Emmy Nominations and Predictions 2017

Happy Emmys Day! Is it just me or has it been more low key than previous years? Is it because they're no Game of Thrones juggernaut? Or perhaps more likely people are way more focused on the terrible, no good very bad state of our world right now to give any mind to TV. Whatever the case may be, here are my thoughts on the nominations and my predictions.

BEST DRAMA SERIES
Better Call Saul
The Crown
The Handmaid’s Tale
House of Cards
Stranger Things
This Is Us
Westworld

With Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones not eligible this year, the TV Academy decided to shuffle things a lot giving some love to streaming channels and... is that a show from network TV?! The Emmys really went heavy with the new most-buzzed about shows instead of previous favorites like last year's surprise inclusion The Americans and Mr. Robot or even Orange is the New Black which hasn't fared well in its genre switch. Winter is coming next year.

Prediction: This Is Us
Alternate: Stranger Things
Should Win: Better Call Saul
Should've Been Nominated: The Leftovers, Sense8, The Americans, Underground, Queen Sugar

BEST LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Anthony Hopkins, Westworld
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Matthew Rhys, The Americans
Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
Milo Ventimiglia, This Is Us

Last year's champ Rami Malek sat this one out, giving room to two This Is Us stars which really shows the show's strength. Hopkins is the other "new" addition with the others a holdover from last year. In a field of 7, any of them could conceivably win. Spacey has been nominated here 10 times and hasn't won yet. But are we really in the mood to award someone playing an awful president?

Prediction: Sterling K. Brown
Alternate: Anthony Hopkins
Should Win: Matthew Rhys
Should've Been Nominated: Justin Theroux, Rami Malek, Dominic Cooper, Aldis Hodge, Dan Stevens

BEST LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA
Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder
Claire Foy, The Crown
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
Keri Russell, The Americans
Evan Rachel Wood, Westworld
Robin Wright, House of Cards

Surprise winner last year Tatiana Maslany wasn't eligible (hope to see her next year) so people think it'll be buzzy new star Foy vs. buzzy veteran Moss. Moss, if you need reminder, did NOT win one Emmy for Mad Men and she's supposed to be great in Handmaid's Tale. I think it's time. BTW it's ridiculous Carrie Coon wasn't nominated here.

Prediction: Elisabeth Moss
Alternate: Claire Foy
Should Win: Keri Russell
Should've Been Nominated: Carrie Coon, Ruth Negga, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rutina Wesley, Geena Davis

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA
Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul
Ron Cephas Jones, This Is Us
David Harbour, Stranger Things
Michael Kelly, House of Cards
John Lithgow, The Crown
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
Jeffrey Wright, Westworld

With previous winners Ben Mendelsohn and Peter Dinklage not in the running, most of these would be first-time winners... well, not Lithgow, who might just be the favorite here. I think it's between him and Jones. Might just be which show the TV really want to coronate this year, pun not intended.

Prediction: John Lithgow
Alternate: Ron Cephas Jones
Should Win: Ron Cephas Jones
Should've Been Nominated: Mahershala Ali, Migel Angel Silvestre, Michael McKean, Gaten Matarazzo, Joseph Gilgun

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA
Uzo Aduba, Orange Is the New Black
Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things
Ann Dowd, The Handmaid’s Tale
Chrissy Metz, This Is Us
Thandie Newton, Westworld
Samira Wiley, The Handmaid’s Tale

With Maggie Smith finally gone, this is anyone's game. Now, this category is not bad, but it could've been SO MUCH better. Imagine Aisha Hinds from Underground or Aubrey Plaza from Legion? If the TV Academy actually watched TV those two would've been NO brainers. But again it's hard to complain about a list with both Ann Dowd and Samira Wiley (albeit in a show I haven't seen yet).

Prediction: Ann Dowd
Alternate: Millie Bobby Brown
Should Win: Thandie Newton
Should've Been Nominated: Aisha Hinds, Aubrey Plaza, Rhea Seehorn, Doona Bae, Pearl Mackie

BEST GUEST ACTOR, DRAMA
Hank Azaria, Ray Donovan
Gerald McRaney, This Is Us (WINNER)
Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline
Denis O’Hare, This Is Us
Brian Tyree Henry, This Is Us
BD Wong, Mr. Robot

I actually predicted McRaney to win this category way back when I was putting together my wishlist provided they nominated him... which they did... and he won. More indication of the show's strength?

BEST GUEST ACTRESS, DRAMA
Alexis Bledel, The Handmaid’s Tale (WINNER)
Laverne Cox, Orange Is the New Black
Ann Dowd, The Leftovers
Shannon Purser, Stranger Things
Cicely Tyson, How to Get Away With Murder
Alison Wright, The Americans

Congrats to Rory Gilmore for her first Emmy win! This list was stacked too, save for Barb. Seriously internet what the hell was that? That said I was rooting hard for Alison Wright who did SO MUCH with SO LITTLE.

BEST COMEDY
Atlanta
Black-ish
Master of None
Modern Family
Silicon Valley
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Veep

While the drama categories got a shake up, the comedy ones didn't so much. Atlanta replaced Transparent while every other show was nominated last year. Which is so silly since there ARE SO MANY good possibilities (if they ever watch the CW or NBC that is which they don't). But who cares since Veep is winning this again, right?

