As the Emmy season heats up, the competition for Best Comedy Series is becoming increasingly fierce. This year, FX’s acclaimed dramedy The Bear has dropped to fourth place in the predictions, raising questions about its future prospects.
Emmy Predictions: ‘The Bear’ Drops to Fourth Place
Could Emmy voters be losing their appetite for The Bear?
FX’s prestigious restaurant-set dramedy began this Emmy season simmering nicely in second place for Best Comedy Series, according to Gold Derby’s experts, editors, and users. The Bear won the top prize in 2023 but was surprisingly beaten in 2024 by Hacks, which is now expected to prevail again. Over the past couple of months, The Bear has seen its Emmy prospects drop to third place (behind The Studio) and now to fourth (behind Only Murders in the Building).
First things first, remember that Television Academy members are voting on Season 3, which streamed in June 2024, even though Season 4 came out last week. (The Emmy eligibility period is June 1 through May 31.) But that doesn’t mean subpar reviews for the new episodes won’t cloud voters’ judgment. After all, the prevailing theory is that Liza Colón-Zayas won Best Supporting Actress last year for Season 2 because she had a showcase Season 3 episode that aired around voting time.
Critical Reception and Ratings
The fourth season opens with a flashback of Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) pitching the idea of opening a restaurant to Mikey (Jon Bernthal), who is revealed to have come up with the name “The Bear.” Fast-forwarding to the present day, The Chicago Tribune has dished out a review praising the food but knocking the restaurant’s chaotic atmosphere and inconsistent menu.
Through the years, The Bear has experienced a noticeable dip among critics and fans. Season 1’s 100 percent score at Rotten Tomatoes was followed by additional courses of 99 percent for Season 2, 89 percent for Season 3, and now 85 percent for Season 4. Viewers and awards commentators have also been increasingly vocal about the show’s so-called “category fraud”: The Bear has competed as a comedy series even though many critics consider the series a half-hour drama.
Comparative Analysis with Other Shows
Only Murders in the Building has experienced a similar downturn in its critical reception, but not nearly to the same extent as The Bear. Season 1 received the rare 100 percent score, while Season 2 slipped to 98 percent, Season 3 was a notch down to 97 percent, and Season 4 settled for 93 percent. The fourth season of Hulu’s whodunit caper is eligible at the 2025 Emmys, after coming off major wins at the Screen Actors Guild Awards for Best Comedy Ensemble and Best Comedy Actor for Martin Short.
And then there’s Hacks. Max’s hit comedy about a veteran Las Vegas comedian (Jean Smart) and her young writer (Hannah Einbinder) has been embraced as the best comedy on television. Seasons 1 and 2 both earned 100 percent, while Seasons 3 and 4 both received 98 percent. To date, Smart is undefeated at the Emmys in Best Comedy Actress, going three-for-three, while Einbinder is looking for her first supporting victory on her fourth try.
See More ...
Rookie series The Studio from Apple TV+ checked in with 93 percent at Rotten Tomatoes. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg‘s satirical comedy chronicles what really goes on behind the scenes in Hollywood, from promoting films to notes from executives, to the dramatic casting process, to attending awards shows.
Current Emmy Predictions
There will be eight slots for Best Comedy Series at the 2025 Emmys. Here is the current predicted lineup, according to Gold Derby:
- Hacks
- The Studio
- Only Murders in the Building
- The Bear
- Nobody Wants This
- Abbott Elementary
- Shrinking
- What We Do in the Shadows
Rounding out the Top 13 are The Four Seasons, A Man on the Inside, Somebody Somewhere, Agatha All Along, and Poker Face.
Do you agree or disagree with our Emmy predictions? Be sure to sound off in our TV forum.
