“Shogun” could be in for an epic night, “The Bear” could clean up for the second time in less than a year, and “Baby Reindeer” has gone from dark horse to contender as the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards arrive on Sunday.
Back in their traditional mid-September spot after a single strike-delayed edition in January, the Emmys will air live on ABC from the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles. The father and son duo of Eugene and Dan Levy, the winning stars of the 2020 Emmys with their show “Schitt's Creek,” will host.
Here's a look at how the evening could play out across the major categories.
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How to watch and stream the Emmys
The show begins at 8 p.m. Eastern and is being shown live on ABC, which is available with an antenna or through cable and satellite providers.
The Emmys can be also streamed live through live TV streaming services that include ABC in their lineup, like Hulu+ Live TV, YouTube TV and FuboTV. For those without a live TV streaming service, the show will be streaming Monday on Hulu.
Who's nominated for drama series at the Emmys
It may be impossible to slow the roll of “Shogun.”
With its 14 wins at the precursor Creative Arts Emmy Awards last weekend, the FX series about lordly politicking in feudal Japan has already set a record for most Emmys for a single season of a series.
On Sunday night it can extend its record by six, and industry prognosticators are predicting it will get them all.
The show seized all the Emmy power in the top categories by shifting from the limited series to the drama category in May when it began developing more seasons. And it was in some ways Emmy royalty from the start. During the golden age of the miniseries, the original 1980 “Shogun,” based on James Clavell's historical novel, won three including best limited series.
If it faces any competition at all for the best drama prize, it could come for the sixth and final season of “The Crown,” the only show among the nominees that has won before in a category recently dominated by the retired “Succession.”
Veteran screen star Hiroyuki Sanada, up for best actor, and Anna Sawai, up for best actress, are in position to become the first Japanese actors to win Emmys.
Sanada could face a challenge from Gary Oldman, who has been quietly creating one of his career defining roles on Apple TV+ as schlubby spy chief Jackson Lamb on “Slow Horses.”
Sawai's competition comes from Emmy luminary Jennifer Aniston of “The Morning Show,” who has only won once before in 10 nominations. Imelda Staunton could win her first for playing Queen Elizabeth II on “The Crown.”
The comedy landscape at the Emmys
This looks to be the year of FX, which is also in for a likely victory lap for “The Bear."
“The Bear” took most of the big comedy Emmys home in January for its first season, and is expected to do the same Sunday for its second, which includes nominations for best comedy series, best actor for Jeremy Allen White and best supporting actor for Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
Ayo Edebiri, reigning best supporting actress, moves to the lead actress category for a character who is essentially a co-lead on the culinary dramedy. That means she'll be up against Jean Smart, a two-time winner in the category for “Hacks” who is back in the competition after a year off.
Meryl Streep, among several Academy Award winners among the night's nominees, could win her fourth Emmy to go with her three Oscars. She's up for best supporting actress in a comedy for “Only Murders in the Building.”
Limited series categories at the Emmys
Another multiple Oscar winner, Jodie Foster, could get her first Emmy for best actress in a limited series for “True Detective: Night Country.”
The HBO show that features Foster as a police chief investigating mysterious deaths in the darkness of a north Alaskan winter was the top nominee among limited or anthology series. Kali Reis could become the first Indigenous woman to win an Emmy in the supporting actress category.
A few months ago it looked as though the show would vie with “Fargo” for the top prizes, but Netflix's darkly quirky “Baby Reindeer” surged on the eve of nominations and is now the popular pick for best limited series, best actor for creator and star Richard Gadd and best supporting actress for the woman who plays his tormentor, Jessica Gunning.
Gadd's category also includes Andrew Scott for Netflix's “Ripley," and Jon Hamm, who has two shots at winning his second Emmy between his nomination here for “Fargo” and for supporting actor in a drama for “The Morning Show.”
