So Few Scripted Variety Series Emmy Contenders Could Actually Mean More Nominees

This article contains IndieWire’s preliminary Outstanding Scripted Variety Series predictions for the 2024 Emmys. We regularly update our predictions throughout awards season, and republish previous versions (like this one) for readers to track how the Emmys race has changed. For the latest update on the frontrunners for the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, see our 2024 Emmy predictions hub.

We will update this article throughout the season, along with all our predictions, so make sure to keep checking IndieWire for the latest news from the 2024 Emmys race. The nomination round of voting takes place from June 13 to June 24, with the official Emmy nominations announced Wednesday, July 17. Afterwards, final voting commences on August 15 and ends the night of August 26. The 76th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are set to take place on Sunday, September 15, and air live on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT.

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See our previous thoughts on what to expect at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards here.

The State of the Race

To be fair, and to not be a downer all the time about the variety series categories, the move to create a new Outstanding Scripted Variety Series category did re-energize this particular awards race a bit by putting “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” and “Saturday Night Live” — two shows on huge Emmy-winning streaks — against each other for the first time ever. Ultimately, any association with “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” continues to be a TV awards magnet because the former HBO series was the victor. 

We will not know for sure until June how many submissions the Outstanding Scripted Variety Series category actually had, but right now it looks like the pool is small enough for the rule to kick in that submissions will be screened by the appropriate peer group for nomination, and any entry that receives nine-tenths approval will receive a nomination.

Though it would be unfortunate if there are not even nine or 10 shows across all of primetime television that fit the bill of a scripted variety series, it would be more beneficial for the category to feature more than just “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” and “Saturday Night Live,” which are extremely well known to voters. HBO’s “A Black Lady Sketch Show” for instance became a category mainstay the four seasons it was on, and ended up winning Emmys in other categories. That recognition becomes much harder if those below the line categories are the only time voters come across the name of a show.

Though “Painting With John” Season 2 is putting in a valiant effort, the two main submissions trying to really breakthrough this year are “After Midnight,” CBS’s interactive replacement for “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” and the late-coming hit launched by the Netflix Is a Joke Festival, “John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s In L.A.” If put to a jury vote, it’s hard to imagine the people responsible for that decision would be against more shows of this genre continuing to be up for consideration. Variety is the spice of life, right?

Current Contenders (In Alphabetical Order):
“After Midnight” (CBS)
“John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s In L.A.” (Netflix)
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (HBO)
“Painting With John” (HBO)
“Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

To see IndieWire’s full set of predictions for the 76th Emmy Awards click here.

Last Year’s Winner: “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”
Still Eligible: Yes.
Hot Streak: Previously in the Variety Talk category, “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” has gone eight straight years winning an Emmy for the series as a whole. In terms of Variety series as a whole, its hot streak is only second to the 10 consecutive Emmys received by “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”
Notable Ineligible Series: “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (ended)