Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Emmy Predictions 2020 - Who Will and Should Win for Writing in a Comedy Series?

The nominations have been announced for The 72nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. So now, it's time to speculate on who will and should win in each major category. Next up for analysis is Writing for a Comedy Series.






The Nominees Ranked By Which Should Win:
  1. Michael Schur for NBC's The Good Place - "Whenever You're Ready"
  2. Daniel Levy for Pop's Schitt's Creek - "Happy Ending"
  3. David West Read for Pop's Schitt's Creek - "The Presidential Suite"
  4. Stefani Robinson for FX's What We Do In the Shadows - "On the Run"
  5. Paul Simms for FX's What We Do In the Shadows - "Ghosts"
  6. Sam Johnson & Chris Marcil for FX's What We Do In the Shadows - "Collaboration"
  7. Tony McNamara for Hulu's The Great - "Pilot"

The series finales of The Good Place and Schitt's Creek were incredible earlier this year. Both shows understood that they needed to go out on a high. They did so in tremendous fashion. They both encapsulated the idea that the events of the series only broke down a specific time in the lives of the characters. They would go on to have their own journeys but would always be bonded because of the time they spent together. That made the overall journey rewarding while also ensuring that the best possible fates were awaiting everyone. Both comedies were incredibly clever as well. They earned the big laughs in every scene. However, it was just as powerful to watch as they deftly handled the touching emotions of saying goodbye to these lovable ensembles. They always managed that balance with such exquisite skill. Both finales were inevitable conclusions to their respective seasons while acknowledging everything that had previously occurred and how much the viewer has grown close to the main characters. Either of those shows winning would be absolutely delightful. Meanwhile, I have The Great ranked so low on this specific list for one personal reason. I found the first season had a better conclusion than beginning. The premiere obviously got more awards love. But my personal preference skews towards the better portion of that season.

The Nominees Ranked by Which Will Win:
  1. Daniel Levy for Pop's Schitt's Creek - "Happy Ending"
  2. Stefani Robinson for FX's What We Do In the Shadows - "On the Run"
  3. Michael Schur for NBC's The Good Place - "Whenever You're Ready"
  4. Tony McNamara for Hulu's The Great - "Pilot"
  5. David West Read for Pop's Schitt's Creek - "The Presidential Suite"
  6. Paul Simms for FX's What We Do In the Shadows - "Ghosts"
  7. Sam Johnson & Chris Marcil for FX's What We Do In the Shadows - "Collaboration"

As I noted with Comedy Directing, the comedy fields are likely going to come down between The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Schitt's Creek. That seems like the overall vibe at this point. That's my initial read on the races. And yet, Mrs. Maisel isn't nominated in this race. As such, this could be an easy win for Schitt's Creek. It could prevail for its series finale. That would be a major accomplishment. However, it seems just as likely that this is the category where the voters opt to reward a show that is unlikely to win elsewhere. What We Do In the Shadows obviously had a boost amongst the voters this year. It wasn't enough to get any of the actors nominated. However, it has a major presence here and is a player for Comedy Series. It can't be counted out either. It may be the latest believed FX series to perennially be nominated but never win. But writing seems like a reasonable bet for it to be victorious. Narrowing down the winner from the three nominees is the real challenge. "On the Run" feels like it had the bigger cultural impact this past spring. So, I would probably bet on that. But you can't discount Michael Schur or Tony McNamara in this race either. This would be the perfect opportunity for The Good Place to finally win an Emmy or for The Great to be recognized at all during the main ceremony.


What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my predictions? Let me know in the comments below!