris Hemsworth – Avengers: Infinity War
Scarlett Johansson – Avengers: Infinity War
Dwayne Johnson – Rampage
Michael B. Jordan – Black Panther
Evangeline Lilly – Ant-Man and the Wasp
Chris Pratt – Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool 2
Alicia Vikander – Tomb Raider

I'm voting for Ryan Reynolds again here, although I think either Chadwick Boseman or Chris Hemsworth will win.

Follow over the jump for the television nominees.

Diversity and fantasy in comedy nominees at the 2018 Primetime Emmy Awards

I am now done with stand-alone entries about the Creative Arts Emmy winners.  I'll save the rest for prediction and analysis entries about the comedies and dramas and final winners entries about the categories being awarded next Monday, when the Primetime Emmy Awards will be aired.  Stay tuned.

That's how I ended 'Jane,' 'Strong Island,' 'Wild Wild Country,' 'Blue Planet II,' and 'March of the Penguins 2' all winners at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, so I'll resume by combining the topics of Diversity a winner at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards and 'Westworld,' 'Game of Thrones,' 'The Handmaid's Tale,' 'Stranger Things,' and other speculative fiction nominees at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards for the comedy nominees.

I begin with the nominees for Outstanding Comedy Series.

Atlanta (FX)
Barry (HBO)
Black-ish (ABC)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
GLOW (Netflix)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Silicon Valley (HBO)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)

There are no speculative fiction nominees here, not even "Big Bang Theory," so I'll go directly to diversity.  The nominees that most directly address diversity are "Atlanta" and "Black-ish."  The first has the better chance of winning an Emmy, but the second is more explictly political.  "GLOW" also has a diverse cast and deals with depictions of race in the 1980s in addition to issues of women on the fringe of Hollywood.  However, I don't think any of them will win.  Instead, as I wrote in 'Saturday Night Live' leads Outstanding Variety Sketch Series nominations, again, "'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'...should win for Outstanding Comedy Series."  It's a very well done, funny, and insightful show and it's about entertainment, albeit stand-up in New York City during the 1950s, not Hollywood, but all that should be enough for victory.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

Anthony Anderson as Andre "Dre" Johnson, Sr. on Black-ish (Episode: "Advance to Go (Collect $200)") (ABC)
Ted Danson as Michael on The Good Place (Episode: "Dance Dance Resolution") (NBC)
Larry David as Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm (Episode: "Fatwa!") (HBO)
Donald Glover as Earnest "Earn" Marks / Teddy Perkins on Atlanta (Episode: "Teddy Perkins") (FX)
Bill Hader as Barry Berkman / Barry Block on Barry (Episode: "Chapter Seven: Loud, Fast, and Keep Going") (HBO)
William H. Macy as Frank Gallagher on Shameless (Episode: "Sleepwalking") (Showtime)

Once again, it's "Atlanta" and "Black-ish" representing diversity with Donald Glover as the returning winner for "Atlanta."  His strongest competition might be Ted Danson of "The Good Place," who won the comparable award at the Critics' Choice Television Awards, and William H. Macy, who won the comparable SAG Award.  As much as I'm rooting for Danson, I think Glover is likely to repeat.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

Pamela Adlon as Sam Fox on Better Things (Episode: "Eulogy") (FX)
Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam "Midge" Maisel on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "Thank You and Good Night") (Amazon)
Allison Janney as Bonnie Plunkett on Mom (Episode: "Phone Confetti and a Wee Dingle") (CBS)
Issa Rae as Issa Dee on Insecure (Episode: "Hella Great") (HBO)
Tracee Ellis Ross as Dr. Rainbow "Bow" Johnson on Black-ish (Episode: "Elder. Scam.") (ABC)
Lily Tomlin as Frankie Bergstein on Grace and Frankie (Episode: "The Home") (Netflix)

Issa Rae from "Insecure" and Tracee Ellis Ross from "Black-ish" are the nominees increasing the diversity of the field, but I'm sure that Rachel Brosnahan as the title character of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" will win.

Follow over the jump for the rest of the nominees.

'The Americans' wins Program of the Year plus other winning shows about politics and government at the 2018 Television Critics Association Awards

While the Creative Arts Emmy Awards are being given out, I'm taking a break from the Emmys to write about the Television Critics Association (TCA) Awards, which were given out last month.  I begin where I should have two months ago, when the nominations were announced, with The Hollywood Reporter's THR News: 2018 TV Critic Awards Nominations: ‘Killing Eve’ Slays Competition.

BBC America breakout drama 'Killing Eve' leads the nominations for the 2018 Television Critics Association Awards with five mentions, while FX is tops among networks with ten noms.

