Deadline’s Contenders: TV event delivers two days of the hottest shows on the small screen
By Pete Hammond
Welcome to Contenders Television 2026. With a lineup of shows that may be the buzziest ever in the history of Deadline’s muchawaited Contenders Television events. This event is a two-day must-attend gathering of this season’s hottest prospects for Emmy gold, not to mention Guild and Critics awards throughout the year as well. This year’s collection really indicates a wide-open race for the coveted prize with some returnees, but also a bevy of acclaimed new shows competing for the first time. That makes this collection especially exciting and also very valuable for voters in becoming a kind of one-stop
ANDOR
Andor (Disney+) won Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More), with Luke Hull, Toby Britton and Rebecca Alleway. The bureaucratic Imperial office space was designed to feel cold, controlled and intimidating.
shopping opportunity to get a look at major contenders and hear from their creators and stars, all over the course of one unforgettable weekend. Yes, there are familiar titles showcased, including Emmy record-holder Saturday Night
Live, Abbott Elementary, and the return of an old favorite back in action, Scrubs. Past major Emmy winners like Richard Gadd (Baby Reindeer) with stirring new limited series Half Man; David E. Kelley with a new show, Margo’s Got
Money Troubles, collaborating for the first time with his wife
Michelle Pfeiffer and starring Elle Fanning; Vince Gilligan has reunited with Better Call Saul’s Rhea Seehorn for another hit, Pluribus, and Brad Inglesby (Mare of Easttown) is back with the heavily-praised Task. We’ll also be taking a deep dive into the long-awaited return of The Night Manager, with a panel including its star Tom Hiddleston. Hulu’s latest, The Testaments, has a lot in store for fans of past Emmy winner The Handmaid’s Tale, while the second season of Paradise brings Emmy darling Sterling K. Brown back for an even more intense series of twists and turns.
Breakout hit Jury Duty has found a way to come back with a new edition out of the courtroom, set this time at a company retreat. Plus, fans of hit superhero show The Boys can look forward to a panel discussing the fifth and final season, and Billy Bob Thornton will be on
hand to talk about the Texasbased hit drama Landman.
Reality TV will also be getting a showcase with Love Island: USA and Fear Factor: House of Fear, just to add a little spice to the weekend’s offerings. All of the above is just a preview of the many sessions with live in- person appearances, that will go on to help define the industry’s awards buzz for the next few months.
One day just isn’t enough to cover the waterfront of what a single TV season has to offer, so we expanded Contenders
ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) was nominated for Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour), recognized for its detailed, character-driven New York apartment interiors.
Television to two full days. For voters, that is an opportunity to sample all kinds of content vying for TV’s highest honors in an intimate setting. From ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX to streamers like Hulu, Apple TV+, Prime Video, Disney+, Paramount+, Peacock and HBO Max, this is the rare chance to get an inside look at the vast world of television and come together to absorb and enjoy the wealth of talent and storytelling on offer this awards season.
Sit back and enjoy Deadline’s Contender’s TV.
SEVERANCE
The “Chikhai Bardo” epsiode (Apple TV+) won for Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More), with Jeremy Hindle, David Schlesinger, Chris Shriver and Ann Bartek recognized for its stark, retro-futurist office environments and minimalist world of Lumon Industries.
MODERATORS MEET THE
YOUR HOSTS
ANTONIA BLYTH
Executive Editor, AwardsLine
● Antonia has contributed to Deadline and AwardsLine’s print magazines since 2014. A native Brit based in LA, prior to joining she covered West Coast entertainment for ELLE.com, and her work has been featured in The Guardian, U.K. Marie Claire and InStyle magazines. She has written a New York Times bestselling non-fiction book and regularly appears on French television network TF1 as an entertainment expert.
PETER WHITE
Executive Editor, Television
● Peter, who joined Deadline in 2017, is a respected veteran
TV journalist who previously worked at UK-based Broadcast, where after starting there in 2013 rose to News Editor responsible for putting together the weekly magazine as well as breaking daily news. Before that he was deputy editor of Television Business International magazine. He covers the television industry from Deadline’s Los Angeles bureau.
YOUR MODERATORS NELLIE ANDREEVA
Editor-in-Chief
● Nellie’s insightful analysis and thorough coverage of TV deals, pilot season, markets and executives makes her one of the most respected journalists covering the television business
today. Before joining Deadline in 2010, Nellie worked for 10 years at The Hollywood Reporter where she covered TV for the trade’s online and print editions. Before that, she worked as a journalist covering television and radio for Investor’s Business Daily. Nellie’s interest in the television industry extends back to her homeland of Bulgaria, where she first became a journalist and then a producer, writer and director for Bulgarian National Television.
PETE HAMMOND Awards Columnist/ Chief Film Critic
● Pete, widely considered to be one of the pre-eminent awards analysts for both film and television, has for the past 14 years been Deadline’s Awards Columnist covering the yearround Oscar and Emmy seasons. He is also Deadline’s Chief Film Critic, having previously reviewed films for MovieLine, Boxoffice magazine, Backstage, Hollywood.com and Maxim, as well as Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide for which he was a
WHITE LOTUS
The episode “Amor Fati” (HBOMax) was nominated for Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More). Filmed at luxury hotel resorts in Thailand.
contributing editor. In addition to writing, Pete is also host of the PBS SoCal Cinema Series and the weekly PBS television series Must See Movies. He previously held producing positions at Entertainment Tonight, Extra, Access Hollywood, The Arsenio Hall Show, The Martin Short Show and AMC Networks and is the recipient of five Emmy nominations for writing. Pete is only the second journalist to have received the Publicists Guild of America’s Press Award twice, in 1996 and 2013.
KATIE CAMPIONE
Senior TV & Labor Reporter
● Katie joined Deadline in 2022 from TheWrap, where she also covered the television industry. She has also worked for The Hollywood Reporter, The Associated Press, People Magazine and more. Katie is from Florida and earned her degree in journalism from the University of Florida. She is based in Los Angeles.
ROSY CORDERO
Associate Editor, TV
● Rosy joined Deadline in July 2021 as Senior TV Reporter, where she will cover the smallscreen industry, continue to lift up talent from marginalized communities and spearhead Deadline’s Diversity & Inclusion coverage. She previously worked at Entertainment Weekly, where
she had been a digital news writer the past two years. Before that in her freelance career she wrote for Deadline, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Latina.com and the New York Daily News. She is based in Los Angeles.
ANTHONY D’ALESSANDRO
Editorial Director/
Box
Office Editor
● Anthony covers box office, breaking film news, awardsseason features and festival news. His first job in the film industry was at Savoy Pictures’ headquarters in New York where he worked in film distribution. In the summer of 1999, he was hired by Variety and moved to Los Angeles, and remained in the newsroom covering numerous parts of the industry, including box office, for about a decade. Prior to arriving at Deadline in the fall of 2011, where he co-edited the site’s sister publication AwardsLine, Anthony covered the box office beat for Indiewire’s Thompson on Hollywood. He also co-produced Matt Walsh’s film A Better You.
DESTINY JACKSON
Crafts Editor, Awards
● Destiny joined Deadline in September 2022, following a freelance writing career that includes working at Netflix, Marvel, IGN, Backstage Magazine, Script Magazine and the Oscars’ digital magazine,
to name a few. When not stuck behind her laptop, she can be found haunting her local cinema, searching for good TV or listening to Coldplay. She is based in Los Angeles.
JUSTIN KROLL
Film Editor
● Justin joined Deadline in July 2020 and covers all aspects of the film industry. Before coming to Deadline, he had been with Variety since early 2008, starting as an intern before being upped to editorial assistant in 2009, and joining the film team in 2010. Previously, he worked as a freelance reporter for Reuters in Los Angeles. He’s a graduate of Michigan State University.
DOMINIC PATTEN
Executive Editor, Legal, Labor & Politics
● Dominic covers litigious Hollywood’s major lawsuits and weighs in on the current Golden Age of television with his video reviews and more.
Before joining Deadline in 2012, he wrote for the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Times, and the Toronto Globe and Mail. A frequent guest on NPR, Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC and CBS, he also has been a documentary director, TV producer, national news correspondent and a newspaper editor.
ABC
● Abbott Elementary
This sitcom follows the quirky ebb and flow in the lives of a group of teachers in the Philadelphia public school system. Despite the lack of funding and less-than-ideal working conditions, the teachers find creative new ways to help their students succeed in life. The show stars Quinta Brunson, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Tyler James Williams.
● Scrubs
After airing its series finale in 2010, Scrubs returns for more zany medical antics. Some 15 years later, JD (Zach Braff) and Turk (Donald Faison) scrub in together for the first time in a long time. They
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quickly learn that medicine has changed, interns have changed, but their bromance has remained stronger than ever. The returning cast of characters and new faces must learn to navigate the waters of Sacred Heart with humility and laughter while enduring some surprises along the way. Sarah Chalke, Judy Reyes and John C. McGinley also star.
AMC/AMC+
●
The Audacity
This tech drama is set inside the bubble of Silicon Valley, where dystopian fantasies, outsized egos and ethical lapses of self-styled inventors of the future run rampant. In a world with jaded billionaires and biohacked tech bros duking it out in AI labs aimed at targeting the digitally obsessed, an audacious data-mining CEO (Billy Magnussen) strives to turn insight and influence into profit and power. The Audacity also stars Sarah Goldberg, Zach Galifianakis, Lucy Punch, Simon Helberg and Rob Corddry.
APPLE TV
● Margo’s Got Money Troubles Hailing from A24 and David E. Kelley is the dramedy Margo’s Got Money Troubles. Based on Rufi Thorpe’s best-selling novel of the same name, the eight-
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episode series follows Margo (Elle Fanning), who drops out of college to raise her baby. Low on support and funds, Margo has to get creative when it comes to making cash to pay the rent and buy baby necessities. Thus, she turns to OnlyFans with a team of unlikely supporters— her father (Nick Offerman) and roommate (Thaddea Graham).
● Pluribus
From Breaking Bad and Better
Call Saul creator Vince Gilligan comes the latest genre-bending sci-fi series Pluribus. The nineepisode drama follows Carol (Rhea Seehorn), a pessimistic woman who must try to save the world from infectious groupthink when a mysterious alien collective possesses human bodies and their consciousness on a global scale. Karolina Wydra, Carlos-Manuel Vesga and Samba Schutte also star.
● Shrinking
In Apple TV+’s comedy-drama
Shrinking, Jason Segel stars as Jimmy Laird, a depressed therapist grieving the loss of his wife. Unhinged by his grief, Jimmy affects the lives of his
patients, co-workers and friends in professional and surprisingly unethical life-changing ways. The show is co-created by Segel and Ted Lesso alums Brett Goldstein and Bill Lawrence.
CBS
● Elsbeth
Elsbeth stars Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni, an astute but unconventional attorney famous in the Chicago legal scene. Taking her talents elsewhere, Elsbeth uses her singular point of view to make unique observations and thwart
cunning criminals alongside the NYPD. The series is based on the character of the same name featured in The Good Wife and The Good Fight. The show also features Wendell Pierce and Carra Patterson.
Disney+
● Wonder Man
Wonder Man follows aspiring actor, Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who also struggles to hide supernatural powers that he mysteriously acquired as a child. While trying to land a coveted lead role in a remake of a film called Wonder Man, Simon feels the weight of the world on his shoulders due to the Doorman Clause, a law that prohibits actors with superpowers from performing in film and television. As Simon attempts to hide his abilities, he befriends another actor (Ben Kingsley) formerly known as the MCU terrorist The Mandarin, who might be trying to unveil Simon’s secrets. The show also features Arian Moayed, Byron Bowers and Josh Gad.
FOX
● Fear Factor: House of Fear
Hosted by Johnny Knoxville, Fear Factor: House of Fear aims to be bigger, bolder and more daring than its predecessor. Trapped in a remote location, a group of
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contestants must live together under one roof and conquer mind-blowing stunts, harrowing challenges and participate in a twisted game of social strategy where trust is fleeting and fear is a weapon. Ultimately, only one participant will conquer their fears and walk away with the $200,000 grand prize.
HBO Max
●
Half Man
The British drama Half Man is created, written and executive produced by Baby Reindeer’s Richard Gadd. The show follows Ruben (Gadd) and Niall (Jamie Bell), a pair of friends as close as brothers who develop a complex relationship. After an inseparable youth, Ruben turns up at Niall’s wedding three decades later and everything between them seems different. Upon reuniting, an explosion of violence occurs that shifts the story of their friendship back throughout their lives from the ’80s to the present day.
● Industry
This HBO drama series created, written and executive produced by Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, centers on young, ambitious
bankers who are competing for a full-time position at a prestigious London-based investment bank. While trying to manage their personal lives, they must also navigate the cutthroat world and toxic inner workings of corporate finance. The cast inclues Marisa Abela, Myha’la, Kit Harington, Max Minghella, Kiernan Shipka, Charlie Heaton and Ken Leung.
● Task
Mare of Easttown creator Brad Ingelsby returns with a new crime drama series. Task is set in the working-class suburbs of Philadelphia, where FBI agent Tom Bradis (Mark Ruffalo) heads a task force aimed at putting an end to a string of violent robberies led by an apparent family man (Tom Pelphrey). The cast also includes Emilia Jones, Jamie McShane, Sam Keeley, Thuso Mbedu and Martha Plimpton.
HULU
● Chad Powers
The sports comedy Chad Powers follows hotshot quarterback Russ Holiday (Glenn Powell), whose rowdy behavior upends his college career. Because of this, he disguises himself and gets drafted to play on a struggling Southern football team under the guise of being a talented and charming guy 3
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named Chad Powers. The series is based on a sketch produced by NFL Films that aired on ESPN+. The cast also includes Perry Mattfield, Quentin Plair, Wynn Everett and Steve Zahn.
● Paradise
This Hulu Original drama series created by Dan Fogelman stars Sterling K. Brown as Secret Service Agent Xavier Collins. Set in a peaceful utopian community inhabited only by the world’s most prominent individuals, Xavier and the citizens of this enclave are suddenly plunged into crisis when someone mysteriously assassinates the President (James Marsden). The series also stars Julianne Nicholson, Sarah Shahi, Nicole Brydon Bloom, Aliyah Mastin and Percy Daggs IV.
● The Testaments
The Handmaid’s Tale sequel, The Testaments, based on Margaret Atwood’s novel of the same name, takes place more than 15 years after the events of its predecessor. The series centers around young teens Agnes (Chase Infiniti)
1 The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox
and Daisy (Lucy Halliday)—a new arrival from beyond Gilead’s borders. As they navigate the elite preparatory school for future wives, a place where obedience is brutally instilled with divine justification, their bond becomes the catalyst that will unearth their past, present and future. Ann Dowd, Mabel Li and Rowan Blanchard also join the cast.
● The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox
The Hulu Original limited series is inspired by the true crime story of Amanda Knox. While studying 4
abroad in Italy in 2007, Knox was wrongfully convicted for the murder of her roommate, Meredith Kercher. The series traces Knox’s relentless years-long fight to prove her innocence and reclaim her freedom while examining why authorities and the world stood so firmly in judgement against her. The show stars Grace Van Patten, Sharon Horgan and Francesco Acquaroli.
NBC/UTV
● Saturday Night Live
For the last five decades and counting, the award-winning New York sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live invites celebrity hosts to join the ensemble cast to perform a variety of skits. The comedy sketches range from digital shorts to satirical news and hot button issues, within the political and pop-cultural zeitgeist.
PARAMOUNT+
● Landman
Set in the oil-fueled boomtowns of West Texas, Landman centers around Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton), a petroleum landman and operations VP at an oil company. Based on an 11-part podcast called Boomtown, the series focuses on the many moving parts, from ordinary roughnecks to
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wildcat billionaires, that feed an oil empire as it reshapes our climate, economy and geopolitics. The series also stars Demi Moore, Ali Larter, Michelle Randolph and Sam Elliott.
PEACOCK
● Love Island USA
Based on the U.K. series, the show follows contestants who couple up in new surroundings to compete in various games and challenges. During their stay, drama and scheming hijinks ensue when the contestants are forced to choose between staying with their current partners or finding love with someone new. Viewers can vote to determine who gets another shot at love or who leaves the villa without the cash prize.
