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Dragons and castles saga "Game of Thrones" and
heart-tugging family drama "This is Us" square off against
chilling series "The Handmaid's Tale" and Cold War spy show "The
Americans" for the highest honors in television on Monday.
Comedies have changed since "Cheers" and "Friends" in the 1990s.
This year, the absurdist hip-hop-inspired "Atlanta" and "black-ish,"
which both delve into race in contemporary America, compete for
best series against the sunny 1950s housewife tale "The
Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" and Larry David's chronicle of everyday
annoyances in "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
"What's fascinating about the Emmys this year is that they are
really a reflection of the pressing ideas of our time," said Tom
O'Neil, editor of awards website GoldDerby.com.
"In the big races, it's the #MeToo movement and Black Lives
Matter," O'Neil said.
Drama series frontrunner "The Handmaid's Tale" featured
disturbing scenes of women being raped, mutilated, beaten and
drowned in its vision of a near-future patriarchal society in
which women are forcibly separated from their children.
Fan favorite "Game of Thrones," a medieval fantasy of warring
knights, is seen as the biggest challenger to "Handmaid's Tale"
for the top Emmy prize."If people are voting for something a
little more light-hearted and easier to go down, then 'This is
Us' would be the spoiler," said Indiewire executive editor
Michael Schneider.
Elsewhere, the grisly limited series "The Assassination of
Gianni Versace" throws a spotlight on serial killings and
homophobia in the 1980s, while Laura Dern is seen as the
favorite to take home an Emmy for her role in the television
film "The Tale" about child sexual assault.
Comedy series front-runners "Mrs. Maisel" and "Atlanta" could
not be more different from each other in tone.
"Mrs. Maisel," about a mother who turns to stand-up comedy after
a divorce, is an exuberant period piece with a dash of early
feminism.
"Atlanta," created by and starring actor-singer Donald Glover,
is set in a hard-scrabble community on the margins of the city's
hip-hop culture.
"This season of 'Atlanta' was so inspired," said Schneider. "The
fact that it is a good story for representation, with a
predominantly African-American cast, would be a strong message
to send to give the top prize to that."
The Emmy Awards will be handed out at a ceremony on Monday in
Los Angeles.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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