2024 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Scripted Variety Series
Marcus Jones
We will update this article throughout the season, along with all our predictions, so make sure to keep checking IndieWire for the latest news from the 2024 Emmys race. The nomination round of voting takes place from June 13 to June 24, with the official Emmy nominations announced Wednesday, July 17. Afterwards, final voting commences on August 15 and ends the night of August 26. The 76th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are set to take place on Sunday, September 15, and air live on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT.
Click on for more of our previous thoughts on what to expect at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards.
The State of the Race
Fair to say that the situation with Outstanding Scripted Variety Series is very bleak, and it does not seem like there is any fix for it other than to have these show fold back in with their fellow late night series in a revived Outstanding Variety Series category, which was a scenario that the Television Academy seemed to have been avoiding for years.
Anyways, long story short is that there were so few submissions for the category this year, that the nominees needed to be determined by a jury of industry peers (the Emmys are voted on by working TV professionals.) At first, the situation looked reassuring, with there being no cap how how many of the submissions could be nominating, opening the door to the new CBS show “After Midnight,” and maybe even HBO’s “Painting With John” joining dominant Emmy contenders “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” and “Saturday Night Live.” But right before nominations voting started, the Emmy rules changed again to make it so there could only be two nominees.
When that happened, it became a given that “Last Week Tonight” and “SNL,” who both have Emmy counts well into the double digits, would take those two nomination slots. Given how these late night categories tend to go to the same show every year, and “Last Week Tonight” bested “SNL” in their first time nominated against each other in this new category that got established last season, the edge goes to the weekly HBO series hosted by “The Daily Show” alum.
And ultimately, it does not look like networks are keen on making any sort of scripted variety series anymore. Off top, “After Midnight” is still running, and HBO has the critically beloved “Fantasmas” from “SNL” alum Julio Torres, but that is about it as far as next season’s prospects go. Maybe with platforms like YouTube making an effort to break into the Emmys race, sketch series, and other shows that fit into the category, will take the submission total past where a jury does not have to step in and determine the nominees, but even then it would just be adding one more show that would have to be nominated against “Last Week Tonight” and “SNL.”
Nominees are listed in order of their likelihood to win.
Power Rankings:
- “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (HBO)
- “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Will Win: “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”
Could Win: “Saturday Night Live”
Should Win: “Saturday Night Live”
More Category Predictions:
Outstanding Animated Program
Outstanding Talk Series
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
View IndieWire’s full set of predictions for the 76th Emmy Awards.
Last Year’s Winner: “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”
Still Eligible: Yes.
Hot Streak: Previously in the Variety Talk category, “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” has gone eight straight years winning an Emmy for the series as a whole. In terms of Variety series as a whole, its hot streak is only second to the 10 consecutive Emmys received by “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”
Notable Ineligible Series: “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (ended)
