2023 Emmy Predictions: Best Limited Series
In spite of the fact that “American Crime Story” won the Best Limited Series Emmy twice, its third iteration (“Impeachment”) missed out on a nomination last year, and two other Ryan Murphy productions (“American Horror Story” and “Feud”) have failed in their attempts to conquer the category. Naturally, the vast majority of Gold Derby’s thousands of Emmy predictors expect Murphy’s “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” to falter in this year’s race and are instead backing “Beef,” which, like its strongest challenger, would follow “The Queen’s Gambit” (2021) as the second Netflix series to achieve this top honor.
Also included in the current Best Limited Series lineup are “Daisy Jones & the Six” (Prime Video) and “Fleishman is in Trouble” (FX), both of which were adapted from 2019 novels of the same titles. In the final slot is “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” which joins continuing dramas “The Mandalorian” (2020-2021) and “Andor” (2023) as one of three Disney+ “Star Wars” series to receive a program Emmy nomination.
In order to determine how much sense it truly makes to bet on “Beef” here, let’s take a closer look at each nominee. Be sure to visit our predictions center to make your own picks in this and 25 other Primetime Emmy categories.
“Beef” (Netflix)
This highly original series from the mind of “Silicon Valley” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” alum Lee Sung Jin traces the snowball effect of a petty, year-long grudge between a pair of differently struggling Asian Americans. With additional nominations for five of its actors, Lee’s writing, and his and Jake Schreier’s directing, it is the 10th limited program (and first since 2020’s “Watchmen”) that has ever been capable of winning all seven possible major Emmys.
“Daisy Jones & the Six” (Prime Video)
Prime Video’s second nomination in this category (following its first for 2021’s “The Underground Railroad”) comes for this 10-part adaptation of the eponymous Taylor Jenkins Reid book. Drawing inspiration from several real 1970s rock bands, the series focuses on a group of musicians whose success hinges entirely on the ever-rocky relationship between lead singers Daisy (Riley Keough) and Billy (Sam Claflin).
“Fleishman is in Trouble” (FX)
Former journalist Taffy Brodesser-Akner created, produced, and almost completely wrote this screen version of her debut novel, which stars Jesse Eisenberg and Claire Danes as a recently divorced couple whose marital demise is shown through the eyes of a close friend played by Lizzy Caplan. It would be the fourth FX series to take this top prize, following “Fargo” (2014) and the first two editions of “American Crime Story” (2016, 2018).
“Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” (Netflix)
The only fact-based series in this bunch tells the story of convicted cannibalistic serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer (Evan Peters), who was confirmed to have taken 17 victims before being apprehended in 1991. Created and produced by frequent collaborators Murphy and Ian Brennan, this inaugural iteration of the anthology program is set to be followed by a season focused on the murderous Menéndez brothers.
“Obi-Wan Kenobi” (Disney+)
Set midway through the 20-year span between the events of the third and fourth “Star Wars” films, this six-part series is built around Ewan McGregor’s long-awaited reprisal of the titular role, with the added bonus of Hayden Christensen returning as his former mentee, Darth Vader. Having survived a near-total Jedi purge a decade earlier, Kenobi faithfully carries out his duty of watching over his lost Padawan’s son, Luke, before finding himself temporarily entrusted with the care of the boy’s purposely estranged twin sister, Leia.
So, what will win the 2023 Emmy for Best Limited Series? Firstly, because they are subject to the statistic that no program since 2005’s “The Lost Prince” has succeeded here without being nominated for its directing or writing, “Daisy Jones & the Six” and “Obi-Wan Kenobi” are extreme long shots. “Fleishman is in Trouble” does have an advantage over “Monster” in that it is also vying for both of those awards (rather than directing alone), but the same being true of “Beef” keeps “Fleishman” in dark horse territory.
In the decade since limited series and TV movies began competing in separate program categories, the success rate for a network or platform with multiple entries in a single limited series lineup has shaped up to be an even 50%. While that might not seem like great news for the current Netflix nominees, it is important to keep in mind that almost every past double loss occurred in favor of HBO, which has no stake in this race. In truth, all signs point to this being the most prestigious of the numerous Emmys “Beef” is bound to win.
Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?
SIGN UP for Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions