2019 Emmy Picks: Limited Series and TV Movies

I have some time this summer, so I’m resurrecting this series where I try to predict who will be the nominees at this year’s Emmy Awards. With a lot of last year’s nominees ineligible, in theory it will be easy to predict who the Academy will make room for. But it probably won’t, especially in loaded categories like Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie. Check out my picks for the Limited Series and TV Movie categories below.

chernobyl
LIMITED SERIES
Chernobyl (HBO)
Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)
Fosse/Verdon (FX)
Sharp Objects (HBO)
True Detective (HBO)
When They See Us (Netflix)

Potential Spoilers:
The Act (Hulu)
Catch-22 (Hulu)
Good Omens (Amazon)
I Am the Night (TNT)
The Little Drummer Girl (AMC)
Maniac (Netflix)
A Very English Scandal (Amazon)

In my dreams: N/A

The skinny: Despite a lot of acclaimed shows, this is down to two that premiered in late May: HBO’s Chernobyl and Netflix’s When They See Us. Both are big downers with extreme attention to detail about real-life tragedies. Chernobyl has the lead, simply because more people have actually seen it, but this will be close.

Fionn Whitehead in Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
TV MOVIE
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (Netflix)
Brexit (HBO)
Deadwood (HBO)
King Lear (Amazon)
Native Son (HBO)

Potential Spoilers:
Icebox (HBO)
O.G. (HBO)

In my dreams: N/A

The skinny: Black Mirror has won the last two years, so I’m not expecting that to change now, especially with the technical accomplishment of Bandersnatch.

Mahershala Ali in True Detective
ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Mahershala Ali, True Detective
Jared Harris, Chernobyl
Benicio Del Toro, Escape at Dannemora
Hugh Grant, A Very English Scandal
Anthony Hopkins, King Lear
Sam Rockwell, Fosse/Verdon

Potential Spoilers:
Benedict Cumberbatch, Brexit
Peter Dinklage, My Dinner with Hervé
Jamie Foxx, Live in Front of a Studio Audience
Woody Harrelson, Live in Front of a Studio Audience
Jonah Hill, Maniac
Jharrel Jerome, When They See Us
John Malkovich, Agatha Christie’s ABC Murders
Ian McShane, Deadwood
Ashton Sanders, Native Son
Michael Shannon, The Little Drummer Girl
Alexander Skarsgard, The Little Drummer Girl
Jeffrey Wright, O.G.

In my dreams: Timothy Olyphant, Deadwood

The skinny: An extremely stacked category, but this is Ali’s to lose. He’s tremendous in the role, and just won an Oscar for being the only good part of Green Book.

Amy Adams in Sharp Objects
ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Amy Adams, Sharp Objects
Patricia Arquette, Escape at Dannemora
Joey King, The Act
Florence Pugh, The Little Drummer Girl
Emma Stone, Maniac
Michelle Williams, Fosse/Verdon

Potential Spoilers:
Connie Britton, Dirty John
Aunjanue Ellis, When They See Us
Niecy Nash, When They See Us

In my dreams: Paula Malcomson or Molly Parker, Deadwood

The skinny: While Adams has had this locked down since last summer, a late surge from Patricia Arquette and Michelle Williams could mean she loses yet another award. But I wouldn’t bet on it.

Benicio Del Toro and Paul Dano in Escape at Dannemora
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Kyle Chandler, Catch-22
George Clooney, Catch-22
Paul Dano, Escape at Dannemora
Stephen Dorff, True Detective
Chris Messina, Sharp Objects
Stellan Skarsgard, Chernobyl
Ben Whishaw, A Very English Scandal

Potential Spoilers:
Jovan Adepo, When They See Us
Norbert Leo Butz, Fosse/Verdon
Chris Chalk, When They See Us
Justin Cunningham, When They See Us
Omar J. Dorsey, When They See Us
Christopher Jackson, When They See Us
John Leguizamo, When They See Us
Scoot McNairy, True Detective
Gerald McRaney, Deadwood
Freddy Miyares, When They See Us
Marquis Rodriguez, When They See Us
Blair Underwood, When They See Us
Michael K. Williams, When They See Us

In my dreams: John Hawkes, Deadwood

The skinny: Literally any combination of actors from When They See Us could wind up here, but right now it’s hard to tell. That means I have no idea who would win based on this line-up or even how it might look when the nominations are announced.

Patricia Arquette and Joey King in The Act
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Patricia Arquette, The Act
Patricia Clarkson, Sharp Objects
Sally Field, Maniac
Eliza Scanlen, Sharp Objects
Sissy Spacek, Castle Rock
Emma Thompson, King Lear

Potential Spoilers:
Marsha Stephanie Blake, When They See Us
Jessie Buckley, Chernobyl
Kylie Bunbury, When They See Us
Suzzanne Douglas, When They See Us
Carmen Ejogo, True Detective
Vera Farmiga, When They See Us
Joaquina Kalukango, When They See Us
Isis King, When They See Us
Adepero Oduye, When They See Us
Aurora Perrineau, When They See Us
Dascha Polanco, When They See Us
Emily Watson, Chernobyl

In my dreams: Kim Dickens or Robin Weigert, Deadwood

The skinny: Same goes for this category, featuring mostly older actresses getting the kinds of juicy parts the movies seemingly don’t offer anymore. This is Arquette’s best chance at winning, but she’ll have to face off against another Patricia to do it. (Scanlen actually gives the best performance on Sharp Objects, but that’s another story, and she’s the likeliest to miss the cut.)

Timothy Olyphant in Deadwood
WRITING FOR A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
Chernobyl
Deadwood
Fosse/Verdon (“Providence”)
Sharp Objects (“Milk”)
When They See Us (“Part Four”)

Potential Spoilers:
Catch-22
Escape at Dannemora (“Episode 6” / “Episode 7”)
Maniac (“Utangatta”)
True Detective (“If You Have Ghosts”)

Ineligible: American Vandal 

In my dreams: N/A

The skinny: While Black Mirror has won the last two awards here, I think this is a chance for the Academy to right its wrongs and finally give an award to Deadwood, which only has one major award on its mantle (for Walter Hill’s direction of the pilot episode). While on the air, it was consistently one of the best-written shows on the air. Of course, the movie itself could just find itself shafted yet again.

Jherrel Jerome in When They See Us
DIRECTING FOR A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
Chernobyl
Deadwood
Escape at Dannemora
Fosse/Verdon (“Glory”)
Sharp Objects
When They See Us

Potential Spoilers:
Catch-22 (“Episode 2” / “Episode 5”)
Fosse/Verdon (“Who’s Got the Pain”)
I Am the Night (Pilot episode)
The Little Drummer Girl
Maniac
True Detective (“The Final Country” / “If You Have Ghosts”)

In my dreams: The Haunting of Hill House

The skinny: Like the Series award itself, there’s an endless number of permutations, but this is the likeliest line-up. Ava DuVernay should start getting a stirring speech ready.

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