Milo Ventimiglia, "This Is Us"
Chrissy Metz, "This Is Us"
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Game of Thrones"
Tracee Ellis Ross, "Black-ish"
Sarah Paulson, "American Horror Story: Cult"
Jeff Daniels, "The Looming Tower"
Sean Hayes, "Will and Grace"
Michelle Dockery, "Godless"
Edgar Ramirez, "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story"
"Twin Peaks" (Showtime)
"The Handmaid's Tale" (Hulu)
Louie Anderson, "Baskets"
Kate McKinnon, "Saturday Night Live"
Debra Messing, "Will and Grace"
Eric McCormack, "Will and Grace"
Emilia Clarke, “Game of Thrones”
"Godless" (Netflix)
Here's one final stab at guessing the major categories.
Jeff Daniels, "Godless"
Lead Actor – Comedy Series
Betty Gilpin, "GLOW"
Pamelon Adlon, "Better Things"
Lead Actress – Comedy Series
Jason Bateman, "Ozark"
Lead Actor – Limited Series/TV Movie
Titus Burgess, "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"
Anthony Anderson, "Black-ish"
"Game of Thrones" (HBO)
Supporting Actress – Limited Series/TV Movie
Supporting Actress – Comedy Series
Donald Glover, "Atlanta"
Millie Bobby Brown, "Stranger Things"
Rita Moreno, "One Day at a Time"
Multiple players from "Gianni Versace" and "The Looming Tower" are taking aim here. In fact, nearly the whole slate could be filled out with stars from the latter. The only contender that could really shake things up is Brandon Victor Dixon from "Jesus Christ Superstar," but Michael Shannon is often an awards favorite even when the project isn't, so he's a possibility with "Fahrenheit 451." And if voters can get past the ick factor, Jason Ritter could even find a spot for his unsettling turn in "The Tale."
"Howards End" (Starz)
Freddie Highmore, "The Good Doctor"
This category is absolute murder to predict this year. Shalhoub and Winkler are respected vets expected to cruise into the lineup, while former winner Hayes is a strong bet to return to the fray. And of course, Burgess is a perennial at this point. Henry ought to find love in a category that boxed him out last year, but Marc Maron ("GLOW") could fall either way depending on how much "GLOW" galvanizes voters; perhaps they'll make him wait for the even-better second season. Recent winners like Anderson and Alec Baldwin ("Saturday Night Live") could end up on the outside looking in. Even without "Veep," this bench is deep.
"Flint" (Lifetime)
Jon Voight, "Ray Donovan"
Sterling K. Brown, "This Is Us"
Drama Series
Television Movie
Lead Actor – Drama Series
Lead Actress – Limited Series/TV Movie
"Paterno" (HBO)
Lead Actress – Drama Series
Hayley Atwell, "Howards End"
Ann Dowd, "The Handmaid's Tale"
In all likelihood, however, we'll be looking at a slate of previous nominees this year. Netflix is battling to find room for one of its new programs, like "Manhunter" or "Ozark," but return bids for "The Crown" and "Stranger Things" are more likely. The only new series that has a fighting shot otherwise is AMC's "Killing Eve," a binge-watching hit with a dedicated fanbase.
The story here will be Hulu expanding its Emmy game with "The Looming Tower," a new potential for awards success after scoring with "The Handmaid's Tale" last year. And if "Twin Peaks" misses the cut (it could), expect rioting from David Lynch's obsessed fanbase. This feels like the likely quintet but programs such as "Genius: Picasso" (NatGeo), "Patrick Melrose" (Showtime) and "Top of the Lake: China Girl" (Sundance) are in the mix as well.
"Westworld" (HBO)
"The Tale" (HBO)
Megan Mullally, "Will and Grace"
"Atlanta" (FX)
Comedy Series
Matthew Rhys, "The Americans"
Leslie Jones ("Saturday Night Live") and D'Arcy Carden ("The Good Place") are outside possibilities as well. The weakest links here are probably Metcalf (in a show canceled in the wake of Roseanne Barr's Twitter meltdown) and Moreno (in a program that hasn't yet taken off with voters). "Arrested Development" star Jessica Walter could stir up enough support — and, after that New York Times interview, sympathy — to land in the field for the first time in over a decade.
"Silicon Valley" (HBO)
Alexis Bledel, "The Handmaid's Tale"
Al Pacino, "Paterno"
Elisabeth Moss, "The Handmaid's Tale"
Penelope Cruz, "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story"
Nicole Kidman, "Top of the Lake: China Girl"
Darren Criss, "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story"
This is more or less the expected lineup, but former two-time winner Uzo Aduba ("Orange is the New Black") is always a possibility. Vanessa Kirby from "The Crown" or Yvonne Strahovski from "The Handmaid's Tale" could also rally support.
Tony Shalhoub, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"
Supporting Actor – Comedy Series
"Black Mirror: USS Callister" (Netflix)
She could even be joined by co-star Jodie Comer. We'll take a flier on Oh representing the popular underdog "Killing Eve," edging out contenders like Laura Linney ("Ozark") and Mandy Moore ("This Is Us"). Clarke will ride back into battle after "Game of Thrones" took a breather last year; then it's all returning nominees after that.
