2022 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Drama Series

Outstanding Drama Series has become one of the toughest categories to crack for series when it comes to the Emmys. Each year, more and more series premiere and join the ranks of preexisting shows that are vying for the attention of the Television Academy. There will be eight slots to fill for the many shows that have come on in the past year. To make things more interesting, only two of last year’s nominees in this category (Bridgerton and This Is Us) are eligible in the category this year.

With so many shows on the sidelines this year (that just haven’t aired a new season), this opens up room for new and returning shows to take up the mantle. There are two drama series that are practically guaranteed nominations at this point: Succession and Squid Game. Succession cleaned house at all the guilds earlier this year while Squid Game was a worldwide phenomenon, making them both prime competition this year. Netflix’s Ozark has been nominated in this category twice before and will likely net a nomination for its fourth and final season. Better Call Saul has been nominated for Outstanding Drama Series for every season it has put out and this year will likely be no different for the first half of its final season. Showtime’s newest, breakout drama Yellowjackets is likely to make an appearance on the morning the nominations are announced as well as anticipation builds for its second season. 

With so many series, there are bound to be new shows that make the cut as well as old. Another new series that could break into the competition is Severance, the buzzy new series from Apple+. Could the second season of Euphoria find itself in the Outstanding Drama competition? It looks likely to bring Emmy-winning star Zendaya back to competition, but could it gather more than just that? Yellowstone received its first SAG Ensemble nod a couple months ago, so the series obviously has a fanbase in the industry. Stranger Things is about to return with the first part of its fourth season just in time for the eligibility date. Having been nominated for its first three seasons, the Netflix original is sturdy competition for this category. The two series that were nominated last year in this category and are eligible again this year, Bridgerton and This Is Us, both stand a chance at grabbing another nom in this category. 

Here are my predictions for Outstanding Drama Series:

1. Succession (HBO)
2. Squid Game (Netflix)
3. Ozark (Netflix)
4. Better Call Saul (AMC)
5. Stranger Things (Netflix)
6. Severance (AppleTV+)
7. This Is Us (NBC)
8. Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Look out for: Euphoria; Yellowstone; Bridgerton; Pachinko

Photo: Ron Batzdorff/NBC