Limited Series Emmys 2022 Predictions & Contenders

“There are so many good things, so many different kind of series here,” says Deadline’s Awards Columnist and Chief Film Critic Pete Hammond on today’s TV Talk of the Limited Series contenders for this year’s Emmys.

EXCLUSIVE: Y’Lan Noel (The First Purge), Mikey Madison (Better Things) and Brett Gelman (Stranger Things) are set as leads opposite Natalie Portman and Lupita Nyong’o in Lady In The Lake, Apple TV+’s limited series adaptation of Laura Lippman’s book, created and directed by Alma Har’el (Honey Boy) and produced by Endeavor Content.

Can Coach Lasso go back to back at the Emmys? Jason Sudekis easily won the Lead Actor in a Comedy Series trophy in 2021 for “Ted Lasso.” This year, he arguably has more competition from “Barry”‘s 2018 and 2019 winner Bill Hader, “Atlanta”‘s 2017 winner Donald Glover and “Only Murders in the Building”‘s comedy legend Steve Martin.

If there is any category that is ripe for a major Emmys upset it may be Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Last year’s winner, Jean Smart (“Hacks”), should easily earn a repeat nomination.

Can anyone beat Zendaya? That is the question for the Emmys as the “Euphoria” star looks to land her second Lead Actress in a Drama Series statue over the past three ceremonies. At this point, she’ll face some competition from four-time winner and seven-time nominee Laura Linney of “Ozark,” but the rest of the field is unclear.

Something old, something new, and a lot of competition. The 2022 Lead Actor in a Drama Series category is going to give the Emmys headaches and should prompt those in charge to consider expanding the category from six to 10 nominees.

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.

Matt Bomer has signed on to star in a brand new Showtime series.

Matt Bomer is set to star in the upcoming Showtime limited series “Fellow Travelers,” Showtime announced Wednesday.The series is based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Mallon and tells the love story story of two men who meet in the shadow of McCarthy-era Washington. Bomer, who is also an executive producer on the show, will play Hawkins Fuller, who has a lucrative career in politics while keeping behind the scenes.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterShowtime has formally greenlit the limited series “Fellow Travelers” starring Matt Bomer.Showtime has given the series an eight episode order. Variety exclusively reported the show was in the works at the premium cabler in September 2021.Based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Mallon, the series is described as an epic love story and political thriller, chronicling the volatile romance of two very different men who meet in the shadow of McCarthy-era Washington. Bomer will play handsome, charismatic Hawkins Fuller, who maintains a financially rewarding, behind-the scenes career in politics.

An L.A. icon is born.

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.

EXCLUSIVE: Olivia Newman (Where the Crawdads Sing) has been tapped to direct and co-executive produce Apple limited series The Last Thing He Told Me, based on Laura Dave’s bestselling novel of the same name, starring and executive produced by Jennifer Garner. Angourie Rice also stars.

Bel Powley (The Morning Show) has been tapped as the lead and Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan) and Joe Cole (Peaky Blinders) as the co-leads in Disney+’s A Small Light, a National Geographic limited series that tells the remarkable story of a Dutch woman who risked her life to shelter Anne Frank’s family from the Nazis for more than two years and then preserved Anne’s diary. The project comes from Grey’s Anatomy alums Joan Rater and Tony Phelan, Susanna Fogel, ABC Signature and Keshet Studios.

Emmys snubs! Peak TV has never seen snubs like this. And the Outstanding Drama Series is going to have a ton of them.

A recurring theme this Emmy season will be “snubs.” This year’s Emmys will have a ton of them. In the Outstanding Comedy Series category alone there are potentially five series that were nominated in 2021 that won’t make the cut just a year later, including “The Great,” “Cobra Kai,” “Black-ish,” “Emily in Paris” and “The Flight Attendant.” And that’s assuming the Television Academy keeps the field at just eight nominees (we’re not suggesting they expand it to 10, but we’re not not suggesting that either).

Spencer Boldman (Lab Rats) has been tapped for a recurring role opposite Kumail Nanjiani and Murray Bartlett in the Hulu limited series Immigrant (working title), from Pam & Tommy creator Robert Siegel.

Loki is heading into The White Darkness for Apple.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterApple has ordered the limited series “The Big Cigar” about Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton, Variety has learned.The six-episode series hails from Warner Bros. Television, with André Holland in talks to star as Newton.