Keri Russell, "The Americans"
"This Is Us" (NBC)
Peter Dinklage, "Game of Thrones"
Bill Hader, "Barry"
Thandie Newton, "Westworld"
"The Crown" (Netflix)
Lena Headey, "Game of Thrones"
Justin Hartley, "This Is Us"
Laurie Metcalf, "Roseanne"
Jessica Biel, "The Sinner"
Sandra Oh, “Killing Eve”
Jennifer Jason Leigh, "Patrick Melrose"
Laura Dern, "The Tale"
Brian Tyree Henry, "Atlanta"
Henry Winkler, "Barry"
Benedict Cumberbatch, "Patrick Melrose"
Rachel Brosnahan, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"
Banderas and Pacino are safe bets, along with Daniels (a likely double nominee this year with his supporting "Godless" performance in play as well). Virtuoso performances from Criss and Cumberbatch lead the way here. We'll lean to the former. Meanwhile, Legend or Kyle MacLachlan ("Twin Peaks") could really liven things up.
Brandon Victor Dixon, "Jesus Christ Superstar"
Supporting Actor – Drama Series
Mandy Patinkin, "Homeland"
"The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story" (FX)
Peter Sarsgaard, "The Looming Tower"
Elisabeth Moss, “Top of the Lake: China Girl”
"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" (Amazon)
Supporting Actress – Drama Series
Claire Foy, "The Crown"
John Legend, "Jesus Christ Superstar"
Not to mention Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin from "Grace and Frankie," or Frankie Shaw in Showtime's new series "SMILF." Ellie Kemper hasn't missed for "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" yet so maybe it's unwise to leave her out, but with Messing returning, and Brie and Brosnahan charging in with popular new series, the lineup starts to get tight.
"Fahrenheit 451" (HBO)
Michael Stuhlbarg, "The Looming Tower"
Macy, "Shameless" William H.
Supporting Actor – Limited Series/TV Movie
Zach Galifianakis, "Baskets"
"Black-ish" (ABC)
"Modern Family" (ABC)
In this, a category that's embarrassingly thin and should be rethought as a separate arena, expect HBO to be dominant as ever. If anything is poised to surprise it could be one of two episodes eligible from Amazon's anthology series "Philip K. The cable network has three strong contenders, including one that was a critical dud but may slide in anyway ("Fahrenheit 451") and one acquired out of Sundance in a game-changing move for the Emmy landscape ("The Tale"). Dick's Electric Dreams."
Merritt Wever, "Godless"
"Barry" (HBO)
David Harbour, "Stranger Things"
Allison Janney, "Mom"
Judith Light, "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story"
Bill Camp, "The Looming Tower"
Alison Brie, "GLOW"
"Stranger Things" star Noah Schnapp is a popular pick among prognosticators, so maybe Voight isn't quite on cruise control and is due a miss. Or maybe "Game of Thrones" won't be able to secure two spots in the lineup, leaving Coster-Waldau on the outside. The strongest bets are Dinklage, Harbour and Patinkin. There are about 15 names that could end up on the ballot here, so who knows what the right combination will be?
"The Looming Tower" (Hulu)
Hader is the new kid on the block while McCormack is back with the revived "Will and Grace." Matt LeBlanc ("Episodes") and Larry David ("Curb Your Enthusiasm") are also in the mix repping revivals, while Ted Danson is still looking for a notice in NBC's critically adored "The Good Place." A drastic shake-up is unlikely, so maybe Galifianakis holds on after landing a nomination last year.
Liev Schreiber, "Ray Donovan"
Maisel" Alex Borstein, "The Marvelous Mrs.
Evan Rachel Wood, "Westworld"
It feels like this category has firmed up, but never count out an Academy favorite like Edie Falco ("Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders").
Angela Lansbury, "Little Women"
Laura Dern will be angling for a double nomination to go along with her sure-fire bid for "The Tale," but how much will voters really embrace "Twin Peaks"? Sharon Stone is an outside possibility for HBO's "Mosaic." If anyone is a weak link in the lineup it might be Leigh, overshadowed by Cumberbatch's tour-de-force work.” />
This year's Primetime Emmy Awards nominations are set to be unveiled Thursday, after another noisy season of campaigning with plenty of drama to go around. There are several new series looking for the embrace of the Television Academy, and still more returning after hiatuses long and short. What kind of a mixture will we be looking at on final ballots?
Simmons, lurking on the bubble for his dual portrayal in "Counterpart." "Westworld" players Ed Harris and Jeffrey Wright got the bump up to lead from supporting this year, but that just leaves them facing a more competitive field here. Newcomers Bateman and Highmore have their sights set on a couple of spots in the lineup, but watch out for J.K.
"The Americans" (FX)
Antonio Banderas, "Genius: Picasso"
Limited Series
Maisel") all have strong contenders. There are a number of revivals to consider as well, from ABC's embattled "Roseanne" (unlikely) and NBC's "Will and Grace" (more likely), to Showtime's "Episodes" and, maybe the strongest of the lot, HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Perhaps one of them or a critical darling like NBC's "The Good Place" or Netflix's "One Day at a Time" will finally unseat "Modern Family." HBO ("Barry"), Netflix ("GLOW") and Amazon ("The Marvelous Mrs. In contrast to the drama category, this year's comedy field promises to be popping with debut series.
"GLOW" (Netflix)
"Stranger Things" (Netflix)