'This Is Us,' Stranger Things' stars arrive early for Emmys
By Jill Serjeant LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Jane Fonda, comedians James Corden and Samantha Bee and the young cast of supernatural mystery "Stranger Things" walked the Emmy red carpet on Sunday ahead of a ceremony expected to crown a slew of new television stars. Milo Ventimiglia, one of the Emmy-nominated stars of heartbreaking family drama "This Is Us," told reporters he was "excited to celebrate our group," and its success in its first season. Millie Bobby Brown, 13, who could become the youngest actress ever to win an Emmy for her role as a girl with special powers in "Stranger Things," sported a romantic white ballgown. Satirical sketch show "Saturday Night Live" is expected to be one of the big winners at Sunday's ceremony in Los Angeles after earning 22 nominations and enjoying its most-watched season in 23 years. Alec Baldwin is a favourite for the supporting actor comedy Emmy for his withering impersonations of U.S. President Donald Trump, while Kate McKinnon is competing for her spoofs of former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and White House aide Kellyanne Conway on the show that airs on Comcast Corp's NBC. Melissa McCarthy's winning turn as former White House spokesman Sean Spicer won her an Emmy last week. Politics promise to run through Sunday's ceremony, starting with host Stephen Colbert, whose relentless attacks on Trump have brought a surge of viewers to "The Late Show." "The biggest TV star of this year is undoubtedly Donald Trump. No one's close," quipped Colbert ahead of the ceremony. Netflix's dark Washington drama "House of Cards" and its stars Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright are competing in a drama series category that includes fan favourite "Stranger Things," dystopian series "The Handmaid's Tale," lawyer show "Better Call Saul", sci-fi drama "Westworld," British royal series "The Crown" and NBC's "This Is Us." Two-time Emmy champ "Game of Thrones" is out of the running this year because of a later broadcast date for its seventh season. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is expected to win her sixth consecutive Emmy for playing an egotistical, losing presidential candidate on Time Warner's HBO comedy "Veep." "Veep" could also be a repeat winner for best comedy series, with actor-director Donald Glover's hip-hop themed "Atlanta" and contemporary African-American family show "black-ish" seen by pundits as its closest rivals. Nicole Kidman's battered wife in HBO's "Big Little Lies" is seen as leading the limited series category that features three other Oscar winners: Reese Witherspoon (also for "Big Little Lies"), and "Feud" co-stars Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange. "Nicole is the one to beat. She is having a career resurgence and she played the courageous role of the survivor of physical abuse in marriage," said Tom O'Neil, founder of awards website goldderby.com (Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Mary Milliken)
