Emmys Outlook: Ted Lasso, Dahmer, and Bill Hader

Dec. 26—The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards are actually coming up for real. The writers and actors strikes in Hollywood are officially over and the show will go on Monday, January 15 with host Anthony Anderson.

Before ya know it, they'll be announcing nominees for next year — but truly, 2023 was a landmark year for the small screen and these performances deserve to be celebrated even if it's a little late. Here's a few more names to watch this year...

Ted Lasso celebrates its third and final season with a grand total of 61 nominations for the beloved comedy series. On the darker side of nominees, Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story shines light on the victims of a sad, true American tale and makes waves in the Limited Series award categories. Finally, let's appreciate Bill Hader who's named for four awards this Emmy season for his acting, directing, writing, and producing in the dark comedy series in its series finale, Barry.

TED LASSO

Ted Lasso has absolutely dominated the comedy category since its reveal on Apple TV in 2021. When our hearts were aching for COVID, Ted Lasso came in to lift our spirits just in time.

This groundbreaking show was inspired by a character Jason Sudeikis invented for an NBC Sports commercial back in 2013 that introduced Premier League soccer games coming to the television station. SNL alum, Sudeikis played an American football coach who begins coaching a soccer team in England. The commercial became an instant comedy classic among football and futbol fans everywhere.

For the Ted Lasso series, Sudeikis reprises that role with a softer, more uplifting energy to the character. Coach Beard, played by Brendan Hunt (also co-creator of the series) who was featured in the original commercial, also stars in the series.

Lasso brings all his Southern hospitality and positive outlook to a struggling Football club in England — and they all learn how to BELIEVE in themselves and each other.

If you're worried you don't know the rules of the game, don't even worry. This show is about so much more than soccer. You don't need to know what off-sides is to enjoy the dynamics among these characters who feel like family.

Ted Lasso will restore your faith in humanity. In its third and final season, this wonderful arrangement of actors continue to make us fall in love with them. Whether it's Ted's sweet nuggets of wisdom or Roy Kent cracking a smile for once — we'll certainly take a little piece of each of them with us as the show departs.

Ted Lasso won Outstanding Comedy Series in 2021 and 2022, and Sudeikis won the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series both years as well. We'll see if he takes the gold again in 2023/2024.

The show has been cleaning up in the supporting acting awards as well; Brett Goldstein won in 2021 and 2022 as Roy Kent and Hannah Waddingham won as Rebecca Welton in 2021. Juno Temple was also nominated every year of the show's running.

For the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, Phil Dunster as Jamie Tartt is also nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor for the first time in the series. The redemption arc of this team badboy will leave you in happy tears. This whole show will leave you in happy tears.

There's too many noms to name, but notably, Harriet Walter is up for both Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for Ted Lasso and Succession, respectively.

In just two seasons, Ted Lasso scored 11 Emmys as a whole. We'll see how many more this ensemble adds to the count as this beautiful show comes to a close.

DAHMER — MONSTER: THE JEFFREY DAHMER STORY

Next, let's look at the opposite of Ted Lasso...Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. The riveting true crime biography takes a closer look at the stories of the victims who tragically fell to this deranged murderer between the years 1978 and 1991. The limited anthology series was created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan for Netflix.

Rather than romanticizing the very real actions of the terrible murderer, The Jeffrey Dahmer Story really observes all angles of the case. The show illuminates the failures of the justice system at the time to properly prosecute Dahmer. The killer slipped away from consequences on multiple occasions, largely due to negligence in following up on crime in low-income city housing as well as prejudices against people of color and the gay community. It's clear that if law enforcement handled the case appropriately, lives could have been saved.

The controversial show earned 13 nominations at the 2023/2024 Emmys. It's up for Best Limited Series or Anthology and Evan Peters is up for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series for his lead role as Dahmer. Give this man his award and then how about nice, relaxing rom-com after this, huh?

Niecy Nash steps out of her usual comedy acting prowess to bring us a heartbreaking yet moving performance as Glenda Cleveland, the neighbor to Dahmer who repeatedly sought help from police and was terrorized nightly by horrifying noises and smells. Nash is nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series.

Richard Jenkins is also nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his role as Jeffrey Dahmer's father, Lionel Dahmer. It's such a complicated perspective, but Jenkins makes you really feel for this dad who really seemed to have no clue what his son was up to all along.

It's not for the faint-hearted, but this anthology tells the important lesser-told stories of the Dahmer's victims, the stories that need to be brought to forefront of this sickening case.

BILL HADER

Bill Hader, who starred on SNL for eight years, is a prolific fixture in the comedy scene from acting to writing to producing to stand-up. This funny guy can do it all.

For the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, Bill Hader is up for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his title role in Barry, now closing out the series with its fourth and final season on MAX.

In addition to his big nod as the show's star, Hader is also up for several awards for his roles in production of the decorated series. He's named in the Outstanding Comedy Series nomination for Executive Producer, as well as up for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for his "wow" episode.

Hader has been nominated for pretty much all of these same awards every year of Barry. He won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Barry in both 2018 and 2019, until he was unseated by fellow SNL alum, Jason Sudeikis for Ted Lasso in 2021.

Hader is known for his starring roles in both dramas and comedy, such as IT: Chapter Two, Trainwreck, and The Skeleton Twins. He also has a comprehensive voice acting track record, starring in animated movies and shows such as Inside Out, Bob's Burgers, Finding Dory, The BFG, and Sausage Party. Hader was also a producer for the titular animated cartoon, South Park, for many years which he also won an Emmy for in 2009.

We'll see which season finale reigns supreme on January 15 when Barry goes up against Ted Lasso at the Emmys. After huge success with his show Barry, I'm looking forward to seeing what project Bill Hader takes on next.