‘Andor’ and ‘The Mandalorian’: Double dose of ‘Star Wars’ in Best Drama Series?

It wasn’t too long ago that sci-fi and fantasy shows struggled for recognition at the Emmys. Who would have thought way back when that a show like “Game of Thrones” would be able to win Best Drama Series a record-tying four times. Now we’re in an era when not one but two “Star Wars” series could be nominated for Best Drama at the same time: “Andor” and “The Mandalorian” are both strong contenders for the top prize. Do you think both will make the cut?

“The Mandalorian” already has a strong Emmy track record. Its first two seasons earned Emmy nominations for Best Drama in 2020 and 2021. The show has also contended for writing, directing, and acting awards. And it has won 14 times in Creative Arts categories. The show finally returned for its third season in the spring of 2023 after an almost three-year hiatus, so it’ll pick up where it left off, right?

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Well, it might have some competition from its own cinematic universe. “Andor” is a prequel series set before the events of “Star Wars: A New Hope.” It follows the title Rebel spy, Cassian Andor (played by Diego Luna), five years before the events of the 2016 film “Rogue One.” The series has already earned Critics Choice and Producers Guild nominations for Best Drama Series, along with Critics Choice and Golden Globe noms for Luna’s performance. The series was additionally nominated twice by the Writers Guild, and it took home a prestigious Peabody Award.

That’s a pretty impressive awards resume to take into Emmy season. Perhaps that’s why “Andor” currently ranks higher than “The Mandalorian” in our odds, which are based on the combined predictions of thousands of Gold Derby users. “Andor” places eighth with 20/1 odds, compared to “The Mandalorian” in 10th place with 58/1 odds. If we’re right, that would put “Andor” in the race with “Mandalorian” just missing out. But “Mandalorian” is close enough to the top eight that it wouldn’t be a surprise to see it make the lineup too. If so, get ready for an unprecedented “Star Wars” civil war.

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