LOS ANGELES: — Scaling Emmy heights is tough in the era of so-called peak TV, with the volume of shows matched by lofty expectations from academy voters.
So is it "Game of Thrones" (with a leading 22 nods, but the majority technical ones) or "The Handmaid's Tale" for best drama? Will Donald Glover repeat as best comedy actor for "Atlanta" or could Bill Hader of freshman "Barry" be an upset winner?
The ceremony is set to air on September 17 and will be hosted by Saturday Night Live players Michael Che and Colin Jost. So, television writer Lynn Elber and entertainment writer Mark Kennedy's guesses in the glamour categories.

DRAMA SERIES
ELBER:
Should win: "The Handmaid's Tale." It remains true to its unsparing vision of a poisoned society, daring us to watch or choose blind ignorance. No other show matches its demands with equal rewards.
Will win: "The Handmaid's Tale." For many viewers and voters, it's got that zeitgeist thing down pat.
KENNEDY:
Should win: "The Handmaid's Tale." Even though the second season was more brutal than the first, it went beyond the source material brilliantly. "Game of Thrones" may have returned to claim its crown with a visually stunning season, but the zeitgeist is indeed firmly in Gilead.
Will win: "The Handmaid's Tale."

COMEDY SERIES
ELBER:
Should win: "Atlanta." Auteur TV at its best, with star Donald Glover the series' creator as well as creative force, winning Emmys last year for acting and directing. But does it include enough punchlines per dramatic moments for voters?
Will win: "Atlanta." While worthy freshman competitor "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" offers a female-empowerment vibe and more wisecracks, the series set in the 1950s can't compete with the contemporary edge of "Atlanta."
KENNEDY:
Should win: "Atlanta." The show, led by Glover's Hall of Fame abilities, has added audiences and nominations in its second season and has given many Americans a view into a world they hadn't known.
Will win: "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." This is safer, sad to say.

LIMITED SERIES
ELBER:
Should win: "Patrick Melrose." Actor-producer Benedict Cumberbatch's passion project (based on Edward St Aubyn's semi-autobiographical novels) is a flawlessly executed exploration of a tormented man and his past.
Will win: "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story." Producer Ryan Murphy knows how to work the big canvas, as he proved with Emmy-lavished "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story."
KENNEDY:
Should win: "The Looming Tower." Mixing fact and fiction to trace the messy U.S. response to the rise of al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden, the series bites off a lot but delivers deftly.
Will win: "Gianni Versace." The "American Crime Story" franchise, like Murphy's horror anthology series, is just too hard to beat, being equal parts lurid and fascinating.