It’s not easy for new shows to break through the clutter of TV in today’s streaming era, but a few exceptional series managed just that feat in the nominations for the 77th Emmy Awards, announced Tuesday morning.

Top of that list, and the most nominated comedy series overall with 23, is Seth Rogen‘s rollicking Hollywood satire The Studio for Apple TV+. The series scored 10 acting nominations alone, including six for guest actors — including Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Anthony Mackie, Dave Franco, and Zoë Kravitz all playing heightened versions of themselves. The most-nominated new drama is HBO Max’s riveting ER-style hospital drama The Pitt with 13, including a first-ever lead-actor nomination for series star Noah Wyle, who launched his career more than 30 years ago in NBC’s ER, for which he earned five supporting nominations.

Leading all series is the Apple TV+ cult series Severance with 27, and HBO’s The Penguin limited series leading that field with 24, although Netflix’s much-less-hyped drama Adolescence (with its young breakout star Owen Cooper), boasting 13 nominations, is expected to echo last year’s Baby Reindeer sweep.

Some observations on the major categories:

Drama Series

While Severance looks like the show to beat, I wouldn’t count out the emotional pull of The Pitt in a classic battle of head-vs-heart. The mind-teasing futuristic-workplace dramedy did especially well in acting categories, with nominations for leads Adam Scott and Britt Lower (each essentially playing double roles), four supporting nominations for Zach Cherry, Tramell Tillman, John Turturro, and Patricia Arquette, and three guest-actress bids (Jane Alexander, Gwendoline Christie and Merritt Wever). The Pitt only managed one supporting nomination, for the fabulous Katherine LaNasa, earning her first-ever Emmy nod as the indefatigable charge nurse Dana, and a guest actor nomination for Shawn Hatosy.

As usual, HBO’s The White Lotus crowded the supporting categories with seven nominations: Carrie Coon, Parker Posey, Natasha Rothwell, and Aimee Lou Wood battling it out for supporting actress and Jason Isaacs, Walton Goggins, and Sam Rockwell for supporting actor. Scott Glenn made the cut in the guest-actor field. Another HBO hit, The Last of Us, also did well with 14 nominations, including for series stars Bella Ramsey and (in a limited role) Pedro Pascal and four guest-actor nominations for Kaitlyn Dever (who’ll be more central next season), Catherine O’Hara (also a nominee for The Studio), Jeffrey Wright, and Joe Pantoliano.

The surprise: Hulu’s post-apocalyptic Paradise, edging out the final season of The Handmaid’s Tale and Netflix phenom Squid Game for Outstanding Drama. Also unexpected: a lead actress nod for Sharon Horgan of the Apple TV+ dark dramedy Bad Sisters. Less unexpected: a nomination for Kathy Bates in CBS’s Matlock, a rare breakthrough for a broadcast network drama, and at 77, the oldest to be nominated in this category, an established awards favorite with an Oscar and two Emmys already to her credit.

Among the surprising snubs: 2017 winner Elisabeth Moss for Handmaid‘s last gasp, Squid Game‘s Lee Jung-jae, who won in 2022, Eddie Redmayne as the assassin in The Day of the Jackal. I’d also hoped more of The Pitt‘s essential support staff (Taylor Dearden, Fiona Dourif, Gerran Howell, Patrick Ball, to name a few) would have been recognized.

My early picks: The Pitt for drama series, Noah Wyle and Kathy Bates for lead actor and actress, Parker Posey or Carrie Coon and Jason Isaacs or Walton Goggins for supporting. (If it’s a Severance sweep, replace some of the above with Adam Scott, Britt Lower, and John Turturro.)

Comedy Series

Two Hollywood satires, The Studio and last year’s winner Hacks, are the presumed favorites, with The Bear (whose status as a comedy has long been debated) still in the mix. ABC’s Abbott Elementary continues to represent broadcast-TV comedy with six nominations, and FX’s supernatural What We Do in the Shadows earned one last nomination for its final season. Netflix’s charming romcom Nobody Wants This made a good showing, with an Outstanding Comedy Series nomination and nods for Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. Not so lucky: another fine Netflix comedy, A Man on the Inside, and its durable star, Ted Danson, both passed over.

Surprises: a nomination for three-time Emmy winner Uzo Aduba as the eccentric detective in Netflix’s since-canceled The Residence, and a supporting nomination for Jeff Hiller from HBO’s critically acclaimed Somebody Somewhere, a show that otherwise never found Emmy traction.

Among the surprising snubs: Poker Face‘s Natasha Lyonne, who had been nominated for the mystery-comedy’s first season and Only Murders in the Building‘s Steve Martin and Selena Gomez. And while it might not be a surprise, I’m dismayed that Linda Lavin, in her final performance as the scene-stealing mom on Hulu’s Mid-Century Modern, didn’t make the cut for a posthumous nomination.

Max

My early picks: The Studio for comedy series, Jean Smart (Hacks) and Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building) for lead actor and actress, Hannah Einbinder (Hacks) and Harrison Ford or Michael Urie (Shrinking) for supporting.

Limited Series and Made-for-TV Movie

As noted earlier, Netflix’s emotionally wrenching and formally ambitious Adolescence likely has an edge over HBO’s dark crime fable The Penguin, with the sci-fi anthology Black Mirror sneaking back into the limited-series race with 10 nominations. I’m expecting Colin Farrell‘s transformation into the Penguin to triumph, while his co-star Cristin Milioti faces stiff competition from Michelle Williams‘ bold performance in FX/Hulu’s Dying for Sex. In the buzz-free TV-movie category, HBO’s Mountainhead (from Succession creator Jesse Armstrong) is the probable favorite on pedigree alone.

Surprises: The White Lotus alum Meghann Fahy breaking through in the Lead Actress category for Netflix’s campy Sirens, and a strong showing for the Apple TV+ adaptation of Presumed Innocent, with four major acting nominations (Jake Gyllenhaal for lead, Ruth Negga, Peter Sarsgaard, and Bill Camp in supporting.

Courtesy of Netflix

Among the surprising snubs: Renée Zellweger passed over for Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, and while Cate Blanchett was recognized for the Apple TV+ drama Disclaimer, the limited series was not nominated, nor were her co-stars Kevin Kline, Leila George, and Lesley Manville.

My early picks: Adolescence for limited series, HBO’s Mountainhead for television movie, Colin Farrell and Michelle Williams (possibly Cristin Milioti) for lead actor and actress, Owen Cooper and Erin Doherty from Adolescence for supporting.

77th Emmy Awards, Sunday, Sept. 14, 8/7c, 5 pm/PT, CBS