2024 PGA Awards Stick with Past TV Favorites, but Change Is Coming

“Succession,” “The Bear,” and “Beef.” If this group of names sounds familiar, dear readers, then you too may have an addiction to awards shows. (Don’t worry: The only unwanted side effects are fatigue and making far too granular references to Pedro Pascal at dinner parties.) HBO’s outgoing drama series, “Succession,” FX and Hulu’s surging pseudo-comedy, “The Bear,” and Netflix’s one-and-done limited series “Beef” have dominated the winter awards cycle. It was “Succession,” “The Bear,” and “Beef” winning Best Series trophies at the Emmys. The Golden Globe Awards honored the same trio in the same categories, and even Saturday’s SAG ceremony — where Pedro Pascal stole the spotlight as easily as he stole his table-mate’s shoes — saw “The Bear,” “Beef,” and, yes, “Succession” triumph in major categories.

So for anyone who stayed up to discover the TV winners at Sunday’s 35th Annual PGA Awards, the big winners were no surprise: “Succession” took home the Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Drama, “The Bear” snagged its second-straight Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Comedy, and “Beef” was honored with the David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Limited or Anthology Series Television.

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“Succession,” “The Bear,” and “Beef.” Again.

For as dull as a lack of competition makes awards shows, at least these three are deserving winners. “Succession” is one of the best dramas on a network known for the best dramas. “The Bear” started strong and only got better in its second season. “Beef” is a searing, personal, original story that became a global hit. Over the years, we’ve seen too many mediocre shows trot off with top honors to be upset about the same excellent programs earning recognition from every corner of Hollywood.

But for my fellow sickos out there — those of you who tune in to the SAG Awards not just for the pretty gowns or jubilant speeches, but to see how Netflix handles its first live awards show (turns out: not well!) — never fear. Change is coming. The PGA Awards are the last major TV award of the winter, and as spring turns to summer, so, too, do the Emmy Awards turn over a new leaf.

Only seven of the 15 programs nominated for Best Drama, Comedy, and Limited Series are expected to be eligible for the 2024 Emmys — and only one of last night’s winners. Technically, “The Bear” won its Emmys at this year’s strike-delayed ceremony for its first season, meaning its widely hailed Season 2 is what voters should be considering when it’s time to vote this summer. Whether they’ll be thinking of “Forks” or whatever Season 3 cooks up is anyone’s guess, but FX and Hulu are racing to get another season out along a similar schedule as the first two, in part to keep up the show’s awards momentum.

That bodes well for “The Bear’s” chances of repeating, but it’s the only member of the trio that can. With “Succession” ending and “Beef” not coming back for a second season, the old winners are out and new blood is coming in hot. Only six other PGA nominees are even eligible for September’s Emmys: “Only Murders in the Building,” “The Morning Show,” “The Crown,” “Lessons in Chemistry,” “All the Light We Cannot See,” and “Fargo.” The last three are limited series, and while all three have proven themselves popular this winter, they’ll face the stiffest competition from new releases like “True Detective: Night Country,” “Masters of the Air,” “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans,” “The Regime,” “Shōgun,” “Ripley,” and “The Sympathizer,” just to name a few. Even “Beef” would have reason to fear some of those titles.

The Drama categories have a lot of space to fill. Seven of the eight Best Drama Series nominees are no longer eligible. Only “The Crown” can submit again, and while it and “The Morning Show” overcame critical pans to earn recognition this winter, and they’ll have an even easier path toward glory at the Emmys. Whether it’s due to production delays pushing back release dates or unannounced projects waiting in the wings for a late run, the field is light. Some expect previously overlooked programs like “The Gilded Age,” “Slow Horses,” and “Loki” to step into the open nominations’ slots, but there are also new series like Emma Stone’s Showtime stunner, “The Curse,” Apple’s Colin Farrell-starrer “Sugar,” and the “Game of Thrones” creators’ Netflix follow-up, “3 Body Problem” for voters to consider.

Still, not everything will change in the year ahead. Looking outside the three major categories, the PGA Awards honored “Welcome To Wrexham” with its award for Nonfiction Television; “Last Week Tonight” took home its umpteenth trophy for Variety series; “RuPaul’s Drag Race” remains queen of the runway, and “Sesame Street” is the adults’ pick for best Children’s Program. None of these are surprises, and all of these should be in contention for years to come — at the PGA Awards, as well as the other guild awards and the Emmys.

Unlike its film honors — which tend to line up with the Oscar winners — the Producers Guild Awards aren’t typically a bellwether for TV’s highest honor. The PGA tends to echo, not predict, what the Emmys, SAG, and/or Globes have already done, which makes sense, given theirs is an award for success as much as quality. Come this time next year, we may be talking about another familiar batch of winners, but in most cases, those winners won’t be these winners. And that’s something to look forward to, at least for awards season weirdos like us.

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