The ongoing surge of broadcast media continues to create spaces for new, inventive, creative, and original content. The concept of comedy is sculpted by social and cultural aspects, though streaming services have broken down the barriers of sharing new shows as quickly as they are manufactured. Due to the high rates of subjectivity around comedy, and how frequently comedy passes through different forms or phrases, competition among current comedy series increases the pressure from the public eye to overperform. The high demand for new and original comedy has been answered on a year-by-year basis as the market’s oversaturation has given way to a comedy series crafted with different senses of humor in mind, overarching across genres to continue to raise standards.
The Primetime Emmy Awards recognize the television series that can be viewed as exceedingly excellent among their peers. Per TIME, the award’s name itself — Emmy — directly plays on the Immy or a camera tube that was used for recording early TV shows prior to a significant breakthrough in broadcast technology. The Emmys pertain to American television and ceremoniously host a variety of categories, ranging from acting and animation to writing and directing. Each includes hand-picked nominees deemed worthy enough to be considered for a potential win. Winners being announced formally at the Primetime Emmy Awards themselves is one of the most exciting aspects of the show, leaving fans rooting for the success of their favorite series. Nominations and predictions often depict a tight race full of worthy candidates that foreshadow tough decisions made by the voting body of The Television Academy, while others spit a clear image of who has the probability of triumphantly claiming victory over others among their ranks. Per Variety, the Emmys are set to announce this year’s nominees on July 12. Before then, here are our predictions for Outstanding Comedy Series.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
5 Only Murders in the Building
Hulu
This cleverly written mystery-comedy brings together three unsuspecting strangers who set out to solve an alleged murder that’s taken place in the confines of their New York City apartment building. The Arconia, intricate and intriguing, unlocks clues as Mabel, Oliver, and Charles pursue the killer while documenting their investigation through a true-crime podcast parody. Only Murders in the Building is Hulu’s most intelligent comedy that reflects how the true-crime community has weaseled its way into the mainstream eye. As a newcomer to streaming in 2021, Only Murders in the Building has outshone itself on an episode-by-episode basis, diving head-first into themes of ageism and mental health while never losing sight of its comically suspenseful tone. A unique sense of sprightliness illuminates a new excitement around even the most melancholic of scenes, and its incredibly sly timing of dramatic cliffhangers plays into the impatience felt between each episode. Ghosts of classic crime and Agatha Christie-like influences are present enough to call out familiarity, though splashes of humor allow Only Murders in the Building to reclaim the rights of its own self-identity. Vibrant charm, sympathetic beats, and quirky laughs give Only Murders in the Building to raise standards and expectations for incoming comedy series.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
4 Ted Lasso
Apple TV+
Ted Lasso stands out as a genuinely feel-good, fish-out-of-water comedy series that praises the nature of the underdog. After Ted Lasso faces a career change from an American collegiate-level football coach to becoming a team manager for AFC Richmond in the English Premier Football League, this good-hearted comedy embraces the positivity of taking risks and truly wanting the success of others. Ted Lasso previously won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2021 and has every right to secure its victory for another awards season. Ted Lasso has carved itself out to be a truly memorable series that is easy to watch, thanks to its lightheartedness and its lessons of goodwill shared with all. Much like the main protagonist himself, the series internalizes the warmth and optimism that it is founded on. Ted Lasso’s humor is abrupt and effortlessly funny as its comedy naturally interweaves between feel-good moments. There’s an honest feel attached to the comedic aspect that towers above scripted skits or canned laughs. The series proudly boasts a message of hope while landing a few chuckles along the way.
3 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Challenging the limitations of comedy in 1950s New York City, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel nurtures the spirit of embracing talents despite any odds or challenges that may feel daunting. Visually dazzling and charged with an empowering spirit, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel earns the right to lead the charge for a comedic win. The series has previously secured several Primetime Emmy wins in many categories, including three in the Outstanding Comedy Series, which attest to the quality of the series throughout each of its recurring seasons. It isn’t often that period comedy series retain the retention of the public for long, though this series, in particular, earns its spotlight. Snappy one-liners and self-actualization are touched with verve as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel labors hard to upkeep the reputation it has created for itself. Women in comedy have often been overlooked and belittled, and the series keeps the spirit of ambition on the front burner. As the glutton of streaming services threatens to cannibalize comedy, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel indulges its entertaining essence as each season sees itself through. Satirical jabs against the birth of popular culture and mesmerizing works of cinematography insist that time spent with Mrs. Midge Maisel is simply marvelous.
2 Curb Your Enthusiasm
HBO
Larry David’s Seinfeld success proved that a show about nothing could leave a lasting impression on entertainment media and popular culture. The long-running series exemplifies and exaggerates the life of David, dramatizing his everyday encounters into even greater predicaments. The off-kilter and unapologetic comedy series dares to push the boundaries of what televised series can test — or even overcome. Outrageous antics result in unpredictable consequences, and each episode of the long-running comedy series neatly wraps itself up by handing itself the last laugh. David’s on-screen neuroticism is to be praised, whether he is dealing with morality on his own, or in the company of an even more boisterous cast. Curb Your Enthusiasm has fully taken advantage of its rude nature that strokes the shock that continually lands punches. David’s worst behavior results in his finest work. The absurdist humor and uncensored approach to comedy have kept Curb Your Enthusiasm afloat for over two decades and insist that David’s misadventures still remain to be pretty, pretty, pretty good.
1 What We Do in the Shadows
Madman Entertainment
The overwhelming amount of positivity and excitement that responded to What We Do in the Shadows (2014) warranted a mockumentary-style television series that took a similar shape to its parent film. The satirical take on vampires in film, literature, and television has honored stereotypes with a keenly specific sense of humor that allows the comedy to continue to outwit itself. As it actively de-romances the mystique around vampires and vampirism, it feeds off of tropes that play into the hilarity of the series. What We Do in the Shadows is effortlessly watchable, ridiculous, and self-aware of its status in the world of comedy. Sharp, biting humor and a smart script ensure that jokes are confident when sticking their landing, and mundane aspects of daily life are brightened up by creative, unique points of view. Horror-comedies need a certain means of being handled, and Jemaine Clement’s intimacy with What We Do in the Shadows demonstrates a great understanding of what exactly the vampy, gothic series requires.
