Emmy Predictions 2017: Which Programs Will Likely Get Nominated for Drama Series?

From June 12 to June 26, voting is taking place for The 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. To add to the excitement of the past year in television, I'm providing analysis on which shows and performers are likely to get nominated this year. Next up is Drama Series.

2016 Nominees:

        FX's The Americans
        AMC's Better Call Saul
        PBS' Downton Abbey
        HBO's Game of Thrones (WINNER)
        Showtime's Homeland
        Netflix's House of Cards
        USA's Mr. Robot

When making these predictions, I've had to be very cautious with my thoughts on new series. Yes, it's likely that a number of new shows that debuted this year will make a big splash at the Emmys. But an influx of new blood in any given category is extremely rare. So when making the list for Best Drama Series, I was surprised that I included four new dramas. That's quite a bit of turnover. Of course, there's room for it to happen. Downton Abbey is done while Game of Thrones missed the eligibility window. Meanwhile, veteran nominees Homeland and House of Cards could be pushed out to make way for the new. The Americans only got into the race last year. It was a big splash. Will it stick around? Or was that just a fluke? Plus, the buzz with Mr. Robot isn't as strong as it was in its first season. So, this race is much more exciting the more one thinks about it. This was a strong year for new dramas. So, it should be fascinating to see which ones the voters actually go for. 

So now, here's my thoughts on the programs most likely to be nominated for Drama Series:

1. AMC's Better Call Saul
2. Netflix's House of Cards
3. Netflix's The Crown
4. FX's The Americans
5. Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale
6. HBO's Westworld
7. NBC's This Is Us

And now, for some serious threats that could break into the list:

1. Showtime's Homeland
2. USA's Mr. Robot
3. Netflix's Stranger Things
4. Netflix's 13 Reasons Why
5. HBO's The Leftovers
6. FX's Legion
7. Netflix's Orange Is the New Black
8. Netflix's The OA
9. Showtime's Billions
10. Netflix's Bloodline
11. Amazon's Goliath
12. Netflix's Narcos
13. CBS All Access' The Good Fight
14. Showtime's Ray Donovan
15. SundanceTV's Rectify
16. Amazon's Sneaky Pete

Some considerable long-shots:

1. Lifetime's UnREAL
2. ABC's Scandal
3. AMC's Halt and Catch Fire
4. A&E's Bates Motel
5. OWN's Queen Sugar
6. FOX's Empire
7. WGN America's Underground
8. MTV's Sweet/Vicious
9. Showtime's The Affair
10. Starz's American Gods
11. Hulu's The Path
12. Amazon's The Man in the High Castle
13. ABC's Designated Survivor
14. TNT's Animal Kingdom
15. SundanceTV's Hap and Leonard
16. Hulu's Harlots
17. Epix's Berlin Station

And now, just some colorful oddities who still have an outside chance:

1. Showtime's Penny Dreadful
2. Syfy's The Magicians
3. Syfy's The Expanse
4. PBS' Victoria
5. Amazon's Bosch
6. History's Vikings
7. Netflix's Luke Cage
8. Amazon's Patriot
9. AMC's Preacher
10. OWN's Greenleaf
11. Hulu's Chance
12. FOX's The Exorcist
13. NBC's Shades of Blue
14. Amazon's Z: The Beginning of Everything

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my choices? Let me know in the comments below!