<p>South Korea's <em>Squid Game</em> is bidding to make Emmys history Monday by becoming the first foreign-language television show to win top honors for best drama.</p>.<p>The Netflix show -- in which misfits and criminals compete for cash in barbaric and deadly versions of schoolyard games -- is aiming to emulate the success of Oscar-winning South Korean movie <em>Parasite</em> with a triumph at TV's top prize gala.</p>.<p>But it faces tough competition from previous winner <em>Succession</em>, the tale of a family vying for control of a media empire -- rife with Shakespearean backstabbing -- that earned the most nominations overall at 25.</p>.<p>"It's pretty hard to go against that HBO juggernaut," said Pete Hammond, awards columnist for Hollywood publication Deadline.</p>.<p>Experts polled by awards prediction site Gold Derby have tipped <em>Succession</em> as the favorite.</p>.<p>"I do think (<em>Squid Game</em>) is going to win best actor," noted Hammond -- an outcome that would make Lee Jung-jae the category's first winner for a non-English performance.</p>.<p>The South Korean series has already tasted Emmys victory, with four trophies at the Creative Emmys, the pre-gala event at which many statuettes are awarded in minor categories, including one for Lee Yoo-mi for best guest actress in a drama.</p>.<p>Other shows contending for the night's top drama prizes include Apple TV+ dystopian workplace series <em>Severance</em>, starring Adam Scott, and the final season of Netflix's much-lauded crime saga <em>Ozark</em>.</p>.<p>Zendaya, who became the youngest-ever best actress winner two years ago for HBO's hard-hitting teen drama <em>Euphoria</em>, is tipped to repeat.</p>.<p>Best comedy series looks like an open goal for season two of Apple TV+'s fish-out-of-water soccer coach <em>Ted Lasso</em>.</p>.<p>In the best actor category, star Jason Sudeikis is up against Bill Hader, whose dark hitman comedy <em>Barry</em> returns from a three-year absence.</p>.<p>Jean Smart is heavily tipped to repeat as best comedy actress for <em>Hacks</em>, in which she plays an aging Las Vegas diva forced to reinvent her dated stand-up routine.</p>.<p>Offering some fresh blood are the nominees in the limited series section, which honors shows capped at a single season.</p>.<p>Four of the five contenders chronicle real-life scandals.</p>.<p><em>Dopesick</em> looks at the US opioid crisis, <em>The Dropout</em> recounts the Theranos fraud, <em>Pam and Tommy</em> recalls an infamous celebrity sex tape and <em>Inventing Anna</em> is inspired by a Russian con artist who scammed upper-crust New York.</p>.<p>But the pundits' favorite in a tight race is <em>The White Lotus</em>, a satirical look at hypocrisy and wealth among the guests at a luxury Hawaii hotel.</p>.<p>The show -- which is bending Emmy rules for limited series having returned for a second season, albeit with a largely new cast and location -- has a whopping eight acting nominations, including for Jennifer Coolidge.</p>.<p>It took five statuettes at the Creative Emmys.</p>.<p>"I think Michael Keaton has got a lock on actor in a limited series for <em>Dopesick</em>', said Hammond, while Amanda Seyfried's turn as disgraced Theranos boss Elizabeth Holmes in "The Dropout" is expected to prove popular.</p>.<p>Monday's ceremony will be hosted by <em>Saturday Night Live</em> stalwart Kenan Thompson.</p>.<p>It is expected to mark a return to normality, after the Covid-19 crisis forced producers to get creative with recent remote and socially distanced editions.</p>.<p>The show takes place at a downtown Los Angeles theater, where early arriving stars hit the red carpet -- gold, in actual fact -- for the first major Hollywood awards ceremony since this year's extraordinary Oscars.</p>.<p>Back in March, Will Smith stunned viewers by slapping Chris Rock live on stage for cracking a joke about his wife.</p>.<p>Emmy organizers say they don't expect a repeat.</p>.<p>"We have smart security. We have people around that make quick decisions," Television Academy head Frank Scherma told Deadline.</p>.<p>"I can't imagine that lightning will strike twice."</p>
