Drama is competitive, comedy is wide open: The 2018 Emmy nominations

The nominees for the 70th annual Emmy awards were unveiled Thursday morning, kicking off the annual derby to predict who will go home winners on Sept. 17. It’s also a chance to complain about who was left out in the cold by the Emmy voters. With so many television shows out there, not to mention all the stuff streaming these days, there is a guarantee some of your favorite shows, and performances, got shut out. So how did things shake out when Ryan Eggold and Samira Wiley read out the nominees? Here are some notable highlights, intriguing nominations and, yes, snubs.

The comedy side of things was bound to be interesting this year. “Veep” did not air during the eligibility window, which means its dominance of the awards will not continue due to its absence. (Somebody other than Julia Louis-Dreyfus is going to win an Emmy!) Since the also once-dominant “Modern Family” is now running on fumes and didn’t see a single nom go its way, the landscape of TV comedy feels fresher than it has in years (outside of “Veep”) with shows like “Barry,” “Atlanta” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” all breaking the model of the traditional sitcom. 

HBO’s “Barry” seems like exactly the kind of show that could end up making a splash with Emmy voters in 2018. It’s a dark comedy with a lot of dramatic elements, and it stars a big name in Bill Hader, who got a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Henry Winkler also picked up a supporting nod for his delightful work in “Barry” as acting teacher Gene Cousineau. 

Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” also seems like a fresh face getting a lot of love. Rachel Brosnahan feels like the early favorite to win Lead Actress, although she will have to beat notable names like Allison Janney (“Mom”) and Lily Tomlin (“Grace and Frankie”). Although it worth noting, that’s only because both Ellie Kemper (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”) and Alison Brie (“GLOW”) were snubbed despite amazing turns in streaming comedies. Both would have been deserving winners. 

“GLOW” did get a surprise Outstanding Comedy Series nomination (eight shows, instead of the usual seven, got nods), and Betty Gilpin is deservedly up for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as wrestling and soap star Debbie Eagan. 

All that said, in truth “Atlanta” has to be the favorite as the current “prestige comedy” of the moment. Donald Glover is unavoidable and seems like a great bet for the Lead Actor award, especially after the incredibly dynamic “Teddy Perkins” episode. 

By the way, Ted Danson got a nomination for “The Good Place,” a welcome replacement to where “Modern Family” usually took up slots in the nominations, so some good things definitely occurred on the comedy side of the ballot. 

Drama is much murkier. Last year, there was no “Game of Thrones.” This year, there is “Game of Thrones,” not to mention “The Handmaid’s Tale” (which won last year), “Westworld” and “Stranger Things.” Oh, and also network darling “This Is Us” and the final season of “The Americans,” which more than rewarded fans with an amazing send-off in its final episodes. It’s going to be a crazy year for drama.

Frankly, it’s almost easier to tell you the nominees not from one of those shows, like Jason Bateman for “Ozark.” Tatiana Maslany, who plays several different characters on “Orphan Black,” has one more chance at winning another Emmy. She just has to try and beat Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”), Evan Rachel Wood (“Westworld”), Keri Russell (“The Americans”) and Claire Foy (“The Crown”). Good luck with that, Tatiana.

All of which makes it kind of tricky to parse the drama side of things. On the one hand, it should be competitive. So many people, and shows, feel like plausible winners. On the other hand, if you aren’t into that handful of shows, the stuff you love has no chance; it probably didn’t even get a nomination. For example, AMC’s “Halt and Catch Fire” had a great final season, yet was completely shut out.

That being said, “At Home with Amy Sedaris” is up for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series. The fact Amy Sedaris got to make a show entirely owing to her insane sensibilities and got an Emmy nomination for it is a delight. Sometimes the Emmys can surprise us in wonderful ways.