Predicting the 2020 Emmy winners

It’s possible “The Good Place” or “Schitt’s Creek” will get some final season love. In fact, “The Good Place” might get the nod simply because it’s a network sitcom, and those shows are increasingly an afterthought. That being said, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” won this category last year, and the Emmys tend to stick with their guns. “Mrs. Maisel” is likely to win yet again.

If the Emmys want to go trendy, they could go with “The Mandalorian” or “Stranger Things.” Those kind of shows don’t tend to win Emmys, though. “Better Call Saul” would have been a good pick, but it barely got any acting nominations. Instead, we’re going with “Succession” to get its first win.

There are a lot of interesting choices here, but “Watchmen” has the most total nominations with 11. Using that as an indicator, we’re figuring “Watchmen” will take this category. It’s also a very “of the moment” show in terms of its discussion of race in America, which won’t hurt its chances of winning.

The Emmys loved “Breaking Bad,” and with good reason. It’s the best drama of the last 20 years. “El Camino,” the recent Netflix movie, may be the Emmys’ last chance to reward Vince Gilligan’s master work. It feels like a lock to win.

When Jon Stewart left “The Daily Show,” it basically ceding its annual Emmy win to “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.” While “The Daily Show” has its first nomination since Trevor Noah took over as host, Oliver’s juggernaut is going to get another victory.

With all due respect to “A Black Lady Sketch Show” and “Drunk History,” the other two nominees, this is going to go to “Saturday Night Live.” What show could possibly compete with the show with the most Emmy wins of all time?

How amazing would it be if “Nailed It!” won? It’s definitely the best show of the nominees. It’s not impossible that it will win, but “The Masked Singer” feels more in the zeitgeist. We’re giving the not to “The Masked Singer” in this category, but this one is maybe the most up in the air of the bunch.

Tony Shalhoub won last year for “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and he’s up for it this year. However, he’s competing with two Oscar winners in Alan Arkin and Mahershala Ali. The Emmys love Shalhoub, though. He was winning for “Monk” when guys like Steve Carell were getting nominated. If Shalhoub can beat Michael Scott, he can beat Arkin and Ali.

First, it’s very funny that two different actors from “The Morning Show” got nominated. Apple TV only had one show to throw its weight behind, and they got their actors a lot of nominations. Don’t expect wins here, though. It probably comes down to one of the three “Succession” actors. We’re tipping the odds in the favor of Matthew Macfayden.

Jim Parsons won four Emmys for “The Big Bang Theory,” but “Hollywood” isn’t as popular a show. Plus, he didn’t say “Bazinga!” once. While “Watchmen” strayed from the source material, Dr. Manhattan did show up, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was well-received in the role. Playing an iconic character and doing a good job will win him an Emmy.

This is where a network show is going to get some love. D’Arcy Carden was excellent as Janet on “The Good Place.” While she didn’t get a nomination for the episode where she impersonated her castmates, she got one now. “The Good Place” was a popular network show, and Carden was a breakout performer. She will get the show an Emmy win in its final season.

There are some big names in this category. Laura Dern who just won an Oscar is here. So is Helena Bonham Carter playing a member of the British royal family. However, we have one name for you: Meryl Streep. Do you think Streep somehow won’t win this category?

If playing famous historical figures is the way to win awards, the three nominees from “Mrs. America” are in luck. Personally, we feel that Margo Martindale’s turn as Bella Abzug stuck out the most, and she’s no stranger to Emmy voters. Don’t be surprised if Uzo Aduba wins, but we’re picking Martindale.

There’s a chance that Ted Danson will win. He’s sitcom royalty, and “The Good Place” just ended. On the other hand, he hasn’t won yet for this show. We’re going to take a bit of a big swing here and say that Don Cheadle wins for “Black Monday.” The show hasn’t really struck big with viewers yet, but Cheadle is a star and he’s the one known thing about the show.

Just because “The Morning Show” was largely panned, don’t rule out Steve Carell. This could be a chance for the Emmy voters to make up for never giving him a win for “The Office.” However, Billy Porter won for “Pose” last year and we think he’s going to do it again.

Mark Ruffalo played dual roles in “I Know This Much Is True.” That’s award catnip. We could see Hugh Jackman winning for “Bad Education,” but Ruffalo is a respected actor and the two performances in one show is going to put him over the top.

Catherine O’Hara is a legend. She’s a beloved comedy performer. When people talk about “Schitt’s Creek” she’s usually the first name that comes up. This is the last chance for the Emmys to reward O’Hara, if not for the show then for her career. O’Hara’s going to walk away with a much-deserved Emmy.

Much like with Carell, Jennifer Aniston has enough star power to win for “The Morning Show” even though it was barely watched and critically panned. She’s competing against Jodie Comer, who won last year. That being said, Olivia Colman, who has an Oscar, is nominated for playing Queen Elizabeth II on “The Crown.” If anything has ever screen “award bait,” it’s that.

Cate Blanchett is an amazing actor, and she’s the ostensible star of “Mrs. America.” That being said, Regina King is also a great actor, and she got a ton of love for “Watchmen.” That show was more in the zeitgeist, and her performance has gotten more attention. This feels like a tossup, but in the end we’re going with King.