When the first season of a series catches lightning in a bottle, the pressure is on for the next chapter to reach expectations. Season two of FX’s culinary smash hit, “The Bear,” showed that the writers could create an exciting new recipe for success – and the Television Academy resoundingly agreed. “The Bear” earned a record-breaking 23 Emmy nominations for its second season, which brings the heat on Carmy Berzatto (Emmy winner Jeremy Allen White) from an overwhelmed sandwich shop to the inner workings of a fine dining experience. The show’s three-time Emmy-winning creator and writer-director Christopher Storer leads a stunning jump into more intimate, character-driven episodes.
Unsurprisingly, the episode “Fishes” scored nine Emmy nominations. This holiday time capsule episode was the main course of the season. The writers served a plate full of anxiety at a traumatic family dinner table. “Fishes,” along with episodes “Forks” and “Honeydew,” broke new ground for “The Bear” by opening up the floor to more guest actors and actresses. Five out of season two’s ten acting nominations landed in the guest categories: Jon Bernthal, Bob Odenkirk, Will Poulter, Olivia Colman, and Jamie Lee Curtis. Curtis is the early favorite to win for her intense portrayal of Donna, the Berzatto family matriarch. Also, Bernthal is in the lead for his impactful performance as beloved brother Mikey.
When the Television Academy falls in love with a show, they don’t hesitate to award it multiple times, as the history of Best Comedy Series winners will show. ABC’s “Modern Family” and NBC’s “Frasier” are at an all-time high, each with five consecutive wins in the category. Not far behind with three wins is NBC’s “30 Rock,” which once held the record for most Emmy nominations (22 total) received by a comedy series in a single year. “The Bear” just narrowly broke that record and is on track to surpass the 16 Emmys “30 Rock” won across seven seasons. “The Bear” already has 10 Emmy wins on its plate, and season two is coming in hot, having nearly doubled the first’s 13 total nominations. This year’s Emmys will be the true test of whether the series is foolproof or vulnerable.
While “The Bear” now holds the record for most Emmy nominations by a comedy series in a single year, this isn’t the only comedic success story. Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building” is close behind with 21 nominations for its third season. From the acting and editing to the music and crafts, voters recognized the series nearly across the board. Created by John Hoffman and Emmy winner Steve Martin, the true crime three-hander has outdone itself, almost doubling the 11 Emmy nominations it received last year. Three seasons in, Selena Gomez is finally recognized for her work as Mabel Mora. Gomez is one of six acting nominees for the series this year, joining returning favorites Steve Martin and Martin Short. Plus, a certain win for the show could complete EGOT status for songwriting duo Justin Paul and Benj Pasek. They are nominated for “Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It?” in the Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics category.
Unlike the lighter competition for drama categories, which led to more new shows breaking through this year, the comedy categories have far more familiar faces. “Only Murders in the Building” has proven to be consistently beloved. The show gained momentum, though is it enough to overtake “The Bear?” Both “Only Murders” and “The Bear” nearly doubled their nominations from last year, but the former did miss nominations in comedy directing and writing. Plus, the latter has enjoyed more effusive praise for crafting deeper connections to the characters in season two. Case in point: “Fishes.” The Richie-centered “Forks” episode alone could also spell out a second Emmy win for Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who won the supporting actor category for season one. Compared to “Only Murders,” “The Bear” is fresher and more prevalent in social conversation, no doubt boosted by the third season dropping in the middle of Emmy voting.
Not too far behind “Only Murders in the Building” is Max’s “Hacks,” which received 16 total nominations for its third season (Season one received 15 nominations, and season two received 17 nominations). The show has won six Emmys so far, including two for Jean Smart’s tremendous work as legendary comedian Deborah Vance. The show follows Vance’s colorful journey in search of a career renaissance. Her efforts are helped along by head writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), whose finger on the pulse creates relevant material and a deeper connection to Vance’s audience. The show is better than ever; season three presents clever challenges for the characters, and Smart and Einbinder have even more rich material to flex their talents. The two are a match made in comedy heaven. With enthusiasm around their performances this season, “Hacks” could score a double win in the comedy actress and supporting actress categories. Einbinder, who will face “Only Murders”’s Meryl Streep, was nominated for the previous two seasons and has yet to win. Einbinder has a show-stopping moment in the season three finale, “Bulletproof,” which has the juice to seal the winning deal for her. Could the third time be the charm for Einbinder? It will be difficult to ignore how brilliantly she bounces off Smart’s energy without missing a beat.
The same sentiment can be shared about Smart, who has yet to lose an Emmy for “Hacks.” Smart reached incredible heights in her career with the spring 2021 double whammy of HBO’s limited series “Mare of Easttown” and the first season of “Hacks” airing around the same time. She was deservingly the talk of the town and is one of the most beloved people in the industry. While it’s expected for Smart to excel as Vance, she still outdoes herself in the third season. Smart finds new ways to exercise her comedic timing and is truly a force of nature.
“Hacks” may not have as many total nominations as “The Bear,” but the third season scored in all the categories needed (including directing, writing, and editing), and that counts for something. Also of note, “The Bear” could have been nominated right down the line but was absent in certain categories, such as supporting actor (Oliver Platt), supporting actress (Abby Elliott), guest actor (John Mulaney), and guest actress (Sarah Paulson). The Television Academy has become notorious for filling up these categories with cast members from the same few shows (see “Succession” and “The White Lotus,” not to mention “The Morning Show” this year), and didn’t use that opportunity for “The Bear” as much as expected. However, some cast members, including Lionel Boyce (supporting actor) and Liza Colón-Zayas (supporting actress), deservingly became first-time nominees this year.
Voters decided to spread the wealth a little more in the comedy supporting and guest acting categories with at least four shows represented, which worked to the advantage of “Hacks.” The show’s co-creator, Emmy-winning co-writer and star, Paul W. Downs, became a first-time acting nominee for his role as the thoughtful talent agent Jimmy. The show also scored guest acting nominations for Christopher Lloyd and returning nominee Kaitlin Olson. “Only Murders in the Building” also slightly over-performed in the acting categories. In addition to supporting actor (Paul Rudd) and supporting actress (Meryl Streep), the show received nominations for guest actress (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) and guest actor (Matthew Broderick).
While the groundwork has been laid for “The Bear” as this year’s frontrunner, conversations are building around the show not being considered amusing enough to be classified as a comedy. Given the more dramatic narrative jump between seasons one and two, the sentiment isn’t entirely unwarranted. Whether this rumbling has any bearing on the Emmy race remains to be seen, but if there is a surprise in store, “Hacks” is waiting in the wings with its funniest season yet. This year’s Emmys will mark the first time “Hacks” and “The Bear” compete directly alongside each other, and both shows have a test to pass. Is the funnier, splashier narrative for “Hacks” enough to be crowned Best Comedy Series for the first time? Or will “The Bear” prove that season one was just the beginning of a major awards darling for years to come?
Do you think “The Bear” will dominate this year’s Emmys? If not, which comedy show stands the best chance of beating it? Please let us know in the comments below or on Next Best Picture’s X account and be sure to check out Next Best Picture’s latest Emmy predictions here.
