2024 Emmy nomination predictions: Outstanding Drama, Comedy, and Limited Series

Sure, we just did this in January — but television never sleeps, people! Welcome to the 2024 Emmy season, where everything that aired between June 1, 2023 and May 31, 2024 has a shot at taking home a shiny gold statue this fall.

Okay, maybe not everything. Allow us to kick off the prognostication parade with the big three categories: Drama, Comedy, and Limited Series. With nominations-round voting starting on June 13, voters don't have much time to consume a lot of contenders. Their to-do list begins below.

Drama Series

The Crown (Netflix)
The Curse (Showtime)
Fallout (Prime Video)
The Gilded Age (HBO)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Prime Video)
Slow Horses (Apple TV+)
Shōgun (FX)
3 Body Problem (Netflix)

It’s an exciting time to be an Emmy voter… at least, for those who are willing to watch a whole bunch of new dramas. With Succession and Better Call Saul over, and so many other frequent nominees — House of the Dragon, The White Lotus, The Last of Us, and Yellowjackets — not airing in the eligibility window this go-around, the field is wide open. The Crown is the only real lock, but then FX chose to move Shōgun from limited series to drama. So, welcome to the party, Lord Toranaga! The Gilded Age’s SAG nomination and Slow Horses’ Globes nod indicate they’re on voters’ radars. A mix of starry, critically acclaimed series (Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Curse) and high-profile adaptations (3 Body Problem, Fallout) will round out the category.

Also in the mix: Loki (Disney+), Ahsoka (Disney+), The New Look (Apple TV+), The Morning Show, Sugar (Apple TV+)

Deserving dark horse: Criminal Record (Apple TV+), a refreshingly unfussy police thriller starring Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo. The streamer has pumped out a lot of big-budget mediocrity this season, yet their best drama probably cost less than Palm Royale’s wig budget.

Comedy Series

The Bear (FX on Hulu)
Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Hacks (Max)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
Reservation Dogs (FX on Hulu)
What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
I’m A Virgo (Prime Video)

Now that The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Ted Lasso, and Barry have left the building for good, the comedy ballot has room for some new tenants. What We Do in the Shadows, overlooked for season 4, should be back along with returning nominees The Bear, Abbott Elementary, Only Murders, Hacks, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. (Curb, it should be noted, is having a woefully unfunny final season, but it’ll somehow earn an 11th nomination in this category anyway.) As for the fresh blood, our bet is on Boots Riley’s bold social satire I’m a Virgo, and the sublime sendoff season of Reservation Dogs. The voting body should know that there will be a mass TV critic uprising if the latter does not receive its long-overdue recognition.  

Also in the mix: Palm Royale (Apple TV+), Frasier (Paramount+), The Gentlemen (Netflix), The Righteous Gemstones (HBO)

Deserving dark horse: The Vince Staples Show (Netflix). This fascinating, five-episode experiment starring the rapper/Abbott Elementary actor is kinda like Curb Your Enthusiasm remade by David Lynch.

Limited or Anthology Series

Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Fargo (FX)
Ripley (Netflix)
True Detective: Night Country (HBO)
Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV+)

Even without Shōgun, FX will still earn a nomination in this category with Fargo, and the fourth season of HBO’s True Detective is a favorite as well. (Sorry, Nic Pizzolatto.) Netflix should still make the cut with its critically lauded noir Ripley, and maybe the Benedict Cumberbatch vehicle Eric.

Also in the mix: Eric, Griselda (Netflix), Fellow Travelers (Showtime), Masters of the Air (Apple TV+), The Regime (HBO)

Deserving dark horse: We Were the Lucky Ones (Hulu). This sprawling, uplifting adaptation of Georgia Hunter’s historical novel starring Joey King, Logan Lerman, and many others as a family separated during WWII should be a bigger part of the Emmy conversation.

Nominations for the 76th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will be announced on Wednesday, July 17. The ceremony will air live on Sunday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on ABC.

Listen to the full episode of The Awardist podcast, below, for more on our predictions.

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content:

• Stars who have never won an Emmy but should have
• Shows with the most Emmy wins in TV history
• See all the stars at the 2023 Emmy awards