While one spy-assassin drama may have led the nominations, another led the actual awards as "The Americans" swept all three categories in which it was nominated, winning Program of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Drama, and Individual Achievement in Drama for Keri Russell.  Barring a bunch of upset wins at next week's Emmy Awards, that's a great way for the series to go out with a bang.


"Killing Eve" did manage one TCA Award, Outstanding New Program, beating "Barry," "Counterpart," "GLOW," "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," and "Mindhunter."  That's impressive, as four of its competitors have already won Emmy Awards ("The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" with three, "GLOW" with two, and "Barry" and "Counterpart" with one each) with two nights of ceremonies still to go.  Congratulations and break a leg next week at the Primetime Emmys, where Sandra Oh earned a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and the show itself is competing for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series.

In addition to "The Americans" and "Killing Eve," which were about non-American intelligence services and therefore about government and politics, several other winners and many of the nominees also commented on politics and government, past and present.  These included "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story," winner of Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," which earned Rachel Brosnahan a trophy for Individual Achievement in Comedy, "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown," a posthumous winner of Outstanding Achievement in News and Information, and "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver," which won the inaugural Outstanding Achievement in Sketch/Variety Shows.  Follow over the jump for their fellow nominees and the rest of the winners.

'Saturday Night Live' leads Outstanding Variety Sketch Series nominations, again

It's time for me to return to the Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards.  Today, I'm examining the show either tied for the second highest number of nominations behind "Game of Thrones" with 21 or, if its interactive program is counted, tied with the most Emmy-winning show on television with 22, "Saturday Night Live."  I begin with its program nomination category, Outstanding Variety Sketch Series.

At Home with Amy Sedaris (truTV)
Drunk History (Comedy Central)
I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman (Hulu)
Portlandia (IFC)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Tracey Ullman's Show (HBO)

This is the only category in which "At Home With Amy Sedaris" and "I Love You, America With Sarah Silverman" earned nominations, and I predict both will walk away empty-handed.  'Saturday Night Live' won this category last year and I'm confident it will win it again this year.


Just as "Jesus Christ Superstar Live" earned nominations in acting to compete with the actors and actresses in limited series categories, SNL earned multiple acting nominations in the comedy categories, just like last year.  Two of them are for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

Louie Anderson as Christine Baskets on Baskets (Episode: "Thanksgiving") (FX)
Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Donald Glover") (NBC)
Tituss Burgess as Titus Andromedon on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Episode: "Kimmy and the Beest!") (Netflix)
Brian Tyree Henry as Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles on Atlanta (Episode: "Woods") (FX)
Tony Shalhoub as Abraham "Abe" Weissman on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "Thank You and Good Night") (Amazon)
Kenan Thompson as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: John Mulaney") (NBC)
Henry Winkler as Gene Cousineau on Barry (Episode: "Chapter Four: Commit ... to YOU") (HBO)

Alec Baldwin won last year for his Donald Trump impressions on SNL, so I wouldn't be surprised if he wins again, but I also wouldn't be surprised if Tony Shalhoub upsets him for his role as the father in "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."  That show should win for Outstanding Comedy Series and its star Rachel Brosnahan should win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, so Shalhoub might get caught up with them.


Three performers from SNL earned nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Zazie Beetz as Vanessa "Van" Keefer on Atlanta (Episode: "Helen") (FX)
Alex Borstein as Susie Myerson on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "Doink") (Amazon)
Aidy Bryant as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Chadwick Boseman") (NBC)
Betty Gilpin as Debbie "Liberty Belle" Eagan on GLOW (Episode: "Debbie Does Something") (Netflix)
Leslie Jones as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Donald Glover") (NBC)
Kate McKinnon as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Bill Hader") (NBC)
Laurie Metcalf as Jackie Harris on Roseanne (Episode: "No Country for Old Women") (ABC)
Megan Mullally as Karen Walker on Will & Grace (Episode: "Rosario's Quinceanera") (NBC)

Once again, the returning winner is from SNL, Kate McKinnon.  It's likely that she will earn a three-peat, but I also think it's as likely that Alex Borstein from "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" will take the trophy home as well with an outside chance that Betty Gilpin of "GLOW" will upset both.  Nothing like a good story about show business to get Hollywood professionals to vote for you and both "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" and "GLOW" are about show business.


Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

Sterling K. Brown as Philip Davidson on Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Episode: "The Box") (Fox)
Bryan Cranston as Dr. Templeton on Curb Your Enthusiasm (Episode: "Running With The Bulls") (HBO)
Donald Glover as Host on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Donald Glover") (NBC)
Bill Hader as Host on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Bill Hader") (NBC)
Lin-Manuel Miranda as Himself on Curb Your Enthusiasm (Episode: "Fatwa!") (HBO)
Katt Williams as Willie on Atlanta (Episode: "Alligator Man") (FX)

Bryan Cranston is probably the best actor of the bunch, but that doesn't mean he'll win.  Instead, I think the award will once again go to one of the guest hosts from SNL.  Which one?  Doesn't matter to me.


Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

Tina Fey as Host on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Tina Fey") (NBC)
Tiffany Haddish as Host on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Tiffany Haddish") (NBC)
Jane Lynch as Sophie Lennon on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "Put That On Your Plate!") (Amazon)
Maya Rudolph as Judge Gen on The Good Place (Episode: "The Burrito") (NBC)
Molly Shannon as Val on Will & Grace (Episode: "There's Something About Larry") (NBC)
Wanda Sykes as Daphne Lido on Black-ish (Episode: "Juneteenth") (ABC)

The speculative fiction fan in me wants this to go to Maya Rudolph, but I think it will between one of the hosts of SNL and Jane Lynch.  Yes, more "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."

Follow over the jump for the rest of SNL's nominations, some of which I've covered before.  Nothing like being a good environmentalist and recycling my material.

'Flint' and 'Jane' win environmental movies of the year at 2018 EMA Awards

Before I return to the Emmy Awards, I am catching up on the Environmental Media Association (EMA) Awards for film and television, which were held on May 23, 2018.  I'm late, but not as late as last year, when I wrote about them in December.  Progress!

Here are the nominees  and winners of the 2018 EMA Awards.

Feature Film
Ferdinand (20th Century Fox)
Downsizing (Paramount Pictures)
Flint (Sony Pictures Television for Lifetime) -WINNER
Geostorm (Warner Bros. Pictures, Skydance, and Electric Entertainment)

I'm encouraged that the EMA found four feature films to nominate; last year, they nominated only two, "Moana" and "Okja."  I am also encouraged that I mentioned all of them already while covering other awards shows.  I listed "Ferdinand" among the top animated films on National Science Fiction Day and noted its nominations at the Golden Globe Awards, PGA Awards and Oscars, so it was a quality nominee.  "Downsizing" turned out to be a box office disappointment, which I thought was a shame, as the movie had a serious environmental message.  I'm glad the EMA nominated it.  I think the EMA was scraping the bottom of the barrel to nominate "Geostorm."  I thought it should have been nominated for a Razzie or two.  Still, I suppose it had a serious environmental message buried under all the bad science.

As for the winner, I listed "Flint" among the nominees at the 2018 Critics' Choice Television Awards but did not comment on it.  When I reported the WGA Award winners, I realized what I was missing, writing "'American Horror Story: Cult' was the sole speculative fiction in Long Form Original, but lost to 'Flint.'  Hey, that's a show I should blog about!"  Yes, I still should.  Instead, I'll congratulate the TV movie on its EMA Award and NAACP Image Award for Queen Latifah and note that it's nominated for an Emmy Award as Outstanding Made for Television Movie.  I'll give it the blog entry it deserves when I write about that category.

Documentary Film
Third Industrial Revolution (Viceland)
Jane (National Geographic)-WINNER
Ghost of The Mountains (Disneynature)
Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution (HBO Documentary Films and The Redford Center)

I wrote an entire entry about "Jane" being the best documentary not nominated at the 2018 Oscars, so of course I'm thrilled that it won this honor.  It deserved it, especially against the relatively obscure competition it had.  Just the same, I now have more movies I can recommend to my students as extra credit films they can watch.  As for "Jane," I predicted that "both 'Jane' and 'Abacus' will be eligible for News and Documentary Emmy Awards this fall, where they will be favored in their categories."  Both are nominated for those awards, so I will write more about them in the near future.  In the meantime, congratulations!

Follow over the jump for the television winners and a video of the awards ceremony.

'Riverdale' and 'Stranger Things' lead television nominees at the 2018 Teen Choice Awards

It's Entertainment Sunday.  I told my readers the subject of today's entry at the end of Defunctland on Action Park for National Waterpark Day: "Stay tuned for part two of the speculative fiction nominees at the 2018 Teen Choice Awards, which will serve as the Sunday entertainment feature."  To get things started, I present two videos from Shine On Media, beginning with 2018 Teen Choice Award Nominees - Wave 1: Infinity War, Shadowhunters, Riverdale & More.

Teen Choice Awards have released the first wave of nominees for the 2018 show and they include Avengers: Infinity War, Greatest Showman, Timothee Chalamet, Shadowhunters, Riverdale, Stranger Things, Shawn Mendes, Ariana Grande, Dolan Twins & many more.

I covered all the movie nominees in this wave in Speculative fiction movie nominees at the 2018 Teen Choice Awards, but saved this video until now for the television nominees.

Now for the second video, 2018 Teen Choice Award Nominees - Bughead, BTS, Malec, Dolan Twins, Etc (Wave 2).

