2024 Emmy Predictions: Best Variety Series Directing
Less than a year after rebounding from having its half-decade winning streak broken by “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” “Saturday Night Live” is in the hunt for yet another Best Variety Series Directing Emmy. On its record 24th such nomination, the NBC sketch program faces three old talk show rivals, none of which have ever beaten it despite trying at least three times each.
This technically marks the first instance of less than five variety series competing for the same directing Emmy, with the last similar case involving both series and specials having occurred in 1993 before the two formats were afforded separate categories. After 2022, this is also the second time in 10 years that there are no new nominees in the mix.
In order to judge whether “Saturday Night Live” can be stopped from clinching its lucky 13th directing win, 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” – David Paul Meyer
Episode: “February 12, 2024”
“The Daily Show” and Meyer’s first nomination in this category since 2020 comes for the episode in which Jon Stewart kicks off a weekly hosting stint over eight years after he gave up his permanent position behind the satirical news desk. Having just won Best Talk Series earlier this year for “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” Meyer is immediately back in the running for that award plus producing and directing prizes for the stand-up special “Trevor Noah: Where Was I.”
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” – Andy Fisher
Episode: “April 17, 2024”
Fisher’s fourth nomination for this ABC series (on which he has worked since 2008) immediately follows the one he received for last year’s 20th anniversary special. He was also previously recognized outside of this category for helming the first two Kimmel-produced “Live in Front of a Studio Audience” events. In this submitted episode, Kimmel focuses on addressing the surprising continued relevance of his Oscars-related beef with Donald Trump before welcoming guests Rob McElhenney and Chris Stapleton.
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” – Jim Hoskinson
Episode: “December 21, 2023”
Before amassing eight consecutive nominations for this CBS program, Hoskinson (who, like Fisher, has yet to win an Emmy) racked up 10 bids for Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” and one for Colbert’s 2016 election night special. His new “Late Show” selection features a joint interview with CNN’s “New Year’s Eve Live” hosts Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen and a joyful house band performance of “Winter Wonderland.”
“Saturday Night Live” – Liz Patrick
Episode: “Host: Ryan Gosling”
Patrick, who reaped seven Daytime Emmys for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in the 2010s, has served as the sole “SNL” director since her 2022 co-nominee, Don Roy King, retired the year before. In her chosen 49th season episode, guest acting hopeful Ryan Gosling returns for his third hosting gig, during which he reprises his old “Close Encounter” role alongside former cast member Kate McKinnon before playing new characters like incompetent surgeon Jeffrey Thank You and cartoon doppelgänger Dean.
So, what will win the 2024 Emmy for Best Variety Series Directing? Considering its past champion status (in 2015, when “SNL” wasn’t nominated) and recent personnel changes, it’s worth at least entertaining the idea of a “Daily Show” upset. However, it’s also important to note that its sole directing victory was coupled with one in the corresponding writing category, where “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” will almost surely prevail for the eight year in a row.
Since her show has fared quite well here in recent years and she just proved her individual primetime viability, Patrick should handily fend off all of her current talk show challengers. Indeed, as 92% of the Gold Derby users predicting this race seem to realize, she would really only have to worry if there were another sketch series in the running.
PREDICT the Creative Arts Emmy winners through September 7
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