‘Squid Game’ competes for Emmys history

South Korea’s ‘Squid Game’ is bidding to make Emmys history on Monday by becoming the first foreign-language television show to win top honours for best drama.

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 ‘Parasite’ with a triumph at TV’s top prize gala.

But it faces tough competition from previous winner ‘Succession,’ the tale of a family vying for control of a media empire -- rife with Shakespearean backstabbing -- that earned the most nominations overall at 25.

“It’s pretty hard to go against that HBO juggernaut,” said Pete Hammond, awards columnist for Hollywood publication Deadline.

Experts polled by awards prediction site Gold Derby have tipped ‘Succession’ as the favourite.

“I do think [‘Squid Game’] is going to win the best actor,” noted Hammond -- an outcome that would make Lee Jung-Jae the category’s first winner for a non-English performance.

Other shows contending for the night’s top drama prizes include Apple TV+ dystopian workplace series ‘Severance,’ starring Adam Scott, and the final season of Netflix’s much-lauded crime saga ‘Ozark.’

Zendaya, who became the youngest-ever best actress winner two years ago for HBO’s hard-hitting teen drama ‘Euphoria,’ is tipped to repeat.

Best comedy series looks like an open goal for season two of Apple TV+’s fish-out-of-water soccer coach ‘Ted Lasso.’

In the best actor category, star Jason Sudeikis is up against Bill Hader, whose dark hitman comedy ‘Barry’ returns from a three-year absence.