Emmy Predictions: Talk Series — Category Identity Still Struggle With Only Two Women Submitted for Consideration

Clayton Davis

12 May 2023 at 1:50 pm·4-min read

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UPDATED: May 25, 2023

2023 Emmy Predictions:
Outstanding Talk Series

Late Night with Seth Meyers — Host Seth Meyers does his opening monologue on NBC’s “Late Night With Seth Meyers.”

Weekly Commentary: The ongoing problems between talk series and scripted variety continue to show. With “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” moved out of this category and “The Problem with Jon Stewart” brought into it, both to the dismay of HBO and Apple.

This stance by the TV Academy has now presented a potential landscape for outstanding talk series where based on our tracking only 14 shows are vying for attention. Two women are among the white male landscape (and Trevor Noah who departed “The Daily Show”). That’s the price we pay when you cancel Samantha Bee and do not have kickass women in the late-night landscape (networks, please address).

Despite “The Amber Ruffin Show” having the DNA of a talk series, the past few years it had been among the scripted variety submissions. However, Peacock successfully petitioned to have her moved to the talk series category where she hopes to make history as the first Black woman to be nominated for her brief six-episode season.

The other could be the little-known “The Sisaundra Show” which was submitted last year and fits the eligibility criteria.

Fourteen submissions will yield four nominees based on Emmy rules.

The answer? Combine them once again until you have a landscape that warrants a large enough field.

Emmy Nominations voting runs from June 15-26. The Primetime Emmy nominations will be announced on July 12. Check back every Thursday for the latest updates. All information is preliminary and is subject to change.

And the Predicted Nominees Are:

“The Problem With Jon Stewart” (Apple TV+)
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS)
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC)
“Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC)

Next in Line

“The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” (Comedy Central)

Other Top-Tier Possibilities

“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC)
“The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS)
“The Amber Ruffin Show” (Peacock)
“Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” (Bravo)
“Real Time with Bill Maher” (HBO)

All Eligible Titles (Alphabetized by Network)**

“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC)
“The Problem With Jon Stewart” (Apple TV+)
“Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” (Bravo)
“The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” (Comedy Central)
“Hell of a Week with Charlamagne Tha God” (Comedy Central)
“The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS)
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS)
“Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC)
“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC)
“Real Time with Bill Maher” (HBO)
“The Amber Ruffin Show” (Peacock)
“Hart to Heart” (Peacock)
“Half in the Bag” (Red Letter Media)
“The Sisaundra Show” (Southview Africa)

** This official list and/or category submission is not yet complete or confirmed and is subject to change.

2022 category winner: “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (HBO) — John Oliver, Tim Carvell and Liz Stanton, executive producers; Jeremy Tchaban, co-executive producer; Catherine Owens and Christopher Werner, supervising producers; Laura L. Griffin, Kate Mullaney, Matt Passet, Marian Wang and Charles Wilson, producers

Emmy Awards Predictions Categories

Creative Arts and Other Emmy Categories

About the Primetime Emmy Awards

The Primetime Emmy Awards, better known as the Emmys, are given out by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). Since 1949, the awards have recognized excellence in American primetime television programming. They are divided into three classes – Primetime Emmy Awards, the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards (honors artisan achievements), and the Primetime Engineering Emmy Awards (recognizes significant engineering and technological contributions). The typical eligibility period is between June 1 and May 31 of any given year. The Television Academy comprises over 25,000 members, representing 30 professional peer groups, including performers, directors, producers, art directors, artisans, and executives.

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2023 Emmy Predictions:Outstanding Talk Series