Prediction: Veep
Alternate: Atlanta
Should Win: Master of None
Should've Been Nominated: The Good Place, Jane the Virgin, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, You're the Worst, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

BEST LEAD ACTOR, COMEDY
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
Aziz Ansari, Master of None
Zach Galifianakis, Baskets
Donald Glover, Atlanta
William H. Macy, Shameless
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent

Can Tambor make it three in a row? I hope not. Not that I don't think he would deserve it, but let's spread the love a bit. I'm frankly rooting for either Glover or Ansari, but Anderson might be the second favorite with the voters. But seriously Ted Danson in The Good Place should've been nominated and won.

Prediction: Jeffrey Tambor
Alternate: Anthony Anderson
Should Win: Aziz Ansari
Should've Been Nominated: Ted Danson, Andy Samberg, Chris Geere, Wyatt Cenac, Jay R. Ferguson

BEST LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY
Pamela Adlon, Better Things
Jane Fonda, Grace and Frankie
Allison Janney, Mom
Ellie Kemper, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie

Can Louis-Dreyfus make it a ridiculous SIX IN A ROW?  I am praying it doesn't happen. I love her. I love the show, but seriously STOP. Let someone else win. Hell let someone else be nominated... like Gina Rodriguez, Issa Rae, Rachel Bloom, Kristen Bell, America Ferrera, Minnie Driver, Contance Wu, Martha Plimpton... I can't keep going.

Prediction: Julia Louis-Dreyfys
Alternate: Tracee Ellis Ross
Should Win: Tracee Ellis Ross
Should've Been Nominated: See above

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY
Louie Anderson, Baskets
Alec Baldwin, Saturday Night Live
Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Tony Hale, Veep
Matt Walsh, Veep

I'm a bit angry they got rid of Andre Braugher especially since they haven't awarded him for his Brooklyn Nine-Nine role. With that said, surprise champ last year Anderson will settle for the nomination this year along with the others because no one is beating Baldwin.

Prediction: Alec Baldwin
Alternate: Tony Hale
Should Win: Alec Baldwin
Should've Been Nominated: Andre Braugher, Desmin Borges, Brett Dier, Zach Woods, William Jackson Harper

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY
Vanessa Bayer, Saturday Night Live
Anna Chlumsky, Veep
Kathryn Hahn, Transparent
Leslie Jones, Saturday Night Live
Judith Light, Transparent
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live

Anyone else think SNL in this categories are a bit too much? I mean I love them all and McKinnon will win, but come on. A Jones win WOULD be very thrilling so I'll hope for that. Can't believe they didn't find the excuse to get Rita Moreno here.

Prediction: Kate McKinnon
Alternate: Anna Chlumsky
Should Win: Leslie Jones
Should've Been Nominated: Lena Waithe, Rita Moreno, D'Arcy Carden, Yael Groblas, Jayma Mays

BEST GUEST ACTOR, COMEDY
Riz Ahmed, Girls
Dave Chappelle, Saturday Night Live (WINNER)
Tom Hanks, Saturday Night Live
Hugh Laurie, Veep
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Saturday Night Live
Matthew Rhys, Girls

Never got to see Chappelle's SNL since I wasn't in the head space for it, but I guess good for him. I would've probably given it to Miranda and his bestie Ahmed. Though Rhys is the kind of guest turn that usually wins awards.

BEST GUEST ACTRESS, COMEDY
Becky Ann Baker, Girls
Angela Bassett, Master of None
Carrie Fisher, Catastrophe
Wanda Sykes, Black-ish
Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live (WINNER)
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live

REALLY thought Fisher was going to walk away with this, but I guess Spicey is an even bigger force than Leia. This year is so fucked up.

BEST LIMITED SERIES
Big Little Lies
Fargo
Feud: Bette and Joan
Genius
The Night Of

Prediction: Big Little Lies
Alternate: The Night Of
Should Win: Big Little Lies

BEST TV MOVIE
Black Mirror: San Junipero
Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors
Sherlock: The Lying Detective
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
The Wizard of Lies

Prediction: The Wizard of Lies
Alternate: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Should Win: Black Mirror: San Junipero

BEST ACTRESS, LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
Carrie Coon, Fargo
Felicity Huffman, American Crime
Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies
Jessica Lange, Feud: Bette and Joan
Susan Sarandon, Feud: Bette and Joan
Reese Witherspoon, Big Little Lies

Prediction: Nicole Kidman
Alternate: Jessica Lange
Should Win: Anyone but Susan Sarandon

BEST ACTOR, LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
Riz Ahmed, The Night Of
Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock: The Lying Detective
Robert DeNiro, The Wizard of Lies
Ewan McGregor, Fargo
Geoffrey Rush, Genius
John Turturro, The Night Of

Prediction: Riz Ahmed
Alternate: Robert DeNiro
Should Win: John Turturro

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
Judy Davis, Feud: Bette and Joan
Laura Dern, Big Little Lies
Jackie Hoffman, Feud: Bette and Joan
Regina King, American Crime
Michelle Pfeiffer, The Wizard of Lies
Shailene Woodley, Big Little Lies

Prediction: Laura Dern
Alternate: Michelle Pfeiffer
Should Win: Jackie Hoffman

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
Bill Camp, The Night Of
Alfred Molina, Feud: Bette and Joan
Alexander Skarsgard, Big Little Lies
David Thewlis, Fargo
Stanley Tucci, Feud: Bette and Joan
Michael K. Williams, The Night Of

Prediction: Alfred Molina
Alternate: Stanley Tucci
Should Win: Alexander Skarsgard