Emmys 2021 Nominations | Predictions

My predictions in red and bold.....

OUTSTANDING DRAMA

The Boys (Amazon Prime)

Bridgerton (Netflix)

The Crown (Netflix)

The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

Lovecraft Country (HBO)

The Mandalorian (Disney+)

Pose (FX)

This Is Us (NBC)

LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA

Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us

Jonathan Majors, Lovecraft Country

Josh O’Connor, The Crown

Regé-Jean Page, Bridgerton

Billy Porter, Pose

Matthew Rhys, Perry Mason

LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

Uzo Aduba, In Treatment

Olivia Colman, The Crown

Emma Corrin, The Crown

Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale

Mj Rodriguez, Pose

Jurnee Smollett, Lovecraft Country

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

Aunjanue Ellis, Lovecraft Country

Gillian Anderson, The Crown

Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown

Emerald Fennell, The Crown

Madeline Brewer, The Handmaid’s Tale

Ann Dowd, The Handmaid’s Tale

Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid’s Tale

Samira Wiley, The Handmaid’s Tale

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA

Michael K. Williams, Lovecraft Country

John Lithgow, Perry Mason

Tobias Menzies, The Crown

O-T Fagbenle, The Handmaid’s Tale

Max Minghella, The Handmaid’s Tale

Bradley Whitford, The Handmaid’s Tale

Giancarlo Esposito, The Mandalorian

Chris Sullivan, This Is Us

GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

Alexis Bledel, The Handmaid’s Tale

Claire Foy, The Crown

Mckenna Grace, The Handmaid’s Tale

Sophie Okonedo, Ratched

Phylicia Rashad, This Is Us

GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA

Don Cheadle, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Charles Dance, The Crown

Timothy Olyphant, The Mandalorian

Courtney B. Vance, Lovecraft Country

Carl Weathers, The Mandalorian

OUTSTANDING COMEDY

black-ish (ABC)

Cobra Kai (Netflix)

Emily in Paris (Netflix)

Hacks (HBO Max)

The Flight Attendant (HBO Max)

The Kominsky Method (Netflix)

PEN15 (Hulu)

Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Aidy Bryant, Shrill

Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant

Allison Janney, Mom

Tracee Ellis Ross, black-ish

Jean Smart, Hacks

LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Anthony Anderson, black-ish

Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method

William H. Macy, Shameless

Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso

Kenan Thompson, Kenan

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Hannah Einbinder, Hacks

Aidy Bryant, SNL

Kate McKinnon, SNL

Cecily Strong, SNL

Juno Temple, Ted Lasso

Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso

Rosie Perez, The Flight Attendant

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Hacks

Kenan Thompson, SNL

Bowen Yang, SNL

Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso

Brendan Hunt, Ted Lasso

Nick Mohammed, Ted Lasso

Jeremy Swift, Ted Lasso

Paul Reiser, The Kominsky Method

GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Jane Adams, Hacks

Yvette Nicole Brown, A Black Lady Sketch Show

Bernadette Peters, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist

Issa Rae, A Black Lady Sketch Show

Maya Rudolph, SNL

Kristen Wiig, SNL

GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Alec Baldwin, SNL

Dave Chappelle, SNL

Morgan Freeman, The Kominsky Method

Daniel Kaluuya, SNL

Daniel Levy, SNL

LIMITED SERIES

I May Destroy You (HBO)

Mare of Easttown (HBO)

The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)

The Underground Railroad (Amazon Prime)

WandaVision (Disney+)

LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You

Cynthia Erivo, Genius: Aretha

Elizabeth Olsen, WandaVision

Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen’s Gambit

Kate Winslet, Mare of Easttown

LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

Paul Bettany, WandaVision

Hugh Grant, The Undoing

Ewan McGregor, Halston

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton

Leslie Odom, Jr., Hamilton

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

Phillipa Soo, Hamilton

Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton

Jean Smart, Mare of Easttown

Julianne Nicholson, Mare of Easttown

Moses Ingram, The Queen’s Gambit

Kathryn Hahn, WandaVision

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

Daveed Diggs, Hamilton

Jonathan Groff, Hamilton

Anthony Ramos, Hamilton

Paapa Essiedu, I May Destroy You

Evan Peters, Mare of Easttown

Thomas Brodie-Sangster, The Queen’s Gambit

July TV Finales - Run the World - Season One

Run the World is my latest TV obsession which only debuted back on May 16, 2021. But guess what? It's already concluded it's first (hopefully not last) season.

