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T HE ENVELOPE LOS ANGELES TIMES THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019
THE ENVELOPE latimes.com/envelope
COMEDY SERIES
“Barry”
“Fleabag”
“The Good Place”
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
“Russian Doll”
“Schitt’s Creek”
“Veep”Winner:“Barry”Analysis:“Veep” is back for its final season
but returns to a changed landscape.
“Maisel” won in 2018 and earned 20 nomi-
nations this year, the most of any comedy
series. “Barry” won acting Emmys last
year for co-creator Bill Hader and Henry
Winkler and has only solidified its status
among voters, pulling down 17 noms. Com-
paratively, “Veep” earned a paltry nine, two
fewer than Phoebe Waller-Bridges’ thrill-
ingly perfect “Fleabag.”
Any one of these four shows could win
the Emmy. “Barry” and “Fleabag” rank
highest on merit and daring. “Veep” has
won three times and could have a touch of
sentiment on its side, though it’s not ex-
actly a show that engenders the warm
fuzzies. “Maisel,” meanwhile, has the
broadest appeal, probably making it the
safest bet.
Emmy voters have been streaky with
this series category. “30 Rock” took the
honor in 2007, 2008 and 2009 and then
passed the baton to “Modern Family,”
which prevailed for five straight years.
“Veep” then took over, winning its first
series Emmy in 2014, repeating twice and
then took a year off so star Julia Louis-
Dreyfus could undergo cancer treatment.
“Maisel” won in its stead.
Can “Maisel” now go on a run? Possibly.
It’s a pleasant, entertaining show. I picked
against it last year, believing voters would
reward “Atlanta” for its sometimes shock-
ing and surrealistic second season. I was
wrong. This year, I’m going with “Barry,” a
show that, like “Atlanta,” often embraces
the absurd in pursuit of a delicate balance
between darkness and light. And, yes, I’m
prepared to tip a top hat to “Maisel” mae-
stro Amy Sherman-Palladino again.THE GOLD STANDARD | GLENN WHIPPAll the Emmy drama this year is on the comedy side. We know the “Game of Thrones” cast will be taking the stage to end
the evening. Will “Veep” likewise go out in style? Here’s an early set of Emmy predictions for competitive comedy races.
SOME SERIOUS COMPETITION
BILL HADER and Sarah Goldberg were both nominated for “Barry.” The dark comedy received 17 nominations in total.Aaron EpsteinHBO