<p>South Korea's <em>Squid Game</em> is bidding to make Emmys history Monday by becoming the first foreign-language television show to win top honors for best drama.</p>.<p>The Netflix show -- in which misfits and criminals compete for cash in barbaric and deadly versions of schoolyard games -- is aiming to emulate the success of Oscar-winning South Korean movie <em>Parasite</em> with a triumph at TV's top prize gala.</p>.<p>But it faces tough competition from previous winner <em>Succession</em>, the tale of a family vying for control of a media empire -- rife with Shakespearean backstabbing -- that earned the most nominations overall at 25.</p>.<p>"It's pretty hard to go against that HBO juggernaut," said Pete Hammond, awards columnist for Hollywood publication Deadline.</p>.<p>Experts polled by awards prediction site Gold Derby have tipped <em>Succession</em> as the favorite.</p>.<p>"I do think (<em>Squid Game</em>) is going to win best actor," noted Hammond -- an outcome that would make Lee Jung-jae the category's first winner for a non-English performance.</p>.<p>The South Korean series has already tasted Emmys victory, with four trophies at the Creative Emmys, the pre-gala event at which many statuettes are awarded in minor categories, including one for Lee Yoo-mi for best guest actress in a drama.</p>.<p>Other shows contending for the night's top drama prizes include Apple TV+ dystopian workplace series <em>Severance</em>, starring Adam Scott, and the final season of Netflix's much-lauded crime saga <em>Ozark</em>.</p>.<p>Zendaya, who became the youngest-ever best actress winner two years ago for HBO's hard-hitting teen drama <em>Euphoria</em>, is tipped to repeat.</p>.<p>Best comedy series looks like an open goal for season two of Apple TV+'s fish-out-of-water soccer coach <em>Ted Lasso</em>.</p>.<p>In the best actor category, star Jason Sudeikis is up against Bill Hader, whose dark hitman comedy <em>Barry</em> returns from a three-year absence.</p>.<p>Jean Smart is heavily tipped to repeat as best comedy actress for <em>Hacks</em>, in which she plays an aging Las Vegas diva forced to reinvent her dated stand-up routine.</p>.<p>Offering some fresh blood are the nominees in the limited series section, which honors shows capped at a single season.</p>.<p>Four of the five contenders chronicle real-life scandals.</p>.<p><em>Dopesick</em> looks at the US opioid crisis, <em>The Dropout</em> recounts the Theranos fraud, <em>Pam and Tommy</em> recalls an infamous celebrity sex tape and <em>Inventing Anna</em> is inspired by a Russian con artist who scammed upper-crust New York.</p>.<p>But the pundits' favorite in a tight race is <em>The White Lotus</em>, a satirical look at hypocrisy and wealth among the guests at a luxury Hawaii hotel.</p>.<p>The show -- which is bending Emmy rules for limited series having returned for a second season, albeit with a largely new cast and location -- has a whopping eight acting nominations, including for Jennifer Coolidge.</p>.<p>It took five statuettes at the Creative Emmys.</p>.<p>"I think Michael Keaton has got a lock on actor in a limited series for <em>Dopesick</em>', said Hammond, while Amanda Seyfried's turn as disgraced Theranos boss Elizabeth Holmes in "The Dropout" is expected to prove popular.</p>.<p>Monday's ceremony will be hosted by <em>Saturday Night Live</em> stalwart Kenan Thompson.</p>.<p>It is expected to mark a return to normality, after the Covid-19 crisis forced producers to get creative with recent remote and socially distanced editions.</p>.<p>The show takes place at a downtown Los Angeles theater, where early arriving stars hit the red carpet -- gold, in actual fact -- for the first major Hollywood awards ceremony since this year's extraordinary Oscars.</p>.<p>Back in March, Will Smith stunned viewers by slapping Chris Rock live on stage for cracking a joke about his wife.</p>.<p>Emmy organizers say they don't expect a repeat.</p>.<p>"We have smart security. We have people around that make quick decisions," Television Academy head Frank Scherma told Deadline.</p>.<p>"I can't imagine that lightning will strike twice."</p>