LOS ANGELES, United States — Hundreds
entered, but only one can triumph: South Korea's "
Squid Game" will
make a play for Emmys history Monday as it aims to become the first foreign-language
television show to win top honors for best drama.
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The Netflix show — in which misfits and
criminals compete for cash in barbaric and fatal versions of schoolyard games —
is aiming to follow in the footsteps of Oscar-winning movie
"Parasite" with success at TV's top prize gala.
It is already the first non-English-language
series to earn a best drama series nomination. To convert that into a trophy at
the ceremony in Los Angeles, it will need to overcome a previous winner in
HBO's "Succession".
"It's pretty hard to go against that
HBO juggernaut," said Deadline awards columnist Pete Hammond, noting that
the cutthroat drama about a powerful clan vying to inherit a media empire
secured the most overall nominations with 25.
"I do think ('Squid Game') is going to
win best actor," said Hammond — an outcome that would make Lee Jung-jae the
category's first winner whose performance was not in English.
Other shows contending for the night's top
drama prizes include Apple TV+ dystopian workplace series
"Severance," starring Adam Scott, and the final season of Netflix's
much-lauded crime saga "Ozark".
Zendaya, who became the youngest-ever best
actress winner two years ago for hard-hitting teen drama "Euphoria,"
is tipped to repeat with her work on the show's sophomore season.
Keaton 'lock'
Given the penchant of Television Academy
voters for honoring previous winners, best comedy series looks like an open
goal for season two of Apple TV+'s fish-out-of-water soccer coach "Ted
Lasso."
But its star
Jason Sudeikis will have to
fend off another previous winner for best actor in Bill Hader, whose dark
hitman comedy "Barry" returns from a three-year, pandemic-prolonged
absence.
Jean Smart is also heavily tipped to repeat
as best actress for "Hacks," in which she plays an aging Las Vegas
diva forced to reinvent her dated stand-up routine.
By definition, offering some fresh blood are
the nominees in the limited series section, which honors shows capped at a
single season.
Four of the five contenders chronicle
real-life scandals.
"Dopesick" looks at the US opioid
crisis, "The Dropout" recounts the Theranos fraud, "Pam and
Tommy" recalls an infamous celebrity sex tape, and "Inventing
Anna" is inspired by a Russian con artist who scammed upper-crust New
York.
But the pundits' favorite in a tight race is
"The White Lotus," a satirical look at hypocrisy and wealth among the
guests at a luxury Hawaii hotel.
The show — which is bending Emmy rules by returning
for a second season, albeit with a largely new cast and location — has a
whopping eight acting nominations, including for Jennifer Coolidge.
Actors make up the biggest voting branch in
the Academy.
"I think Michael Keaton has got a lock
on actor in a limited series" for 'Dopesick'," said Hammond, while
Amanda Seyfried's turn as disgraced Theranos boss Elizabeth Holmes in "The
Dropout" is likely to prove popular.
'The Slap'
The ceremony will be hosted by
"Saturday Night Live" stalwart Kenan Thompson.
It is expected to mark a return to
normality, after the COVID-19 crisis forced producers to get creative with
recent remote and socially distanced editions.
The show takes place at a downtown Los
Angeles theater, where A-listers will gather to walk the red carpet for the
first major Hollywood awards ceremony since this year's extraordinary Oscars.
Back in March, Will Smith stunned viewers
around the world by slapping Chris Rock live on stage for cracking a joke about
his wife.
Emmy organizers have rejected the suggestion
that security will need to be beefed up to prevent a repeat.
"I can't imagine that lightning will
strike twice," Academy CEO Frank Scherma told Deadline.
"We have smart security. We have people
around that make quick decisions. ... We'll be on the lookout and we'll be
smart like we always are."
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