Emmy experts analyze Limited Series race: Why ‘Adolescence' is ‘the one to beat' as voting begins
Is the Best Limited Series Emmy race over before it's even begun? With voting beginning Thursday, four top Emmy experts — Variety's Clayton Davis, The Hollywood Reporter's Scott Feinberg, Indiewire's Marcus Jones, Deadline's Pete Hammond — predict the race with moderator and Gold Derby editor-in-chief Debra Birnbaum in our latest slugfest (watch above).
"I can start and end with Adolescence," Hammond declares as the others laugh in agreement. "The race here we're going to talk about is for nominees two, three, four, and five. But I think [the eventual winner is] Adolescence for every reason you can imagine: its global reach, what it's talking about, the extraordinary acting, directing, writing. Everything about this is once in a generation. This thing is taking off and it isn't going to stop at nominations. This is the one to beat."
More from GoldDerby
Making of 'Mid-Century Modern': How comedy legends created Hulu's freshest sitcom starring Nathan Lane and the late Linda Lavin
Parker Posey reveals 'The White Lotus' fans are making sure she's living a comfortable life
Animal skins, clothes-swapping, and those terrifying masks: How 'Yellowjackets' costume designer works with Liv Hewson and cast
Feinberg notes how it's actually "twice in a generation" because something similar happened last year with Baby Reindeer, which also aired on Netflix. He then singles out Monsters for "the whole conversation" it created throughout the country. "Whether you like it or not — and I'm annoyed by how much I think it's ridiculous talking about paroling the Menendez brothers — it's in the news every day."
Birnbaum mentions how Adolescence was a "binge drop" on Netflix that "nobody knew anything about," and then "built momentum" to become a global phenomenon. She notes, "And again, going back to my point about voters watching the thing that they know they have to talk about, this is it."
HBO
Davis refers to The Penguin as "the one to beat before Adolescence showed up," adding, "But here's the thing: I maybe would have been a little hesitant, because genre superhero doesn't do that well at Emmys. Ask WandaVision [and its stars] Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, and Kathryn Hahn, who went home empty-handed. They just don't typically go for genre superhero stuff, but I think it's undoubtedly going to get in."
The pundits name-drop more limited series in the running for a nomination, including Dying for Sex, Zero Day, Black Mirror, Sirens, Apple Cider Vinegar, Disclaimer, Presumed Innocent, Dope Thief, Long Bright River, and Say Nothing. And TV movies up for some Emmy love include Rebel Ridge, Mountainhead, and Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.
"I think we're bringing up a lot of shows that we're going to see represented in the acting categories," Jones says. "Say Nothing is that prestige pick that has picked up the Scripter and the Peabody, etc. I do think it's on people's radar, but is not probably going to get acting nominations, and so people can take all that passion toward making sure the show is nominated."
Which Emmy expert do you agree with the most? Be sure to make your predictions and join the Emmy discussion in our TV forum.
SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions
Best of GoldDerby
TV Hall of Fame: Top 50 best choices who should be inducted next
Carrie Preston on fencing with Matthew Broderick and the heart, humor, and growth of 'Elsbeth': 'She's more than just quirky'
'RuPaul's Drag Race': Onya Nurve and Jewels Sparkles dish their 'ride of a lifetime,' stolen jokes, and turning drag 'inside out'
Click here to read the full article.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Arnold Schwarzenegger Blames L.A. ICE Raids on Republicans and Democrats' Lack of Immigration Reform: ‘They're All Political Hacks Rather Than Public Servants'
Arnold Schwarzenegger, former governor of California, commented on the Los Angeles immigration protests and ICE raids while on the red carpet for the Season 2 premiere of his Netflix series, 'Fubar.' On the topic of President Trump's decision to send in the National Guard and the Marines to the site of the protests, Schwarzenegger told Variety, 'Well, I'm not so much interested in that as I am that the politicians have the responsibility to create immigration reform so we don't have to have this crap going on in the first place.' More from Variety Like Father, Like Son: Arnold and Patrick Schwarzenegger on Nepo Babies, Nude Scenes and 'Becoming the Greatest Star of All Time' Ten Years After 'Kung Fury' Rocked Cannes, Director David Sandberg Unwraps 'Heartbreaking' Legal Chaos That Left Feature-Length Sequel in Limbo 'Kung Fury 2': Insane 10-Minute Sizzle Reel Leaked of Michael Fassbender, Arnold Schwarzenegger Action-Comedy Stuck in Legal Limbo Since 2020 'This is the result of Democrats and Republicans not being able to come together in this immigration reform. And so that's what needs to be done so that you don't have to go and start arresting people in the first place, so we know who is in this country and who is working here, who has the temporary working permit, who has the permanent working permit,' Schwarzenegger, who served as governor from 2003 to 2011, added. In response to protests over the escalating ICE raids in L.A., Trump deployed 2,000 California National Guard troops, which first arrived in the city Sunday. Since then, the president has sent an additional 2,000 troops as well as 700 Marines. The protests have so far been held around mostly around downtown L.A., where Mayor Karen Bass has imposed a nightly curfew. 'We don't even know who is in here,' Schwarzenegger said, referring to collecting data on undocumented workers. 'For decades now, they have been avoiding the subject because it's an advantage to both parties to not do it. So they're all political hacks, party hacks, rather than public servants.' Gabriel Luna, who acted opposite Schwarzenegger in 'Fubar' Season 1 and currently appears in 'The Last of Us,' also commented on the ICE raids at the premiere. 'Abolish it. Abolish ICE altogether. It's a terrible waste of resources,' Luna, who is of Mexican descent, told Variety. 