Emmys: Can ‘Veep’ Repeat? Does ‘Atlanta’ Have A Shot? Gold Derby’s Tom O’Neil And Deadline’s Pete Hammond’s Comedy Series Prediction Smackdown

With Emmy nomination voting opening Monday, it is time for another Emmy Predictions Smackdown between Gold Derby’s Tom O’Neil and me as we tackle the Comedy Series race. The big question is, can Veep, champ for the past two seasons in the category, threepeat? It would seem with the political nature of things, this show has relevance that goes on for miles and still seems fresh even in its sixth season.

Still, O’Neil and I survey the landscape to see which show just might be able to knock it out, and ask the age-old question: Will voters ever give Chuck Lorre love in this category despite having the No. 1 sitcom on TV in The Big Bang Theory, which hasn’t even been nominated the past few years?

Of course there are perennial contenders that seem to come back year after year only to be thwarted by Veep, and for five consecutive seasons before that by Modern Family. The latter show’s ABC stablemate, Black-ish, has slowly been gathering momentum and could be a threat. Then of course there are the likes of Transparent, Silicon Valley and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt to name a few potential returnees. Of the new shows, FX’s Golden Globe-winning Atlanta appears to have the most heat, but this is shaping up to be anybody’s ballgame.

Check out our conversation above.