'Handmaid's Tale,' 'Atlanta' and 'The Night Of' lead our 2017 Emmys Buzzmeter

July 21, 2017 2:15 PM PT

The Television Academy has spoken, making some tough calls, to give us the Emmy nominations Class of 2017. But its work isn’t done yet; winners have to be decided. And our Buzzmeter panelists think they know exactly who’s going to rise to the top on Sept. 17. Here are their predictions. Tell us if you think they’re on the right track or if they are full of beans in the comments below.

Our panelists:

Lorraine Ali/L.A. Times; Matt Roush/TV Guide Magazine; Tom O’Neill/Gold Derby; Glenn Whipp/The Envelope

Their picks in key categories:

Drama series | Most Buzz: 'Stranger Things'

“It’s a toss-up between ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘The Handmaid’s Tale.’ I’ll probably change my pick half a dozen times between now and September.”

— Glenn Whipp

Critics' Picks

"The Crown" Matt

"Stranger Things" Glenn, Tom

"Westworld" Lorraine

Comedy series | Most Buzz: 'Veep'

Tony Hale and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in "Veep." (Justin M. Lubin / AP)

“‘Veep’ earned 17 nominations, including key nods in writing and directing. Across-the-board support makes it, yet again, the favorite.”

— Glenn Whipp

Critics' Picks

"Veep" Tom, Glenn, Matt

"Master of None" Lorraine

Drama actor | Most Buzz: Bob Odenkirk

Bob Odenkirk on "Better Call Saul." (Michele K.Short)

“Bob Odenkirk is so good as a conflicted, ambulance-chasing lawyer in the making here! He’s been nominated before, so this should be his year. But alas, he’s up against Anthony Hopkins. So unfair.”

— Lorraine Ali

Critics' Picks

Sterling K. Brown, "This Is Us" Matt

Bob Odenkirk, "Better Call Saul" Tom, Glenn, Lorraine

Drama actress | Most Buzz: Elisabeth Moss | Claire Foy

Elisabeth Moss as Offred on "Handmaid's Tale." (George Kraychyk / Hulu)

“A toss-up, between Claire Foy’s classy depiction of a naïve young queen growing a spine and Elisabeth Moss' wrenching performance of long-simmering rage against her oppressive masters. Could go either way, and depends on the strength of a ‘Crown’ sweep.”

— Matt Roush

Critics' Picks

Elisabeth Moss, "The Handmaid’s Tale" Tom, Glenn

Claire Foy, "The Crown" Matt, Lorraine

Drama supporting actor | Most Buzz: John Lithgow

John Lithgow as Winston Churchill in "The Crown." (Robert Viglasky / Netflix)

“Longtime Emmy fave John Lithgow (5 wins) has the edge considering that Emmys were won by the last two nominees to portray Winston Churchill: Albert Finney (‘The Gathering Storm,’ 2002) and Brendan Gleeson (‘Into the Storm,’ 2009)”

— Tom O’Neil

Critics' Picks

John Lithgow, "The Crown" Tom, Glenn, Matt, Lorraine

Drama supporting actress | Most Buzz: Thandie Newton

Thandie Newton in a scene from "Westworld." (John P. Johnson / AP)

“Samira Wiley is a powerful figure in ‘Handmaid’s,’ but Thandie Newton contributes so much to the disturbing, sci-fi narrative of ‘Westworld’ she should have been in the lead actress category.”

— Robert Bianco

Critics' Picks

Chrissy Metz, "This Is Us" Tom, Glenn, Matt

Thandie Newton, "Westworld" Lorraine

Comedy actor | Most Buzz: Donald Glover

Donald Glover in the comedy "Atlanta." (Quantrell D. Colbert / AP)

“The auteur of the year took so many chances in this bold and revelatory human comedy, this is his best shot at a win.”

— Matt Roush

Critics' Picks

Donald Glover, “Atlanta” Tom, Glenn, Matt, Lorraine

Comedy actress | Most Buzz: Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Julia Louis-Dreyfus in a scene from "Veep." (Justin M. Lubin / AP)

“When will Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ record end? Probably not this year. As Selina Meyer, she’s as desperately funny as ever.”

— Matt Roush

Critics' Picks

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep” Tom, Glenn, Matt

Ellie Kemper, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” Lorraine

Comedy supporting actor | Most Buzz: Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin as President Donald Trump on "Saturday Night Live." (Will Heath / AP Photo)

“I’ll be checking @realDonaldTrump the day after the Emmys for his reaction! #MAGA.”

— Glenn Whipp

Critics' Picks

Alec Baldwin, “SNL” Tom, Glenn, Matt, Lorraine

Comedy supporting actress | Most Buzz: Kate McKinnon

Kate McKinnon as Kellyanne Conway on "Saturday Night Live." (Will Heath / NBC)

“Kate McKinnon’s impression of Kellyanne Conway alone should land her a nomination. But then drop in her Jeff Sessions character and it’s almost guaranteed. The rest of the category is anyone’s guess, but how could anyone leave out Rita Moreno?”

— Lorraine Ali

Critics' Picks

Anna Chlumsky, “Veep” Lorraine

Kate McKinnon, “SNL” Glenn, Matt, Tom

TV movie | Most Buzz: 'Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks'

Rose Byrne and Oprah Winfrey in a scene from HBO film "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks." (Quantrell Colbert / AP Photo)

“Many experts pick 'Black Mirror' to win now that it’s finally nominated, but voters are probably more familiar with that other cult-hit U.K. movie franchise, 'Sherlock,' which pulled off a jaw-dropping upset in this category last year.”

— Tom O’Neil

Critics' Picks

"The Wizard of Lies" Matt

"Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" Tom, Glenn

"Churchill's Secret" Lorraine

Limited series| Most Buzz: 'Feud: Betty and Joan'

Susan Sarandon, left, as Bette Davis and Jessica Lange as Joan Crawford on "Feud." (Byron Cohen / FX)

“Hollywood loves a good Hollywood story, and while on the surface this was a juicy battle of the divas, ‘Feud’ unearthed deeper, darker truths about the industry's abuse of its female pioneers. Masterful and meaty.”

— Matt Roush

Critics' Picks

"Feud: Betty and Joan" Tom, Matt

"Big Little Lies" Glenn

"The Night Of" Lorraine

Limited series/movie actor| Most Buzz: Robert De Niro

John Turturro and Riz Ahmed in "The Night Of." (HBO)

“As the rumpled, public defender Jack Stone, John Turturro kept this dark and riveting story of crime and injustice grounded. And he educated the public on the challenges of eczema in the process.”

— Lorraine Ali