2023 Emmy Awards Best Drama Series Predictions

March 21, 2023

The 2023 Emmy nominees for Outstanding Drama Series include the final seasons of “Succession” and “Better Call Saul” and Season 2 of “The White Lotus.”

We’ll be updating this article with all of our predictions throughout the season, so be sure to check IndieWire for the latest news on the 2023 Emmys. The nomination round of voting runs from June 15 to June 26, with the official Emmy nominations announced on Wednesday, July 12. The Creative Arts Emmy Awards will be presented over two consecutive nights on Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, September 10. an edited presentation of the ceremonies that will air on FXX at a later date. Finally, the 75th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will take place on Monday, September 18 and will air live on FOX at 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT.

State of the species

If we had known a year ago that “The Succession” Season 4 would be the final season of the hit satirical drama, the consensus would be that it would definitely win another Emmy for best drama. This is not the case these days.

Another explosive satirical dramedy about the rich and the unruly — which won the Emmy for best limited series last year — is now competing for an Emmy in the same category. Sure, “Succession” is HBO’s “number one son,” but “The White Lotus” undeniably gained momentum thanks to its dominating performance at the awards show, the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Plus, neither show is the HBO drama currently dominating the cultural conversation as we enter Emmy season. “The Last of Us” has been a hit for the network at a time of great uncertainty given the unpredictable business decisions of its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery. The video game adaptation even had 8.2 million viewers for the Season 1 finale, which aired the same Sunday as the Oscars.

Add in “House of the Dragon,” another record-breaking hit on the premium cable network, and we have a top drama race that includes four HBO shows (possibly five if “Perry Mason” catches fire with audiences in the 2nd. season). Of course, this won’t be the first time HBO has had to compete with itself, but this failure could become an issue that affects the network’s awards prospects.

When it comes to shows moving on and winning, the most likely candidate is the final season of “Better Call Saul,” a series that has 46 Emmy nominations and zero wins over six seasons. The voting faction that nominates the “Breaking Bad” spinoff every year may overtake HBO fans when they get their last chance to honor it. Showtime’s “Yellowjackets” is another series that won many Emmys in its debut season, and it airs on a network that previously beat out HBO in that category.

As for the rest of the field, it hasn’t been a strong year for streaming dramas to capture the attention of TV Academy viewers. Best Drama winner “The Crown” (Netflix) and “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu) each have five seasons with wide but declining audiences. Disney+’s Star Wars shows are competing for an award that doesn’t often embrace sci-fi (though the critically acclaimed “Andor” on Disney+ may prove to be an exception).

Amazon Prime Video is still working out whether to give the full push to “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” (which didn’t do as well on the service as it had hoped from guild awards) or “The Boys ”, which received the award. A Best Drama nomination in 2021 — the year that COVID shut down most production — but it really upped its gross factor in Season 3.

Finally, newer streaming services like Paramount+ and Peacock have some new contenders that are either superstars (the former’s ‘Yellowstone’ prequel ‘1923’) or from a big-name creator (Peacock’s Damon Lindelof-produced ‘Mrs. Davis’ ). Apple TV+ hits a happy medium on that front with the drama “Bad Sisters,” fronted by beloved but as yet Emmy-less creator/star Sharon Horgan.

Current contestants (in alphabetical order):
“1923” (Paramount+)
“Andor” (Disney+)
Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)
“You Better Call Saul” (AMC)
The Crown (Netflix)
“The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)
“The Dragon’s House” (HBO)
“Interview with the Vampire” (AMC)
“The Last of Us” (HBO)
“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” (Amazon Prime Video)
The Mandalorian (Disney+)
“Mrs. Davis” (Peacock)
“Succession” (HBO)
“The White Lotus” (HBO)
“Yellowjackets” (Showtime)

More predictions for the drama categories:
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Click here for IndieWire’s full predictions for the 75th Emmy Awards.

Last year’s winner: “Succession”
Still eligible: Yes.
Hot Streaks: Although “Succession” has won the category for the past two seasons, both “The Crown,” which won the category during the HBO drama’s hiatus, and “The White Lotus,” a new category that most recently won Best Limited Series . a three-peat stands in the way every year.
Notable Non-Eligible Series: “Breach” (Season 2 was not eligible); “Squid Game” (Season 2 was not eligible); “Bridgerton” (Season 3 was not eligible); “Euphoria” (Season 3 was not eligible); “The Morning Show” (Season 3 was not eligible); “Stranger Things” (Season 5 was not eligible); “Killing Eve” (End); “Ozark” (End); “This Is Us” (End)

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