Emmys preview: Why ‘Ted Lasso’ will defend its crown, and ‘The Crown’ will not

CNN
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“Succession,” the 2020 Emmy winner for greatest drama collection, can be a high contender at this 12 months’s ceremony on Sept. 12. But in the event you’re questioning whether or not the HBO drama can beat final 12 months’s champion, Netflix’s “The Crown,” that matchup of TV’s royal homes must wait.

Once upon a time, hit collection dutifully premiered every fall, which means you possibly can depend on dramas like “Hill Street Blues” and “ER,” or sitcoms like “Cheers” after which “Frasier,” to be in rivalry yearly throughout their lengthy runs.

Now, nevertheless, status collection are inclined to function on their very own timetables, skipping years – or longer – between seasons. Throw within the pandemic that disrupted manufacturing schedules, and viewers are to be forgiven if they’ll’t maintain monitor of what’s eligible from 12 months to 12 months, even with a scorecard.

Take “Barry” and “Atlanta” (each entered as comedies), which after their prolonged layoffs return to the awards fray (the previous in a number of classes, the latter for star Donald Glover) for the primary time since 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Among the best-drama nominees, the aforementioned “Succession,” “Stranger Things,” “Euphoria,” “Better Call Saul” and “Ozark” all sat out 2021, with the brand new exhibits “Squid Game,” “Yellowjackets” and “Severance” rounding out the sector. But they needn’t fear about competing with “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which launches its fifth season Sept. 14.

“Ted Lasso,” in the meantime, can have the prospect to repeat as greatest comedy, which means the Apple TV+ present can defend its crown, however “The Crown,” um, received’t. “Hacks” additionally makes a back-to-back look, whereas the arguably stiffer competitors this 12 months contains new gamers “Abbott Elementary” and “Only Murders within the Building” together with 4 collection that weren’t on the 2021 menu: “Barry,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “What We Do within the Shadows,” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” (“Curb” is in one thing of a trailblazing class by itself, spreading 11 seasons and 51 Emmy nominations over the past 22 years.)

Certain exhibits require a separate asterisk because of the Emmy eligibility window, which covers the 12-month stretch from June by means of May.

Both “Stranger Things” and “Better Call Saul” cut up their seasons, with the primary halves falling inside that timeframe whereas the latter didn’t, which means they’ll be eligible once more in 2023.

The Emmy calendar also can foster confusion relying on when collection premiere. If, for instance, you simply completed watching the second season of Hulu’s “Only Murders within the Building,” bear in mind, it’s the primary season that’s nominated this 12 months.

Limited collection keep away from questions of repetition, however not timing. It’s once more a loaded lineup, that includes Hulu’s “Dopesick,” “The Dropout” and “Pam & Tommy,” Netflix’s “Inventing Anna” and HBO’s “The White Lotus,” the one one not based mostly on a real story.

Even there, the vagaries of the Emmy calendar and guidelines play a component. Take the “Star Wars” prequel “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” which really premiered simply earlier than May 31 deadline however declined to make subsequent episodes accessible prematurely to voters, delaying its consideration until 2023. (Star Ewan McGregor received his first Emmy final 12 months for an additional restricted collection, Netflix’s “Halston.”)

The fundamental televised Emmys yearly comply with what are often known as the Creative Arts Awards, which had been offered Sept. 3-4 in dozens of principally technical classes.

For these protecting rating, or who merely take pleasure in questions on community bragging rights, HBO and HBO Max totaled 26 awards, adopted by Netflix with 23 and the streaming companies Disney+ (9), Hulu (8) and Amazon Prime (6).

Netflix tied a 47-year-old document with 44 whole statuettes final 12 months from all these ceremonies, greater than twice nearest competitor HBO, which had led the best way in 2020 and 2019 after tying with Netflix in 2018.

“Stranger Things,” “Euphoria” and “The White Lotus” every collected 5 awards final weekend (and will add to these totals Sept. 12), as did the particular “Adele: One Night Only” and the docuseries “The Beatles: Get Back.”

“Succession,” which garnered 9 Emmys in 2020, has to this point acquired only one award, for excellent casting. Or to place it extra exactly, excellent casting amongst these dramas televised in the course of the 2021-22 eligibility interval.

The Emmys will air Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.