2024 Emmy Predictions: Best Variety Series Writing
Despite being forced to change program categories ahead of the 2023 Emmys, “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” emerged from that ceremony with its eighth consecutive series and writing wins. Unsurprisingly, the HBO staple is generally expected to experience similar success this year, with the only difference being that its probable new writing prize will be bestowed at the creative arts event rather than the main primetime one.
The 2024 Best Variety Series Writing lineup is the third in a row to pit “Last Week Tonight” against “The Daily Show” and “Saturday Night Live” and the first to consist of just those three series. As it happens, “Last Week Tonight” is presently poised to tie “The Daily Show’s” long-standing record for most wins in this category.
In order to judge whether “Last Week Tonight” can be stopped from extending its streak, let’s take a closer look at each nominee. Be sure to make your predictions in this and 30 other Creative Arts Emmy categories by September 7.
“The Daily Show” (Comedy Central)
This cable series’ 19th writing notice is also its first given in recognition of its rotating host format implemented after the departure of 2015-2022 star Trevor Noah. The iteration of the show hosted for 16 years by current weekly presenter and writing nominee Jon Stewart achieved this honor nine times between 2001 and 2015, during which period it was also defeated four times by its own spinoff, “The Colbert Report.”
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (HBO)
The reigning champions on this show’s writing staff have only ever lost this award once, on their initial outing against Stewart and his 2015 team. During the news recap series’ 10th and 11th seasons, former “Daily Show” correspondent Oliver expounds on a wide range of topics, including food safety, book banning, and many facets of American politics.
“Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
This long-running weekly sketch series has previously vied for this prize (or versions of it) 28 times and took the gold in 1976, 1977, 1989, and 2002. Its potential fifth victory would come for its 49th season, which ran from October 2023 to May 2024 and included guest host performances from the likes of Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, and Timothée Chalamet.
So, what will win the 2024 Emmy for Best Variety Series Writing? It is worth noting that, for the first time in almost a decade, “Last Week Tonight” is absent from the corresponding directing lineup, which does include both of its writing challengers. However, this doesn’t necessarily indicate that the HBO show is vulnerable on its writing bid, as there has only ever been one instance of the two awards going to a single program (“The Daily Show,” 2015).
If “The Daily Show” were the current directing frontrunner, Oliver and his writing team might be in danger of losing their streak, but the truth is that “Saturday Night Live” practically has that contest sewn up. Bearing in mind that “Last Week Tonight” already proved its resilience last year, there is simply too much risk involved in not predicting a seventh HBO/NBC split.
PREDICT the Creative Arts Emmy winners through September 7
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