Monday, July 8, 2013

2013 Emmy Nomination Preview & Predictions: Variety Series

With the Emmy nominations coming up on July 18, I am posting predictions and analysis of each of the top categories.  Each post consists of predictions and analysis for one category.



Here are my predictions and analysis for:

VARIETY SERIES


THE COLBERT REPORT (Comedy Central)

The Colbert Report has been notoriously snubbed of the win year after year in this category and that will probably continue this year.  It has been nominated every year since 2006 and won the Emmy for Best Writing in a Variety Series in 2008 and 2010.  Voters clearly like the show enough to keep nominating it for so long but it'll might have to take The Daily Show dropping out for it to finally get that win.



THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART (Comedy Central)

I love this show, I really do.  But I really don't think it's so good that it deserve to win the Emmy EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR.  The Daily Show with Jon Stewart has won Best Variety Series every year for the past 10 years, making it the longest winning streak in Emmy history.  They'll probably give it trophy #11 this year, especially because of the fall election.


JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! (ABC)

Jimmy Kimmel's late night show finally broke into this category last year, helped by the buzz of him hosting the Emmy telecast.  Kimmel manages to get some of the biggest stars in the world on his show and his ongoing rivalry with Matt Damon is one of the best storylines on television.  With the show moving up to 11:35 p.m. this year it should have more voters watching it.  I'd say he's safe to get a repeat nom this year.


LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON (NBC)

Fallon is probably one of the most-loved late night hosts in the younger demographic, with his penchant for YouTube-ready TV show parodies and musical performances.  His show has been nominated here for the past two years, showing that he has enough support among the TV Academy.  He's probably in third or fourth to take home a win this year, but I'd say he's definitely in for a nomination again.


PORTLANDIA (IFC)

By far my biggest no guts-no glory prediction this year is Portlandia.  The show is gradually seeping into the culture through internet memes as well as SNL vet Fred Armisen's involvement and has a passionate group of young supporters.  There is a more significant reason I'm predicting it here, though: it managed to get nominations in Variety Series Directing and Variety Series Writing last year.  Though it's never been nominated before, I'd say it has a good chance of surprising a lot of people this year.


SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE (NBC)

This old favorite is still chugging along in its 38th season.  SNL has been nominated in this category for nine of the past 12 years, though it has never won.  With high profile exits from longtime cast members Fred Armisen and Bill Hader, the show is still part of the cultural buzz and continued to have numerous high profile hosts this season.  It won't win this year but a nomination is a near guarantee.

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Alright, so the biggest snub I'm predicting here is that Real Time with Bill Maher will finally get dropped from this category.  Granted, the show has been nominated in this category since 2005, but I'm just not feeling the support for it anymore.  I think Portlandia will have a bigger push to get it nominated and will force Maher to sit out this year.  Other contenders in this category include Conan, which was nominated in 2011 as well as Late Show with David Letterman, which used to be the awards hog before The Daily Show took over.  Regardless, there won't be enough of a push for either show to get in.



Next time on 2013 Emmy Nomination Predictions:
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

The 2013 Primetime Emmy Nominations will be announced on Thursday, July 18.

Please feel free to voice your opinion in the comment section below.

Also, read my predictions and analysis of other categories:



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