2024 Emmys Predictions: Outstanding Comedy Series

Marcus Jones
·5 min read
ConsiderThis
ConsiderThis

We will update this article throughout the season, along with all our predictions, so make sure to keep checking IndieWire for the latest news from the 2024 Emmys race. The nomination round of voting takes place from June 13 to June 24, with the official Emmy nominations announced Wednesday, July 17. Afterwards, final voting commences on August 15 and ends the night of August 26. The 76th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are set to take place on Sunday, September 15, and air live on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT.

Click on for more of our previous thoughts on what to expect at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards.

More from IndieWire

The State of the Race

The idea of frontrunners can be a fraught subject while discussing Emmys because it doesn’t really help anyone but the winners to see one show receive the same award year after year. As we have seen with the late night TV categories, when the focus is only on one or two shows, the rest of the TV landscape for that genre starts to crumble.

So yes, “The Bear” is likely to go back-to-back, as it recently won Outstanding Comedy Series for its inaugural season, and the season that is now up for Emmys got an even better response. However, more than one of its fellow awards contenders are giving the FX series a run for its money.

This is the final shot voters will have to award “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” for example, a series that has been consistently nominated, but hardly recognized. Part of the hesitation might be a misunderstanding of how the long-running HBO series is improvised, which has led to its stars being passed over in the acting categories (as if it were easy to generate dialogue in one’s head.) But to end an influential, multi-decade series on one’s own terms, and remain a critical and commercial hit, is a feat many think worthy of a statue.

There is also this wider idea of a return to form. “Hacks” had to take a year off of Emmy contention to allow its star Jean Smart to heal from a heart procedure, and then the strikes pushed the show’s return back even further, so its third season getting some of the best reviews the Max series has ever gotten has given some people hope its third time in the running for Outstanding Comedy Series could be the charm. To note, “Hacks” has already received Emmys for Smart, and for its writing and directing, and it also has never been nominated against “The Bear” at the Emmys specifically, so we don’t know for sure yet which show voters actually prefer.

“Abbott Elementary” and “Only Murders in the Building” also have their third seasons in contention, which were both regarded as improvements upon their sophomore effort. As far as nomination voting goes, “Abbott Elementary” has the edge with its For Your Consideration events falling closer to when voting started. Meanwhile, the official “Only Murders in the Building” For Your Consideration event was March 1, before this year’s Oscars even happened, and the episodes aired last fall, so the Hulu series might become a victim of recency bias.

In terms of new shows that could be nominated, one can predict that Netflix and Apple TV+ are at the front of the line for consideration. The former streaming service has only missed out on an Outstanding Comedy Series once in the last decade (though none of its shows have made it into the category with any notable consistency.) However, “The Gentlemen” is a broad enough hit that is a different flavor from the rest of the pack, so there’s a high chance it will maintain Netflix’s nomination streak. With Apple TV+, voters are choosing between the more prestige “Palm Royale” and the more accessible “Loot.” The edge likely goes to the former as the Kristen Wiig-led series is a bigger player in the craft categories, therefore appealing more to that sect of voters.

If FX is capable of having a frontrunner, it likely has enough of the voters’ attention to receive two nominations in the category. One would argue “What We Do in the Shadows” is more the likely candidate as it has actually been nominated in the category before, but the Emmys do try to honor a show on its way out every once in a while, so “Reservation Dogs” could finally overtake it.

Predicted Nominees:
“Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
“The Bear” (FX)
“Curb Your Enthusiasm” (HBO)
“The Gentlemen” (Netflix)
“Hacks” (Max)
“Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
“Palm Royale” (Apple TV+)
“What We Do in the Shadows” (FX)

Contenders:
“Frasier” (Paramount+)
“Loot” (Apple TV+)
“Reservation Dogs” (FX)

Also Consider This:
“Bookie” (Max)
“Colin From Accounts” (Paramount+)
“We Are Lady Parts” (Peacock)

More Comedy Category Predictions:
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

View IndieWire’s full set of predictions for the 76th Emmy Awards.

Last Year’s Winner: “The Bear”
Still Eligible: Yes.
Hot Streak: There are already an assortment of shows that have won Outstanding Comedy Series at least two times in a row, so “The Bear” winning this year would just put it in the same company as some of the greats. “Curb Your Enthusiasm” receiving a nomination though would allow for the HBO series to tie for most nominations in the category. And, long shot, but if “Frasier” on Paramount+ wins, the Kelsey Grammer series would break its own record for most category wins of all time (a record it currently shares with “Modern Family”.)
Notable Ineligible Series: “Ted Lasso” (ended); “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (ended); “Barry” (ended); “Jury Duty” (Season 2 is not eligible); “Wednesday” (Season 2 is not eligible)

Best of IndieWire

Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories