As ‘The Bear' gets picked up for another season, it sinks to 4th place in our Emmy predictions: Behind the free fall

Yahoo

18 hours ago

Less than a week after Season 4 of The Bear made its debut — prompting much media hand-wringing over whether the prestige restaurant-based dramedy was ending for good — FX has shut down the speculation, announcing that Season 5 has been greenlit.
'The Bear continues to be a fan-favorite worldwide and their response to this season — as seen through incredibly high viewership — has been as spectacular as any of its previous seasons,' John Landgraf, chairman of FX, said in a statement. 'Year-in and year-out, [creator] Chris Storer, the producers, cast and crew make The Bear one of the best shows on television, and we are excited that they will continue to tell this magnificent story.'
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But are Emmy voters losing their appetite?
The Bear began this Emmy cycle simmering nicely in second place for Best Comedy Series, according to Gold Derby's experts, editors, and users. The series won the top prize in 2023, but was upset in 2024 by Hacks, which is now expected to prevail again. Over the past few 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.
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.
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 Season 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.
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.
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.
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