Ted Lasso, The Crown should win big at the Emmys. But could there be a shock upset?


Sunday's Emmys will almost certainly be a big night for Netflix and Apple. But will the show go the way pundits expect?
The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards will be held on Sunday, and awards experts almost universally agree that Outstanding Drama Series will go to Netflix's The Crown, while Outstanding Comedy Series appears to be a lock for Apple's Ted Lasso. But the Emmys have brought us plenty of shock upsets before, including Fleabag's surprise 2019 victory over Veep. So is it possible one of these dominant frontrunners could actually lose?
On the awards prediction website GoldDerby, many pundits have ranked Disney's The Mandalorian as the biggest challenger to The Crown, with one brave expert predicting it will win. The hit Star Wars series tied with The Crown for the most nominations this year and racked up seven wins at the Creative Arts Emmys, so while unlikely, an upset victory might not be completely out of the question. Ted Lasso's biggest challenger is probably the acclaimed HBO Max comedy Hacks. Its star, Jean Smart, will likely win the lead comedy actress Emmy. But could the show surprise everyone by taking the top prize too? Given how certain most pundits are about The Crown and Ted Lasso winning, either one coming up short would go down as a major shocker.
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Meanwhile, Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series is most likely a battle between The Queen's Gambit and Mare of Easttown, though some pundits have suggested Marvel's WandaVision could actually surprise by beating them both. Other potential — though probably unlikely — upsets could include Kaley Cuoco winning over Jean Smart for comedy actress, Hannah Einbinder winning over Hannah Waddingham for supporting comedy actor, and Mj Rodriguez making history as the first transgender performer to win a major acting Emmy. The Emmys will air Sunday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on CBS.
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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