Although the Emmy Awards were just earlier this year in January due to the SAG-AFTRA strike in summer and fall of 2023, we're back into the Emmy season once again as April and May find networks and streamers cramming content under the wire to hit the May 31 deadline. On episode 226 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and TV Editor Tyler Doster break down the top categories for a preview of what this new Emmy race could look like.

We start with the most competitive section of this year's race, Limited or Anthology Series or Movie categories. While other top series categories have been expanded to eight nomination slots by the Television Academy, Limited or Anthology Series have just the classic five and as each year sees a meteoric rise in limited series content, it's going to be one of the toughest races in decades with Shōgun (FX), Fargo (FX), Lessons in Chemistry (AppleTV+), True Detective: Night Country (HBO/Max), Feud: Capote vs The Swans (FX), Masters of the Air (AppleTV+), The Regime (HBO/Max), Ripley (Netflix), Fellow Travelers (Showtime), The Sympathizer (HBO/Max) and more all vying for one of those previous five spots. That's before you even get into the acting categories, which could prove to be even more cutthroat with A-list Oscar winners like Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Brie Larson, Julianne Moore, Nicole Kidman and Michael Douglas in the mix.

In Comedy, we have several returning winners and previous nominees in the race (like Abbott Elementary (ABC), Hacks (HBO/Max) and reigning champ The Bear), shows waving farewell like Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO/Max) and Reservation Dogs (FX), and new hopefuls like Palm Royale (AppleTV+) and The Gentlemen (Netflix).

But it's Drama that has proven to be the bleakest of the bunch, with so many non-returning shows that it's practically an easy coronation for The Crown (Netflix) in its final season. We'll see The Morning Show (AppleTV+) for its third season but after that it's a Wild West of programs never nominated like The Gilded Age (HBO/Max), Loki (Disney+) and Slow Horses (AppleTV+) going up against a flood of new programming, some of which has or could be strategically submitted here instead of Limited Series where they more likely belong (like Showtime's The Curse or Prime Video's Mr. and Mrs. Smith, neither of which have been renewed for a second season). Flooding the market with their first seasons include: 3 Body Problem (Netflix), Fallout (Prime Video), Sugar (AppleTV+), Hijack (AppleTV+) and more.

You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more.

This podcast runs 1h15m. On our next episode, we will be latest film from director Alex Garland, Civil War, along with discussing our favorite political thrillers, and breaking down the 2024 Cannes Film Festival line-up.