Emmy Nomination Advice: Drama Series

Of course, there’s no way they will be able to watch everything.  Even professional television critics cannot keep up – and for many of them, that’s their full-time job.  It nevertheless falls to those of us who are charged with doing our best to follow it all – and, at the least, to focus on the best – to provide whatever guidance we can at this very challenging time for actors and others in the television industry by providing lists of the performers and programs Emmy voters should have on their radar.

No list will be perfect – identifying the best of the best is a largely personal process, and these days what passes for television criticism is all too often the selection of a handful of series with limited appeal that lend themselves to in-depth and exhaustive weekly analysis at the expense of casting a wider net.  Plus, far too many television critics tend to run in packs, so that compromises the overall value of their assessments, as well.

With hundreds of new programs running on various networks, streaming sites and other content services, how in the world can anyone be expected to narrow any list down to a handful of choices?  Here’s a handy guide designed to help all interested parties recall eligible series and performances in the Drama Series categories that deserve recognition from the official qualification period – June 1, 2017 through May 31, 2018.  (Note: A series must have telecast more than half of its current season episodes prior to the May 31 cutoff date for it to qualify for nominations.)

Elsewhere in TV/Video Download you can check out my advice about the Comedy Series and Limited Series/Movies nominations.

For what it’s worth, and in defiance of the pack, my personal favorites are pictured herein.

Outstanding Drama Series

The Americans (FX)
The Crown (Netflix)

Game of Thrones (pictured above and at top) (HBO)
The Good Fight (CBS All Access)
Mindhunter (Netflix)
This Is Us (NBC)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Jason Bateman – Ozark (Netflix)
Sterling K. Brown -- This Is Us (NBC)
Kit Harrington -- Game of Thrones (HBO)
Freddie Highmore -- The Good Doctor (ABC)
Matthew Rhys – The Americans (FX)
Milo Ventimiglia (pictured below) – This Is Us (NBC)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Christine Baranski (pictured below) – The Good Fight (CBS All Access)

Emilia Clarke – Game of Thrones (HBO)
Claire Danes – Homeland (Showtime)
Maggie Gyllenhaal – The Deuce (HBO)
Elisabeth Moss – The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
Keri Russell – The Americans (FX)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau – Game of Thrones (HBO)
Asia Kate Dillon -- Billions (Showtime)
Noah Emmerich -- The Americans (FX)
Justin Hartley (pictured below) – This Is Us (NBC)

Delroy Lindo -- The Good Fight (CBS All Access)
David Lynch – Twin Peaks (Showtime)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Ann Dowd – The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
Julia Garner – Ozark (Netflix)
Carrie Ann Moss – Jessica Jones (Netflix)
Chrissy Metz – This Is Us (NBC)

Janet McTeer (pictured above) – Jessica Jones (Netflix)
Holly Taylor – The Americans (FX)

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