'Those resources could be funneled to some more effective ways of handling this immigration issue that they are saying we have. The 15 guys waiting to get a job at 5 a.m. at the Home Depot parking lot are not the ones we need to be worrying about, but that's who's getting scooped up,' he added. The current wave of protests was initially sparked by growing threats of ICE raids late last week. A Home Depot in Paramount became the site of early protests when residents began seeing immigration authorities near the store last Saturday. 'I think everyone with a heart knows and stands on the right side of history…We're becoming increasingly more house cats. We need to be outside. We need to be in the street, and we need to show where we stand. Los Angeles is one of the biggest cities in the world, and the rest of the world goes the way that L.A., New York, Chicago, these places are going,' Luna continued. 'Today and yesterday, incredible, incredible marches in Chicago, incredible marches in New York. It just started, it really just started.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sam Rockwell Says ‘Sinners' Success Is ‘Encouraging' for Hollywood: ‘It's a Big Swing'
Sam Rockwell is singing the praises of 'Sinners.' The 'White Lotus' actor told Variety that 'Sinners' succeeding at the box office is a beacon of hope for Hollywood. 'It was encouraging because it was rated R, you know? The sexuality felt palpable,' Rockwell said. 'And the fact that it made a bunch of money while mixing all these genres — 'From Dusk Till Dawn,' 'Sounder,' 'Devil in a Blue Dress' — I thought that was encouraging. It's a big swing. And it made a lot of money, just like 'Wonder Woman.' That was a big swing, too. Made by a woman [Patty Jenkins]. Did very well.' More from IndieWire 'Charliebird' Wins Top Tribeca Festival Jury Prize: Full List of Winners Jacinda Ardern Documentary 'Prime Minister' Shows Us How the New Zealand Leader Is the Anti-Trump Rockwell compared 'Sinners' to Academy Award-winning films that also transcended genre. ''Birdman' is another one. On paper, you'd think, 'That movie's not going to do anything.' But it was amazing,' he said. 'Same with 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.' Everybody turned it down — Gene Hackman, James Caan. But look what happened. So yeah, I'm encouraged by certain things.' Rockwell even compared the CGI twin trick 'Sinners' pulls with Michael B. Jordan to the work he did his 2009 film 'Moon.' 'I really dug it. And the technology with the twin thing has come a long way since I did a trick like that long ago.' Coogler recently told Ebony Magazine that 'Sinners' was his break from directing franchise films. 'I wanted to get away from that,' he said of returning to his original indie roots. 'I was looking forward to working on a film that felt original and personal to me and had an appetite for delivering something to audiences that was original and unique.' Coogler previously thanked fellow filmmakers Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino, and Brian De Palma for helping to inspire his leap of faith with 'Sinners.' He also credited audiences for purchasing tickets to go to the feature in theaters. Coogler wrote in a letter shared with IndieWire, 'I had the gift of the opportunity of making a film inspired by my family and my ancestry, but it was always a film that we wanted to make for audiences, in theaters. We always had our minds on you, the audience, and felt a deep responsibility to entertain you, and move you in the way only cinema can. We don't get to do what we do if you don't show up. To see your response to the film has reinvigorated me and many others who believe in this art form. And together maybe we can expand the definition of what a blockbuster is, what a horror movie is, and of what an IMAX audience looks like.' Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘In Your Dreams' Teaser: The Search for the Sandman Powers Netflix's New Animated Sibling Fantasy
Netflix dropped the teaser trailer for its animated Oscar-hopeful, 'In Your Dreams' (streaming November 14), the original comedy-fantasy about siblings trying to save their parents' marriage by enlisting the aid of the mythical Sandman. Former Pixar story artist Alex Woo ('WALL-E') directs with Erik Benson, another ex-Pixar story artist ('Toy Story 4'). The film is produced by Netflix Animation and Woo's Kuku Studios, with animation by Sony Pictures Imageworks. The voice cast is led by Cristin Milioti as the mom and Simu Liu as the dad. 'In Your Dreams' finds Stevie (voiced by Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) and her brother Elliot (voiced by Elias Janssen) discovering a magic book, which allows them to enter the wacky realm of their dreams, where the Sandman (Omid Djalili) can grant their wish for the perfect family. Along the way, they encounter Elliot's long-lost sarcastic stuffed giraffe, Baloney Tony (Craig Robinson), zombie breakfast foods, and Nightmara (Gia Carides), the Sandman's rival. More from IndieWire 'Tow' Review: Rose Byrne Fights Bureaucracy in a Social Justice Drama That Narrowly Steers Clear of Poverty Porn 'Stories Don't Have to Be About Disability' to Feature Actors with a Disability: A Call for Change The film is very personal for Woo, who took inspiration from his own parents' breakup. He presented footage Thursday at the Annecy Animation Film Festival with production designer Steve Pilcher ('Soul') and VFX supervisor Nicola Lavender ('The Mitchells vs. the Machines'). Accompanying the sumptuous animation of the surreal landscapes are compelling themes of managing dual careers while being caring, nurturing parents, the importance of imagination and not giving up on your dream, and learning to cope with harsh realities as a part of growing up. And be careful what you wish for. At Annecy, Netflex Animation (led by Hannah Minghella, head of Netflix Feature Animation and Family Film) touted sneak peeks of two upcoming animated series, 'Stranger Things: Tales from '85' (from showrunner Eric Robles), and 'Long Story Short' (from 'Bojack Horseman's' Raphael Bob-Waksberg, streaming August 22), as well as the features 'KPop Demon Hunters' (directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, streaming June 20), the Roald Dahl-adapted 'The Twits' (directed by Phil Johnston, streaming in the fall), and 'Pookoo' (from Skydance Animation and director Nathan Greno, streaming in 2026). In addition, Netflix premiered Genndy Tartakovsky's adult 2D comedy feature, 'Fixed' (streaming August 13). Check out the first teaser for 'In Your Dreams' below. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
