Editor’s note: The interviews conducted in this podcast were recorded at Deadline’s Contenders TV event, prior to the WGA strike starting on May 2.
Ballots are now live as of today for the approximately 20,000 eligible voters of the Television Academy. Voting for nominations begins today and runs thru June 26 at 10PM PT. With that in mind our Deadline Chief Film Critic and Awards Columnist Pete Hammond and Deadline Senior Editor/Chief TV Critic Dominic Patten are back and continuing with another episode of their TV Talk Podcast, this week focusing on the race for the Emmys marquee category of Best Drama Series, a category won by HBO’s juggernaut Succession in 2020 and 2022. Can it make it become a three time winner in the category for its fourth and final season? That is one of the questions we pose and attempt to answer this week for the series that has won 13 Emmys overall and is looking for many more for its swan song.
But perhaps standing in its way was an even bigger winner last year, and also from HBO, and that would be The White Lotus which won 10 Emmys in 2022 , virtually sweeping the Limited Series categories, but now is reclassified, despite objections and attempts to appeal by its producers, as a Drama Series thus setting up an interesting showdown with Succession. Who is to say the two shows don’t wind up cancelling themselves out? That could leave room for past Drama Series winners like The Handmaid’s Tale or The Crown. Then consider the seriously under-Emmyed Better Call Saul in its last go round, or maybe the surging Yellowjackets, or even the never nominated in this category, Yellowstone, or its spinoff 1923. There are actually so many possibilities and top notch contenders and we discuss them all.
Take a listen to our TV Talk podcast all about the Drama Series race below.
We also are looking at Best Actress and Best Actor drama categories … with some predictions for winners in the fall. Not that we haven’t been wrong before, so remember that as you call us idiots. You will also hear a scintillating conversation with Dominic and one of his panels from our Contenders event in April. We will let you be surprised by who he is talking to. You don’t want to miss it.
Take a listen to the TV Talk of this looming awards season to find out where we are placing out bets. And, if you haven’t already, subscribe to Deadline’s TV Talk podcast at Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
