The Queue

We predict these shows will be represented in the three biggest categories ahead of the nominations announcement on Tuesday, July 15.

By Kevin Slane

July 14, 2025 | 12:00 PM

3 minutes to read

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It’s been a pretty quiet summer for new TV releases (“Squid Game” and “The Bear” notwithstanding), but plenty is going on behind the scenes.

That’s because the month of June is when the approximately 24,000 members of The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS) get to vote on which of the hundreds of submissions will make the cut for the Primetime Emmy Awards nominations.

Predicting what shows will be represented in every award category is too arduous of an exercise for this newsletter – the PDF listing all of the submissions for the writing categories alone spans 39 pages. But here’s my attempt at guessing which shows will be represented in the three biggest categories ahead of the nominations announcement on Tuesday, July 15. 

(Feel free to use this as a catch-up list ahead of the 2025 Emmys in September.)

2025 Emmys predictions

Best Drama Nominees

• “Andor” (Disney+)
• “The Diplomat” (Netflix)
• “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)
• “The Last of Us” (HBO Max)
• “The Pitt” (HBO Max)
• “Severance” (Apple TV+)
• “Slow Horses” (Apple TV+)
• “The White Lotus” (HBO Max)

Predicted winner: “Severance”

Analysis: If any show is going to miss out here, it’s probably “The Handmaid’s Tale.” The Hulu drama wasn’t nominated for its fifth season at the 75th Emmys, and typically shows don’t bounce back after dropping off the ballot. That said, there is precedent for voters giving a show awards love for its final season, so I’m putting it in ahead of the second season of “Squid Game.” 

Best Comedy Nominees

• “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
• “The Bear” (FX)
• “Hacks” (HBO Max)
• “Nobody Wants This” (Netflix)
• “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
• “Shrinking” (Apple TV+)
• “The Studio” (Apple TV+)
• “What We Do in the Shadows” (FX)

Predicted winner: “The Studio”

Analysis: Following the same logic as above, I’m sneaking in the sixth and final season of “What We Do in the Shadows,” which has been criminally underrated by awards voters since its debut. But I can’t find space for “The Righteous Gemstones,” Danny McBride’s evangelical comedy that ended this spring after four seasons.

Best Limited or Anthology Series Nominees

• “Adolescence” (Netflix)
• “Dying for Sex” (FX)
• “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” (Netflix)
• “The Penguin” (HBO Max)
• “Presumed Innocent” (Apple TV+)

Predicted winner: “Adolescence”

Analysis: I’d much rather see shows like FX’s “Say Nothing” (based on Dorchester author Patrick Radden Keefe’s book about The Troubles) and “Sirens” (starring Mass. native Meghann Fahy) represented here instead of “Monsters” and “Presumed Innocent.” But “Monsters” is one of Netflix’s most popular shows ever, and at the moment, no studio is better at running awards campaigns for its TV shows than Apple.

Play or Skip

Press play on these movies and shows:

“The Bear” Season 4: After an uneven, unfocused Season 3, “The Bear” served up a more balanced meal in Season 4, spacing out episodes of white-knuckle anxiety and in-depth character studies. I especially loved Dorchester native Ayo Edebiri in episode 4 (“Worms”), as Sydney contemplates leaving Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and the rest of the crew for a competing restaurant. (Hulu)

“Sinners” (2025): Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan remain undefeated when working together, whether it’s in “Creed,””Fruitvale Station,”  “Black Panther,” or this Depression-era drama set in the Mississippi Delta. Twin brothers (Jordan) and their aspiring blues musician cousin (Miles Caton) set out to open a juke joint, only to encounter a surprising supernatural force and a (less-surprising) dose of racism. (HBO Max)

“Superman” (1978): Before heading to theaters to see James Gunn’s new take on “Superman” (read my full review here), take a couple of hours to remember how Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, and Gene Hackman set the standard for any future takes on Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Lex Luthor, respectively. (HBO Max)

But go ahead and skip this one:

“Squid Game” Season 3: The final (or maybe not final?) season of Netflix’s international hit is completely out of things to say. All that’s left are repeated games, recycled characters, and plot arcs signifying nothing. The only wrinkle this season is a group of wealthy VIPs who mindlessly watch the carnage unfold from the safety of their manufactured living room, which feels like creator Hwang Dong-hyuk indicting his own audience. (Netflix)

End Credits

That’s a wrap on this edition of The Queue. If you’re a fan, please consider recommending this newsletter to your friends.

Until next time, good stream hunting, everyone!

— Kevin

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