2019 Emmy Nomination Predictions: The Limited Series/TV Movie Categories

The Limited Series/TV Movie categories for the Primetime Emmy Awards have gone through a lot of rule changes the last few years to keep up with the pace of streamers who release in theaters, redefining again what makes a limited series (this year’s American Horror Story anthology was deemed a drama series) or a television movie (this year’s flavor is length) but there is often nothing more important when looking at them in terms of awards predictions than release date. What seemed like a golden goose last fall now might be a memory.

Take the case of HBO’s Sharp Objects and specifically, Amy Adams. Adams is a 6-time Academy Award nominee, having just been nominated again this year for Vice. She lost, of course, but when Sharp Objects began filming in 2017 she seemed like an easy bet to win, sight unseen and without thinking of potential competition. The dark and dramatic series came with tremendous critical praise almost exactly a year ago and Adams was all but assured to end up with a SAG, a Globe and then an Emmy this summer. Enter Patricia Arquette in Showtime’s Escape at Dannemora. That crime drama limited series landed in the fall and wrapped up just as the year was ending. Arquette swooped in and won the Golden Globe and the Screen Actors Guild award and Adams was once again left to sit and clap for someone else (the two tied for the Critics’ Choice Award though).

For me, this was an issue of timing. The Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild work on calendar year eligibility, between January 1st and December 31st, whereas the Emmys still exist on the archaic June 1st to May 31st period of the old days of television seasons when summer was for reruns. This meant that a wealth of contenders still hadn’t even entered the race after this year’s Globe and SAG awards. HBO’s Chernobyl, Netflix’s When They See Us and FX’s Fosse/Verdon were waiting in the wings, ready to pounce, and pounce did they.

2019 Emmy Nomination Predictions – The Drama Categories

2019 Emmy Nomination Predictions – The Comedy Categories

Every single category is going to be a fight, full of shocking snubs and surprise nominations. We’ll know them all on Tuesday, July 16th when the nominations are announced.

Here are my predictions in the Limited Series/TV Movie categories for the 2019 Primetime Emmy Awards.

TV Movie

• Black Mirror – “Bandersnatch” (Netflix)
• Brexit (HBO)
• Deadwood: The Movie (HBO)
• King Lear (BBC/Amazon)
• The Romanoffs – “The Violet Hour” (Amazon)

Just on the outside: My Dinner with Hervé (HBO), The Romanoffs – “The House of Special Purpose” (Amazon), Native Son (HBO)

Limited Series

• Chernobyl (HBO)
• Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)
• Fosse/Verdon (FX)
• Sharp Objects (HBO)
• When They See Us (Netflix)

Look out for: The Act (Hulu), Catch-22 (Hulu), Les Misérables (PBS), True Detective (HBO, A Very English Scandal (Amazon)

Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television

• Mahershala Ali, True Detective (HBO)
• Hugh Grant, A Very English Scandal (Amazon)
• Jared Harris, Chernobyl (HBO)
• Jharrel Jerome, When They See Us (Netflix)
• Ian McShane, Deadwood: The Movie (HBO)
• Sam Rockwell, Fosse/Verdon (FX)

Look out for: Christopher Abbott, Catch-22 (Hulu); Benedict Cumberbatch, Brexit (HBO); Benicio del Toro, Escape From Dannemora (Showtime); Anthony Hopkins, King Lear (BBC/Amazon); Timothy Olyphant, Deadwood: The Movie (HBO); Fionn Whitehead, Black Mirror – “Bandersnatch” (Netflix)

Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television

• Amy Adams, Sharp Objects (HBO)
• Patricia Arquette, Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)
• Joey King, The Act (Hulu)
• Niecy Nash, When They See Us (Netflix)
• Connie Britton, Dirty John (Bravo)
• Michelle Williams, Fosse/Verdon (FX)

Look out for: Julianna Margulies, The Hot Zone (Nat Geo); Florence Pugh, The Little Drummer Girl (AMC/BBC One); Emma Stone, Maniac (FX); Marisa Tomei, Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s All in the Family and The Jeffersons; (ABC); Ruth Wilson, Mrs. Wilson (BBC One)

Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

• Paul Dano, Escape At Dannemora (Showtime)
• John Leguizamo, When They See Us (Netflix)
• Gerald McRaney, Deadwood: The Movie (HBO)
• Ben Whishaw, A Very English Scandal (Amazon)
• Michael K. Williams, When They See Us (Netflix)
• Stellan Skarsgård, Chernobyl (HBO)

Just on the outside: Asante Blackk, When They See Us (Netflix); Kyle Chandler, Catch-22 (Hulu); George Clooney, Catch-22 (Hulu); Joshua Jackson, When They See Us (Netflix); Eric Lange, Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)

Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

• Patricia Arquette, The Act (Hulu)
• Jessie Buckley, Chernobyl (HBO)
• Vera Farmiga, When They See Us (Netflix)
• Patricia Clarkson, Sharp Objects (HBO)
• Robin Weigert, Deadwood: The Movie (HBO)
• Emily Watson, Chernobyl (HBO)

Look out for: Kylie Bunbury, When They See Us (Netflix); Carmen Ejogo, True Detective (HBO); Sally Field, Maniac (FX); Eliza Scanlen, Sharp Objects (HBO); Emma Thompson, King Lear (BBC/Amazon)

Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or a Dramatic Special

• Ava DuVernay, When They See Us (Netflix)
• Stephen Frears, A Very English Scandal (Amazon)
• Daniel Minahan, Deadwood: The Movie (HBO)
• Johan Renck, Chernobyl (HBO)
• Ben Stiller, Escape At Dannemora (Showtime)
• Jean-Marc Valleé, Sharp Objects (HBO)

Look out for: David Slade, Black Mirror – “Bandersnatch” (Netflix); Grant Heslov, Catch-22 – “Episode 5” (Hulu) Jessica Yu, Fosse/Verdon – “Glory” (FX); Cary Joji Fukunaga, Maniac (FX); Daniel Sackheim, True Detective (HBO)

Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or a Dramatic Special

• Black Mirror – “Bandersnatch” (Netflix)
• Chernobyl (HBO)
• Deadwood: The Movie (HBO)
• Escape at Dannemora – “Episode 7” (Showtime)
• Sharp Objects – “Milk” (HBO)
• When They See Us – “Part Four” (Netflix)

Look out for: The Act (Hulu), Catch-22 (Hulu), Fosse/Verdon – “Providence” (FX); Maniac – “Utangatta” (FX); Mrs. Wilson (BBC One); A Very English Scandal (Amazon)