2017 Emmy Predictions: Comedy Series — Can Atlanta take down Veep?

Freshman series Atlanta and returning nominee black-ish will give Veep a run for its money in the race for Outstanding Comedy Series

Unlike its Drama counterpart, Outstanding Comedy Series is a relatively weak category this year that won't have much change from last year. Two-time winner Veep will get back in and is the frontrunner to win. However, there are a couple contenders that are looking to challenge it. One newcomer and one previous nominee that is hoping to find its footing this year.

However, I want to start off with two dark horse candidates that I don't think people are talking about enough. The first is NBC's The Good Place. It premiered to great reviews and solid ratings despite its odd premise of a recently deceased woman who was sent to a type of heaven called “the good place” despite her less than good behavior in life. Emmy favorite Ted Danson stars alongside Kristen Bell, which gives it a higher profile. With three surprise TCA nominations under its belt — Achievement in Comedy, New Program, and Individual Achievement in Comedy for Bell — and NBC without a clear comedy contender, The Good Place could be a major contender none of us were paying attention to. The other dark horse — to a lesser extent — is Amazon's Catastrophe. Stars Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney were nominated for writing last year, which means the show is on the Emmys radar. But what makes this a more intriguing contender is its network. Amazon Prime has had great success with Transparent the last couple years and is looking for another series to breakthrough. Catastrophe already has a foot in the door. With the right campaign, it can step all the way in.

Joining Veep in the lineup, and giving it some stiff competition, is black-ish. In terms of awards, the show had its best year yet with three Golden Globe nominations — series, actor, and a win in actress for Tracee Ellis Ross — and two SAG nominations — ensemble and actor. Last year at the Emmys, the show nabbed three nominations but missed out on a writing and directing nominations despite being favored to. Smartly, the show only submitted one episode in each category, so it'll have a better chance this year. If you see the show nab a nomination in either of those categories, then watch out for it for the win.

A new contender, and another show giving Veep some chase is Donald Glover's Atlanta. After winning the Globe for Comedy Series and nabbing four TCA nominations, the FX series has certainly had a good run of the season so far. I think the question now shifts from “can it be nominated?” to “can it win?” If it overperforms in nominations — writing, directing, and supporting acting — then there is a good chance that it can do it.

After those three, the category essentially breaks down into the nominees from last year. I think that Master of None is set to have a good year following its writing win last year. Look for it to tick up in nominations. Silicon Valley seems to only grow in nominations — last year it hit a series high with 11. This year is looking to be no different. Amazon's Transparent has also been a solid Emmys player thus far winning three awards last year. The last spot is going to be tricky. Five-time winner Modern Family has slowly been declining in acclaim, ratings, and Emmy nominations. Last year, they received just two nominations. I find it hard to believe that it can hold on to a nomination in this category another year, which is why I'm predicting Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt to take the last spot.

There is a chance that sentiment takes Girls to a farewell nod. However, I think HBO is also going to be putting a lot of weight behind the acclaimed Insecure. Though I think it's going to have a better chance in lead actress in a comedy series, it can also surprise in this category.

Check out all our 2017 Emmy Predictions!

Predictions

Atlanta
black-ish
Master of None
Silicon Valley
Transparent
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Veep

Spoilers
Modern Family
Girls
Insecure

Dark Horses
The Good Place
Catastrophe