Emmy Predictions: Writing (Comedy) – ‘Abbott Elementary’ and ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Battle to Join the List of Pilot Episode Winners

Making history. Nathan Lane just broke a major record for the Primetime Emmy Awards – and it’s all thanks to his work as Teddy Dimas on Only Murders in the Building.

SPOILER ALERT: The following reveals major plot points from Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building Season 2 finale.

Paul Rudd has officially joined the cast of Only Murders in the Building for the show’s upcoming third season!

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeNominated for 11 Emmys overall, “Brian’s Song” was so popular, and so successful, that it helped put the ABC “Movie of the Week,” as the franchise was called, front and center — cementing the TV movie as a network staple. The “movie of the week” idea was so groundbreaking that the entire industry continued to call TV movies “MOWs” long after ABC had ditched the name.

As actors ponder their Emmy acceptance speeches for Sept 12, one wonders whether some incipient Adrian Lester envy might creep into their thoughts. Lester, the Black British actor, won a Tony nomination for playing both a German Jewish banker and a female character in The Lehman Trilogy on Broadway. At the Emmys, actors like Jennifer Coolidge and Steve Martin will likely win kudos for essentially playing themselves, with great aplomb.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeThis year, just two basic cable series made it into the outstanding series field: AMC’s “Better Call Saul,” in drama, and FX’s “What We Do In the Shadows” in comedy. It’s a far cry from the golden age of basic cable at the Emmys, when the drama field, in particular, was dominated by the platform. The streak began in 2002, when FX made history by becoming the first basic cable network to win one of the major Emmy awards — when Michael Chiklis was named best actor for “The Shield.” By 2008, basic cable was on the same path first forged by HBO when it leveled the playing field for premium cable a decade earlier.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeNow, Garner has doubled her Emmy nominations tally to four, picking up another supporting actress nod for the final season of “Ozark” and also landing one for her “Inventing Anna” role, as lead actress in a limited or anthology series or movie.Given her “Ozark” success, that nomination wasn’t a shock. But the success of “Inventing Anna” at the Emmys — including in the key limited or anthology series category — was a bit of a surprise, especially given the expectation that another Netflix series, “Maid,” would make the cut.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeJazz Tangcay writes:Although the Creative Arts Emmys aren’t set to be handed out until Sept. 3 and Sept.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large“They asked, and it’s an honor,” Thompson told me Thursday on a sweltering August afternoon in Hollywood, where he was receiving his star on the Walk of Fame. “It’s a giant career milestone to host an Emmys, an Oscars, a Tonys, whatever.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeOn “Only Murders in the Building,” Steve Martin plays Charles-Haden Savage, the former star of popular crime drama “Brazzos.” The inspiration for playing a washed-up TV star, Martin tells Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast, “comes from worry. I think about actors who’ve had these hits, they’re on TV for eight years. And then they don’t really work that much again, because they’re maybe too identified with the part.

Clayton Davis Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official awards predictions for the upcoming Oscars and Emmys ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis; Awards Circuit Column, a weekly analysis dissecting the trends and contenders by television editor Michael Schneider (for Emmys) and Davis (for Oscars); Awards Circuit Podcast, a weekly interview series with talent and an expert roundtable discussion; and Awards Circuit Video analyzes various categories and contenders by Variety's leading awards pundits. Variety's unmatched coverage gives its readership unbeatable exposure in print and online, as well as provide inside reports on all the contenders in this year's awards season races.

Clayton Davis With two episodes left of the second season of Hulu’s mystery romp “Only Murders in the Building,” the series is an undeniable hit on the streaming platform. Nominated for 17 Emmy Awards for its first season, this season’s final two episodes (titled “Sparring Partners” and “I Know Who Did It”) will be released while voting is underway by the TV Academy, a tactic that helped one of its competitors, “Ted Lasso” from Apple TV+, last year when it won for its inaugural season.Variety Awards Circuit has revealed the updated predictions for which shows and performers could triumph in September.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeGabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias’ landmark standup event at Dodger Stadium is finally making its way to Netflix. “Gabriel Iglesias: Stadium Fluffy Live from Los Angeles” will premiere globally on the streamer on October 18.The special, which was filmed as part of the “Netflix is a Joke” festival on May 6, made history as Iglesias became the first comedian to ever perform at Dodger Stadium.In the special, Iglesias talks about growing up in the Los Angeles region (he’s a native of Long Beach), a recent attempt at extortion towards him, and where he holds the record for receiving the highest fine on stage.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeAMC Networks has renewed the Emmy-nominated short-form series “Cooper’s Bar” for a second season, while Acorn TV — AMC Networks’ streamer devoted to British and international fare — has given a Season 2 renewal to “Harry Wild,” starring and executive produced by Jane Seymour.Both pickups were announced Wednesday during AMC Networks’ portion of the Television Critics Assn. press tour.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeGame shows are heading to the Primetime Emmys. As part of the ongoing Emmy realignment between the Television Academy (the West Coast org formerly known as the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences) and the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the two sides will migrate game show categories from the Daytime Emmys to the Primetime Emmys beginning next year.The decision comes as, previously announced, the two orgs have agreed to award many programming categories by genre instead of daypart.

Only Murders in the Building has been renewed for Season 3 on Hulu, and given that the show stars SNL veterans Steve Martin and Martin Short, some have been advocating for a Three Amigos! reunion with Chevy Chase.

Clayton Davis Drake, Selena Gomez, Mandy Moore, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are among the Emmy-nominated producers in the series and specials categories, the TV Academy announced.Grammy-winning superstar Drake is a first-time Emmy nominee as an executive producer of HBO’s “Euphoria” alongside fellow EPs Adele “Future” Nur and the quadruple-nominated Zendaya (who’s also nominated for lead actress in a drama and two original songs). At 25, Zendaya is now (officially) the youngest woman ever nominated for producing at the Emmys, in addition to being the youngest two-time lead acting nominee ever.Gomez is also officially an Emmy nominee as an executive producer for “Only Murders in the Building,” the first time a Latina has received a nom for comedy series for a show she also starred in.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeThe duo’s fandom spans several generations. My parents grew up with them on “SNL” and “SCTV.” (To be fair, I was watching with them, perhaps inappropriately, also loving their work as a child of the 80s.) Over the past few years, my kids have gotten to know them as I’ve brought out “Three Amigos” and “Father of the Bride” for family movie nights. And now, we have “Only Murders in the Building” for every age range.