Emmy Predictions: Writing (Limited) – Mike White’s ‘The White Lotus’ Could Be a No-Brainer for Emmy Scribes

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.

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.

— or maybe we should say Benvenuto! For fans who fell in love with HBO's hit dark comedy, the show's second season can't come soon enough.While viewers await the premiere, reportedly slated for this October, HBO and the season's cast members have been dropping some crumbs as to what's in store when the show heads to the south of Italy. As one of the new faces joining the show, Aubrey Plaza told ET's Cassie DiLaura she's been wanting to work with ' creator, Mike White. «To be brought into that family,» Plaza says,"...it’s everything to me." Plaza will reportedly play Harper Spiller, a woman vacationing with her husband and some friends. In the midst of continued hype around the show more than a year after its debut (hello, 11 Emmy nominations), Plaza assured fans will be getting something fresh with the second season in Sicily. «I know it’s a lot to live up to, but Mike is so good about making the second season different,» she says. «It's still , but now it’s in Italy, so it has a totally different vibe and so, I think people are going to be surprised.»One thing fans love about the show that is going to be back? Another performance from Jennifer Coolidge.

At a time when we were coming out of quarantine, HBO’s The White Lotus, enwrapped with its murder mystery and imperfect, looney people, just made us want to go to Hawaii. Even if we were booked in the wrong room, and everyone around us was ticking us off.

The White Lotus has teased its second season with a brief clip on social media.Shared on the HBO show’s official Instagram account on Wednesday (August 17), the short teaser gives fans a glimpse of the new hotel resort in Sicily, with the series having previously been set in Hawaii.“Benvenuti a Sicily,” reads the caption, which translates to “welcome to Sicily”.In addition to a location change, the second season will also introduce a completely new cast.Amongst the new names are Michael Imperioli, Aubrey Plaza, Haley Lu Richardson, F. Murray Abraham, Adam DiMarco, Tom Hollander, Theo James, Meghann Fahy, Will Sharpe and Leo Woodall.One star who will be returning, however, is Jennifer Coolidge.

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.

As a rule, Sydney Sweeney is drawn to characters that are nothing like her. “I find that challenge interesting,” she says. But playing Cassie Howard, the LA teen who wears her emotions on her sleeve in Sam Levinson’s Euphoria was a welcome exception for the 24-year-old. “Cassie is one of the most relatable characters to me, because I search for love and acceptance, and I’m scared of being alone.” Deadline talked to Sweeney about embodying the intensity of her character, showing real depth to Cassie and what makes her character Olivia on Mike White’s black comedy The White Lotus so terrifying.

The Hollywood Critics Association announced the winners of the 2nd Annual HCA TV Awards where HBO’s The White Lotus led the list of trophy recipients with five. ABC’s Abbott Elementary and AMC’s Better Call Saul also won big with 4 trophies each.

Jennifer Coolidge is fresh from shooting Season 2 of The White Lotus and she’s on a high. Having made such an indelible mark in Season 1 of Mike White’s limited series set in a luxury Hawaiian resort, she’s the only main character returning for a second shot. For now, she’s having to keep plot details under wraps, but she’s positive that it will be another hit: “It would be impossible to not like it,” she says. All we know is that Season 2 will see Coolidge, Emmy-nominated for her role, back as the tortured and grieving Tanya McQuoid alongside her terminally ill boyfriend Greg (Jon Gries). This time the setting is a Sicilian White Lotus resort, where they’ll be joined by such new cast members as Aubrey Plaza, F. Murray Abraham, Adam DiMarco and Tom Hollander. Here, she reminisces on a career that’s seen her stealing scenes in classic modern comedies such as American Pie and Legally Blonde.

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.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorEmmy nominee Janet Lopez, the music supervisor for “The White Lotus,” notes that the show’s creator, Mike White, didn’t script any songs.The idea was to establish the location, which took her into listening to beautiful and important music from Hawaii, that she found through researching the music available from the region’s publishers and record labels.Lopez’s goal was to thread together a musical journey that resonated with the characters while enhancing the exotic location of the show. “We wanted the music to travel with the emotion in the scene, instead of feeling like pure needle drops on top of it,” she says.To achieve that, it was down to the show’s editors to connect those moments.

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.

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.

It sounds to good to be true, but it wasn’t: Actors were plucked from the hell that was the pandemic and dropped into a tropical bubble, where they would end up making The White Lotus for HBO. It would garner an astonishing 20 Emmy nominations, including one for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.

Welcome to 20 Questions on Deadline, our new interview podcast with a twist. Every week I’ll be asking onscreen stars a set of quirky questions designed to dig into their best advice, biggest fears and fondest memories.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeAmazon Prime Video is activating its Emmy Phase 2 plans, throwing an “FYC Fest” the weekend of Friday, Aug. 12 through Sunday, Aug. 14 to tout its 30 Emmy nominations.The weekend event will take place in three different locations in the Los Angeles area, including Sherman Oaks, Santa Monica and West Hollywood.

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 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.