There’s a gap in the 2027 Emmy Comedy Series race, and I know just the show that could fill it.
Adults Season 2 dropped its entire season on FX on Hulu at the end of August, just days before the 2026 Emmy Awards, in that not-so-sweet spot between summer and fall programming, the equivalent of dumping a movie in January. And frankly, it doesn’t deserve this spot, as its one of the funniest, most innovative shows on television.
What is FX on Hulu’s Adults about?
Call it “Happy Endings for Gen Z” or even New Girl where technically the “girl” is a fluid dude who crashes the friend group (I like to think of it as “Friends on crack” the way It’s Always Sunny was initially pitched as “Seinfeld on crack”). But these descriptions would be a disserve to the show, since the series stands entirely on its own. Smart, quick-paced, and inclusive without being preachy, Adults speaks its own singular language (“Mindwipe!”) with iconic character names (Jack Innanen’s “Paul Baker” can never be known as just “Paul”—never) and episodic plots that put me on the edge of my seat (for some reason, Lucy Freyer’s Billie Schaeffer is the character who makes me cringe with glee the most).
The show consists of five friends living in a house — for free, it’s Samir’s (Malik Elassal) parents — and the modern hijinks they encounter that only the post 9/11 generation could go through, like not having health insurance and accruing a $15k bill, stalking a potential love interest by dropping an AirTag on him, and babysitting a teenager from out of town who’s there to get an abortion. Note: These plot points are dark but hilarious, the perfect personification of our increasingly dumpster-fire timeline. And even though it’s geared toward a younger generation, pretending to run a marathon, refusing to check the mail, and hooking up with your former high school teacher are all universal truths every adult experiences at some point, right?
How Can Adults Season 2 Get a Comedy Nomination?
We haven’t yet had a Gen Z-focused show hit the Emmy Zeitgeist, and if any show could do it, it could—and should!—be this one. And it could legitimately have a shot at Outstanding Comedy Series.
Hacks is obviously out, and this year’s Emmy winner, Widow’s Bay, won’t be filming Season 2 until spring 2027. Shrinking should return, as should Abbott Elementary, Only Murders, The Bear (for its final season) and Margo’s Got Money Troubles (if it films Season 2 in time). The Studio Season 2 will be in; however, Nobody Wants This is on the bubble for Emmys 2027. But I’m going to throw Ted Lasso in there since the reviews have been pretty decent.
2027 Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy Contenders
Abbott Elementary
Margo’s Got Money Troubles*
Only Murders
Shrinking
Ted Lasso
The Bear
The Studio
*if filmed in time
That leaves two spots left, and if Adults sustains enough buzz and gets a Season 3 renewal, it could happen, especially since it’s going up against a lot of returning shows that have yet to crack into the comedy series race.
Potential Threats
Ghosts
I Love LA
Rooster
St. Denis Medical
Running Point
The Four Seasons
The Paper
Wednesday
However, some other promising new comedy series include Youth with Sharon Horgan, Very Young Frankenstein (from What We Do in the Shadows team, starring Zach Galifianakis), Dig (the Peacock archeology series starring Amy Poehler and Hugh Laurie). Apple TV also has Ben Stiller stepping in front of the camera for Protective Custody, Elizabeth Banks coordinating sex dates for her father’s retirement community on an untitled show from Liz Heldens and Matt Ward, and James Marsden’s men’s rec league mystery/comedy Bad News Dads.
There’s a lot of competition for Adults, but if any group can get themselves out of a pickle, it’s this crew.