The show is fab airing on Stan created by Leigh Davenport, along with co-executive producer with show runner Yvette Lee Bowser. 

The Starz (US network) series is set in Harlem, centring on a group of friends (Amber Stevens West, Andrea Bordeaux, Bresha Webb & Corbin Reid) navigating relationships and the professional world. 

The series received positive critical reception whilst holding a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Now that is impressive!

More impressive, I loved this series, HARD!

The tagline for this series is. Run the World is the story of a group of Black women – vibrant, fiercely loyal best friends – who work, live and play in Harlem as they strive for world domination. At its core, it's an unapologetically female show about enviable friendship and not only surviving – but thriving together.

Bresha Webb as Renee Ross is a bloody standout. Her one liners, her dancing, her vibe. Makes this show a hit.

I truly hope this does return for a second series. I strongly believe it will with Starz renewing the next chapter of Power before even airing an episode, along with renewals for P Valley, Hightown and picking up another season of Step Up from YouTube.

If you have Stan during this extended lockdown, do yourselves a favour and check out Run the World, you won't regret it.

Return to Cinema 2021 - Black Widow

Return to Cinema 2021 is back after a few weeks off. Yes the cinemas are once again closed in Sydney, however with streaming services completely dominating, Disney+ with Premier Access allows cinema lovers to watch Black Widow at home.

Now I watched Mulan this way and honestly always gave Marvel movies a go at the cinemas, so this was something new. Not ideal but I still got to watch the biggest movie (alongside the latest Fast & Furious film) from home.

This is the 24th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) based on Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow. The film also stars Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O-T Fagbenle, Olga Kurylenko, William Hurt, Ray Winstone, and Rachel Weisz. 

Black Widow is set after the events of Captain America: Civil War. We find Romanoff / Black Widow on the run and forced to confront a conspiracy tied to her past.

The film is a real globe trotting affair (unlike 2021 for Australians) with action in Norway, Budapest, Morocco and of course the USA.

Black Widow has been a box office success to date, grossing over $158 million worldwide. 

So did I enjoy a Marvel film from bed? Well, yes and no.

I did honestly have to watch the film in two sittings. One half at night, then second half in the morning. It's another longer Marvel film clocking in at just over 2 hours.

It also helps set up the next Marvel TV series to air on Disney+, Hawkeye. Yes Loki concludes this week meaning there is room for another series to land soon.

Black Widow may not be my favourite Marvel film, however I did like the storyline and second halves action sequences. There was a lot going on whilst also trying to bear in mind this took part before Black Widow's fate is sealed in the final Avengers film.

I am really missing the cinemas in Sydney again. I never thought we would be back in March 2020 again. But hell here we are, ScoMo is trying to spin his way out of this shit show while who I do feel sorry for are all the casuals and cinema employees who now find themselves without work or Jobkeeper.

I would have much preferred seeing this film on the big screen, with perfect sound. To pay for this while keeping kids employed. Until then I will give it a review to my best ability to review from bed, 3 Stars.

Binged 2021 - WandaVision

As I watch the second last Loki episode, its fitting I finally finished WandaVision from Disney+.

Based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch and Vision. The series takes place after the events of the film Avengers: Endgame. WandaVision was the first television series produced by Marvel Studios, ahead of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and the above mentioned Loki.

Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany reprise their respective roles as Wanda Maximoff and Vision from the previous films.

Also starring in the big budget series from January (concluding in early March) Debra Jo Rupp, Fred Melamed, Kathryn Hahn, Teyonah Parris, Randall Park, Kat Dennings, and Evan Peters. 

The series pays homage to past sitcoms, I Love Lucy, My Three Sons, Father Knows Best, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Bewitched, The Brady Bunch, Family Ties, Out of This World, Malcolm in the Middle, Modern Family, and The Office.

Wanda and Vision living in a reality that takes them through different decades of television tropes. The series has received praise from critics for its sitcom settings and tropes, dark tonal shifts, and the performances of Olsen, Bettany, and Hahn. WandaVision serves as a direct set up to the film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. With a release date sometime scheduled for 2022. Olsen will reprises her role as Maximoff.

I personally liked WandaVision a lot. It was a very easy watch with the nine episodes also being incredibly short. Randall Park is always fun to watch on screen too, with the production value (as usual with Disney) being extremely high.

