Can any TV series beat “Succession” at the Emmys? Will Amazon’s lavish Lord of the Rings prequel dominate the awards show? And, with the strikes in Hollywood, will the most prestigious event be able to take place this year? The nominations for the television Oscars will be announced today in a ceremony broadcast live starting at 08:30 California. Then the final round of voting for the 75th Emmy Awards will begin, scheduled for September 18.
Here are five points to pay attention to:
1.-Will the protests affect the Emmys?
In normal years, industry insiders debate which shows will be nominated, not whether the Emmys will actually take place. But this year, the ceremony is threatened by the writers’ strike that entered its eleventh week.
The nominations will be announced on the same day that Hollywood actors will decide whether to also walk out in protest of better wages and contract conditions. A Screen Actors Guild (SAG) strike would be a star boycott, and could postpone the Emmys.
“If there’s a strike, it could really affect the making of the Emmys,” said Pete Hammond, an awards columnist for Deadline.
“The Television Academy is going to have to think, ‘How long is this going to go on?’ and ‘What is our deadline to postpone the ceremony?'”
Will “Succession” sweep?
Emmy voters love “Succession.”
The HBO drama about a troubled family that runs a media empire has already garnered 48 nominations and 13 statuettes, including twice for best drama. The series ended this year with a highly praised finale, with voters expected to fill in nominations for its cast.
The best dramatic actor category could include among its six nominees three stars from “Succession”: Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong and Kieran Culkin.
“I dare say with all the acting they have, they could easily clinch 20 nominations, or more,” Hammond said.
Much of the competition will come from HBO, which also has popular shows like “The White Lotus,” “The Last of Us,” and “House of the Dragon,” a prequel to “Game of Thrones.”
Goals, notes and sandwiches
Comedy categories show more mixed competition.
The always optimistic “Ted Lasso” of Apple TV+ has thrashed his rivals in recent ceremonies but his third, and probably last, season was not well received.
“Abbott Elementary”, the ABC series set in a struggling school in Philadelphia, is a rare bird that flies off streaming platforms and made its Emmy debut last year, winning three of its seven nominations.
This year the program seeks to improve their grades.
Y there is also “The Bear«.
The look inside a frenetic, stressful and sometimes violent Chicago sandwich shop kitchen isn’t your typical sitcom, but it became a cultural phenomenon in the past year.
Miniseries
In its latest editions, the miniseries category has become the most competitive of the Emmys, thanks to its high budgets and top-notch casts.
But this has been a quiet and remarkably dark season with shows like “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” and “Black Bird: Confessions of a Murderer” leading the charge.
The popular Netflix “Bronca” offers a (slightly) lighter alternative, despite the fact that its starting point is an altercation between two drivers that ends in a bitter dispute.
Will “Rings of Power” win over voters?
With a global budget of $1 billion, Amazon’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” has become the most expensive television show in history.
Although the first season of the “Lord of the Rings” prequel didn’t receive rave reviews, its lavish production wowed even the toughest critics.
Therefore, the series is expected to perform well in technical categories ranging from special effects to makeup.
But few productions in the fantasy genre (with the notable exceptions of “Game of Thrones” or the “Lord of the Rings” films at the Oscars) have shone at awards shows.
“I don’t think we’ll see them in the major categories,” Hammond said.
The rival “The House of the Dragon” could also give them battle, according to the columnist.
© Agence France-Presse