2024 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Talk Series

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.

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The State of the Race

It is good that the Television Academy recently removed the word “variety” from the title of the Outstanding Talk Series category, but the nominations year-to-year have been anything but. Conversations around this get complicated because, in theory, it’s voters’ jobs to recognize what they think is ultimately the best show, but many people argue that that’s been much more variable than what is suggested by the past two decades of winners.

Last year was meant to be a fresh start. Gone from the category was “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” which won seven years in a row. But the TV Academy was ultimately convinced by the argument that it was unfair for the HBO series that only airs once a week, and is based more around scripted segments, to compete with the late night programs that have to put on five shows a week, and are more interview-focused.

Ultimately, in Oliver’s absence, the category went right back to honoring “The Daily Show.” The argument could be made that voters wanted to honor Trevor Noah in his final season hosting the landmark Comedy Central series, but it is also hard to say they ever stopped honoring it. Since 2003, the only late night hosts outside of Jon Stewart to win the category are Noah, Oliver, and Stephen Colbert, who were all “The Daily Show” correspondents during Stewart’s historic Emmy-winning run.

With that kind of chokehold the legacy of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” has had on this Emmys category, it feels like there is no question the show will win again for this more recent season where, in the absence of securing a new full-time host, they convinced Stewart to come back for the Monday episodes.

But the consequence of the cable series’ total dominance of the Outstanding Talk Series is that without the incentive of winning awards, it does feel like the broadcast nominees are on their last legs. Much of the conversation around late night has been what will happen when the hosts leave? We already have seen James Corden exit, and CBS give his old timeslot to variety series “After Midnight.” Networks like NBC and ABC have given no indication of what the follow up plan would be if Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, or Seth Meyers were to ever stop hosting their shows.

It would be worst case scenario, but it is beginning to feel like with both Outstanding Talk Series and Outstanding Scripted Variety Series, “The Daily Show” and “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” will just win every year until the shows they compete against die out.

Nominees are listed in order of their likelihood to win.

Power Rankings:

1. “The Daily Show” (Comedy Central)

2. “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS)

3. “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC)

4. “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC)

Will Win: “The Daily Show”
Could Win: “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”
Should Win: “Late Night with Seth Meyers”

More Category Predictions:
Outstanding Animated Program
Outstanding Scripted Variety Series
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special

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

Last Year’s Winner: “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah”
Still Eligible: Yes, but without Trevor Noah.
Hot Streak: Though the most recent Emmys were the first time ever that Trevor Noah’s “The Daily Show” won the Emmy, “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and/or its previous correspondents have won the category each year since 2003.
Notable Ineligible Series: “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (submitted as a Scripted Variety Series); “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (ended); “Hell of a Week with Charlamagne Tha God” (ended)

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