I didn't love the last Doctor Strange film, however this may have given me some more context ahead of the next Strange film.

Elizabeth Olsen is also delicious in this role whilst having fun with some old school sitcoms while wearing some killer costumes.

WandaVision along with the latest Marvel film, Black Widow streams on Disney+ NOW! God I miss the movies.

All American Season 3 Returns with Homecoming

All American has been slightly hit and miss with season three, however the Homecoming backdoor pilot was a vibe.

The OG series is inspired by the life of professional American football player Spencer Paysinger played by hunk of burning love Daniel Ezra.

The fourth season of All American already has a premiere date set in the calendar, October 25, 2021. Whilst this new series All American: Homecoming will be a midseason affair.

The spin-off is based on Geffri Maya's character Simone Hicks as the new Venus Williams. Goodbye football hello tennis (and by the looks of it, hello baseball!) and Georgia!

This is the second The CW backdoor pilot to air this season, remember Black Lightning Season 4 Returns with Painkiller sadly Painkiller is no longer!

So will you be watching All American: Homecoming when the parent show takes a mid season break? I already like the big energy the series brings. New sporting rivals, new romance? It's honestly a whole vibe.

As we lock down for another week, enjoy my pre cinema shut down best of 2021, or enjoy some of my recent TV recommendations. The new BLOG series July TV Finales kicks off soon. Including another feature on All American.

See you tomorrow as I finally caught up on WandaVision. Spoiler alert, it's a wild ride!

June TV Finales - Cruel Summer - Season One

Cruel Summer was renewed for a second season just before the big season one finale, so I thought, I'd give it a crack. Gosh did I power through all ten episodes ASAP. Well I guess that's what happens when we go back in time in Sydney. Yes it's feeling a lot like March 2020 again folks. Thanks Slo-Mo.

The series follows two teenage girls Kate Wallis (popular) and Janette Turner (NERD) in the 1990s. Set in the fictional town of Skylin, Texas, each episode focuses on the same day over the course of three years: 1993, 1994 and 1995. 

The series follows two teenage girls: Kate Wallis is a beloved popular girl who one day disappears without a trace at the hands of new vice principal Martin Harris. 

Jeanette Turner is an awkward outcast who seemingly takes over Kate's life after she goes missing. Found alive a year later, Kate accuses Jeanette of witnessing her abduction but not reporting it, which results in Jeanette becoming the most despised person in America. Through multiple lawsuits and fractured families, friendships and relationships, everyone scrambles to pick sides as the true story unfolds.

Episodes alternate between Jeanette and Kate's viewpoint.

As viewers we get disclaimers before certain episodes cautioning viewers over show themes of child grooming and domestic abuse. It reminded me a little like a reverse version of A Teacher. However that was way more classy.

Cruel Summer is actually a little trashy. My way better half did suggest the show was a little bit like daytime/midday movie. Actually it was a fair assessment. However for some of its daggy moments the twists and turns we get to before episode nine and ten makes for an interesting finale.

I smashed this really easily as honestly it's one of those super easy shows you can just throw on in the background.

So the season finale aired last month, so I was slightly behind on the viewing/posting around this series. Lets just say after all the finales last month my dance card is fairly open now. July will also see a number of shows conclude, Kung Fu, The Flash, All American (look out for a sneaky post soon on Homecoming) as well as Loki and Betty.

Can you tell I am missing the cinema yet??

Best Movies of 2021 (BC - Before Corona 2.0)

So the Delta whatever has sent the cinemas shutting its doors right after they started to come good with Fast & Furious doing good things at the box office and Disney releases a number of films.

So lets lock back at some of this years best releases thus far in 2021, a shitty sequel to 2020.

BEST hyped film of 2021 (BC) - Cruella

BEST jump out of the seat films - The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

BEST Teen drama/coming of age/comedy blah - N/A, comedies and coming of age films have been few and far between thus far in 2021.

BEST films (tie) of 2021 (BC) - Promising Young Woman & The Dry

BEST small (budget) film - Minari

BEST Aussie Movie - The Dry

BEST Music film - In the Heights

BEST controversial film of 2021 (BC) - Maybe Music by Sia was controversial due to casting? I did like the film regardless what the critics said.

BEST Dramas (big fat four way tie) - Promising Young Woman / French Exit / Nomadland / The Father