Emmy Season 2019 Looms, and the Limited Series Competition Is Fierce

With Emmy Award nomination voting getting underway in a matter of days, the race is beginning in earnest, and this year’s liveliest battle may be found in the limited series categories, where a bevy of Oscar winners and former nominees fight it out to see who will reign supreme come September.

Patricia Arquette, who starred in Showtime’s prison break series “Escape at Dannemora,” is probably still the frontrunner for her Golden Globe-recognized turn, but underestimate four-time Oscar nominee Michelle Williams at your own peril, as her performance in FX’s “Fosse/Verdon” as titular Broadway legend Gwen Verdon could make her a TV Academy golden girl. Meanwhile, “Sharp Objects” tries to hold onto the buzz from last summer and push HBO’s nomination count skyward.

Welcome to this year’s special Emmy Edition episodes of Screen Talk, where Anne Thompson has a new co-host in IndieWire’s newly minted TV Awards Editor Libby Hill. The first episode of the season unpacks who’s gone cold in the limited series categories and, more importantly, who has the heat as the race starts. The pair also check out the contenders in the TV movie category and discuss whether “Deadwood: The Movie” or “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” will end up capturing voters hearts and minds.

Listen to the episode below, and remember to subscribe to Screen Talk on Apple Podcasts or at your preferred listening source. New Emmy edition episodes will be rolling out each week, while traditional Screen Talk episodes — with IndieWire Executive Film Editor and Chief Critic Eric Kohn — will continue to hit the site each Friday. Make sure to listen to IndieWire’s other podcasts, as well, including Chris O’Falt’s Filmmaker Toolkit Podcast.