PRIME VIDEO
● Bait
Riz Ahmed serves as writer, showrunner and star on the six-part comedy series Bait
The Prime Video series follows a struggling actor named Shah Latif, whose last chance to hit it big comes in the form of an audition of a lifetime: the role of James Bond. Over
the course of a week, his life spirals out of control while his family, ex-girlfriend and the world decide whether or not he’s the right man for the job. The cast also includes Guz Khan, Sheeba Chaddha, Sajid Hasan and Aasiya Shah.
● The Boys
Based on the New York Times best-selling comic book series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, The Boys follows a group of vigilantes who aim to keep corrupt superheroes in check. Season 5 sees Butcher grappling with the newfound superstrength that allows him to even the odds against his superpowered enemies. However, the dangerous serum that granted him the abilities has resulted in a cancerous brain tumor. Antony Starr, Jack Quaid, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Laz Alonso also star.
Based on the video game series of the same name, Fallout depicts an alternative history, where post-World War II nuclear technology advances lead to a nuclear war in 2077. Two hundred years after the apocalypse, the citizens who occupy luxury fallout shelters are forced to return to the irradiated and dangerous 3
●
Fallout
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landscape their ancestors left behind. The series stars Ella Purnell, Walton Goggins, Aaron Moten and Kyle MacLachlan.
● Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat
The series starring James Marsden returns with a fresh ensemble cast as colleagues head to the annual company retreat at Rockin’ Grandma’s, a family-owned hot sauce company. A new temp worker, Anthony, finds himself caught in the middle of a corporate takeover. Unbeknownst to Anthony, the entire experience is staged, every colleague around him is performing a role, and every moment has been orchestrated.
● The Night Manager
This crime thriller follows former British soldier Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston), who was recruited as a spy by maverick intelligence operative Angela Burr (Olivia Colman). In this second season, Pine pursues his old adversary Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie), whose secret arms deals have reached new levels of deception. Diego Calva, Camila Morrone, Alistair Petrie and Noah Jupe also star.
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● Spider-Noir
Spider-Noir is a live-action series based on the Marvel comic Spider-Man Noir and the Spider-Verse films. It tells the story of Ben Reilly (Nicolas Cage), a seasoned, down-onhis-luck private investigator in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past, following a deeply personal tragedy, as the city’s one and only superhero. The series stars Li Jun Li, Lamorne Morris, Karen Rodriguez and Brendan Gleeson.
● Young Sherlock
who is yet to evolve into Baker Street’s most renowned resident. The series also stars Dónal Finn, Zine Tseng, Joseph Fiennes, Natascha McElhone, Max Irons and Colin Firth.
WARNER BROS TELEVISION
● IT: Welcome to Derry
This horror series, adapted from Stephen King’s iconic horror novel by director Andy Muschietti, is set 27 years before the events of 2017’s It and the sequel It Chapter Two. The prequel expands the lore of the shapeshifting murderous entity that feeds on children before hibernating for 27 years. Stalking the town of
Based on Andrew Lane’s spin-off book series of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic Sherlock Holmes tales, Young Sherlock shows a new side to the world-famous detective, played by Hero Fiennes Tiffin. This version showcases a young adult Sherlock, disgraced, raw and unfiltered—when he finds himself wrapped up in a murder case that threatens his liberty. As he starts his first ever case, a globe-trotting conspiracy changes his life forever. Taking place in 1870s Oxford, with the occasional jaunt abroad, the Guy Ritchie series highlights the early antics of the anarchic adolescent 2
1 Spider-Noir
2 Young Sherlock
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Derry as a circus clown named Pennywise, a group of children must find a way to put an end to his killing spree or at least quell his thirst until his next sleep. Bill Skarsgård returns as Pennywise and the new cast includes Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe and Rudy Mancuso.
● Running Point
Running Point is inspired by the LA Lakers owner and governor Jeanie Buss. When a scandal forces her brother to resign, Isla Gordon (Kate Hudson) is appointed president of her family business, the LA Waves— one of the most notorious professional basketball franchises. Ambitious and overlooked, especially by her brothers, Isla is both sportssavvy and desperate to prove to her skeptical family, the board and the larger sports community that she is, in fact, the right choice for the job. The cast includes Brenda Song, Max Greenfield, Justin Theroux, Drew Tarver, Scott MacArthur, Fabrizio Guido and Uche Agada. Mindy Kaling and Ike Barinholtz serve as co-creators and executive producers.
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