Teen Choice Awards have released the final wave of nominees for the 2018 show and they include BTS, Dolan Twins, Riverdale, Stranger Things, Cloak & Dagger, Liza Koshy, Shadowhunters and more!

This has all the rest of the television nominees, but also the rest of the movie nominees, which I forgot to included in part one.  Oops.  Time for me to add those categories in a rare after-the-fact edit.*

Between the two waves, "Riverdale" has the most nominations with twelve followed by "Stranger Things" with nine.  Follow over the jump for all of their nominations plus the other TV nominees in categories that include speculative fiction nominees from Wikipedia along with my opinions of their merits and chances, which aren't always the same thing.

My Saturn Award votes and predictions for 2018

I concluded A belated World Oceans Day 2018 by promising "I'll post the Sunday entertainment feature I planned for today tomorrow.  Stay tuned."  It's tomorrow, so here is the entertainment update I originally planned to post yesterday, my votes for this year's Saturn Awards along with my predictions of who will actually win each category.  I begin with my votes for the movie nominees.

FILM AWARDS
Best Action / Adventure Film Release
My vote: Baby Driver. Who is likely to win: The Fate of the Furious or The Greatest Showman
Best Actor in a Film
My vote Daniel Kaluuya. Who is likely to win: Chadwick Boseman or Mark Hamill.
Best Actress in a Film
My vote: Sally Hawkins. Who is likely to win: Gal Gadot.
Best Animated Film Release
My vote: Coco. Who is likely to win: Coco or Despicable Me 3.
Best Comic to Motion Picture Release
My vote: Wonder Woman. Who is likely to win: Black Panther.
Best Fantasy Film Release
My vote: The Shape of Water. Who is likely to win: The Shape of Water, Beauty and the Beast, or Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
Best Film Costume Design
My vote: Wonder Woman. Who is likely to win: Beauty and the Beast, The Greatest Showman, or Black Panther.
Best Film Director
My vote: Guillermo Del Toro. Who is likely to win: Guillermo Del Toro or Ryan Coogler.
Best Film Editing
My vote: The Shape of Water. Who is likely to win: Black Panther or Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Best Film Make Up
My vote: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Who is likely to win: Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Best Film Music
My vote: The Shape of Water. Who is likely to win: Black Panther or Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Best Film Production Design
My vote: The Shape of Water. Who is likely to win: Black Panther or Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Best Film Special / Visual Effects
My vote: War for the Planet of the Apes. Who is likely to win: Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Best Film Writing
My vote: Jordan Peele for "Get Out." Who is likely to win: Get Out or Logan if the voters pay attention to everyone else, The Shape of Water, Black Panther, or Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Best Horror Film Release
My vote: Get Out. Who is likely to win: Get Out or IT.
Best Independent Film Release
My vote: I, Tonya. Who is likely to win: Wonderstruck.
Best International Film
Release My vote: The Square. Who is likely to win: The Man Who Invented Christmas.
Best Performance By A Younger Actor in a Film
My vote: Dafne Keen. Who is likely to win: Tom Holland, Sophia Lillis, or Letitia Wright.
Best Science Fiction Film Release
My vote: Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Who is likely to win: Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Best Supporting Actor in a Film
My vote: Patrick Stewart. Who is likely to win: Harrison Ford.
Best Supporting Actress in a Film
My vote: Octavia Spencer. Who is likely to win: Carrie Fisher
Best Thriller Film Release
My vote: The Post. Who is likely to win: Murder on the Orient Express.

As one can tell, I think that "Black Panther" is very likely to win most of its categories, but I did not vote for it.  I'll distill the reasons for that decision that I gave in 'Black Panther' vs. 'Wonder Woman' at the Saturn Awards for a late Free Comic Book Day.  First, I did not want to contribute to the streak of Marvel Cinematic Universe movies about single characters or lesser known characters winning the Comic to Motion Picture Release again.  Second, I did not want to abet the nomination committee slipping a movie just under the deadline using their discretion to bend the eligibility period, which messed up the likelihood of "Wonder Woman" having a good shot at winning.  Third, my wife's favorite superhero is Wonder Woman, and I didn't want to disappoint her.  Besides, I do want to recognize the best DCEU movie since Nolan's "The Dark Knight," which might not even qualify as part of the series.  At least I think Gal Gadot will win for Best Actress, even if I didn't vote for her.

By the way, Guillermo Del Toro has already won an award, The Dr. Donald A. Reed Founder’s Award.  Joining him among the special honorees are Jason Blum for The Producers Showcase Award, Jake Kasdan for The Filmmakers Showcase Award, Sarah Schecter for The Dan Curtis Legacy Award, and Don Mancini for The Special Achievement Award.  No Breakthrough Performer this year?  Darn.

Follow over the jump for my votes in the television and home entertainment categories.