There seems to be an endless glut of new comedy series arriving on your TV screens and mobile devices, which is why the Emmy Awards are so important in today’s climate — they informs viewers which ones are actually worth watching. Last year just one first-season show earned a coveted nomination for Best Comedy Series: “Russian Doll.” In 2018 there were no less than three: “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (which won), “Barry” and “GLOW.” And in 2017, “Atlanta” was the sole freshman program recognized. According to Gold Derby’s Emmy Experts from major media outlets, “Run” has the best shot of earning a 2020 series bid among all of this season’s newbies.
The HBO comedy stars two-time Emmy winner Merritt Wever (“Nurse Jackie,” “Godless”) and Tony nominee Domhnall Gleeson (“The Lieutenant of Inishmore”) as a pair of ex-lovers who drop everything and travel the country together after making a pact years earlier. Executive producer Phoebe Waller-Bridge of “Fleabag” fame is just one of the many eccentric guest stars the couple meets along their high-octane journey.
As of this writing, 13 of our 23 Emmy Experts predict “Run” will be nominated for Best Comedy Series: Thelma Adams (Gold Derby), Jen Chaney (Vulture), Tim Gray (Variety), Chris Harnick (E!), Kelly Lawler (USA Today), Ed Martin (Media Village), Mary Murphy (Gold Derby), Tom O’Neil (Gold Derby), Robert Rorke (New York Post), Kaitlin Thomas (TVGuide.com), Ben Travers (Indiewire), Ken Tucker (Yahoo) and Susan Wloszczyna (Gold Derby).
That translates to 12/1 odds to win the top prize, behind six other shows: “Schitt’s Creek” (5/1 odds), “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (5/1 odds), “The Good Place” (7/1 odds), “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (17/2 odds), “Dead to Me” (10/1) and “Ramy” (12/1). Rounding out our Experts’ Top 10 likely nominees are “The Kominsky Method” (15/1 odds), “Better Things” (28/1 odds) and “Modern Family” (33/1 odds). Notice that all of these programs have been on the air for longer than a year, which means our Experts are convinced “Run” will be the only newcomer in the race. Gold Derby’s website Editors agree.
Season 1 of “Run” has a respectable 74 score on Metacritic and an 82% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. Of course, HBO has a rich history of claiming the Best Comedy Series prize thanks to “Sex and the City” (2001) and “Veep” (2015-17). The paycaster’s former nominated laffers include “The Larry Sanders Show,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Entourage,” “Flight of the Conchords,” “Girls,” “Silicon Valley” and “Barry.”
Other new comedies with an outside chance of getting in are “Space Force,” “High Fidelity,” “Little America,” “The Politician,” “Dickinson” and “The Great,” according to our Experts. However, all news shows have an uphill climb in reaching Emmy voters in the era of COVID-19. Because of the outbreak, there are no FYC sessions this awards season, no screenings, no meet-and-greets, etc. The TV academy also outlawed DVDs this year, so the only way networks and studios can sway the masses are by sending out email blasts with links to watch their content in online screening rooms.
Be sure to make your Emmy nominations predictions today so that Hollywood insiders can see how their shows and performers are faring in our odds. You can keep changing your predictions as often as you like until just before the nominees are announced on July 28. And join in the thrilling debate over the 2020 Emmy Awards taking place right now with Hollywood insiders in our TV forums. Read more Gold Derby entertainment news.
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