SCRIPPS-TED:  Hard to believe (because it's the week before Memorial Day this year), but the Scripps National Spelling Bee does begin next Tuesday with the written round. We've already discussed the rules changes, so now let's take a look at this year's competitors:

• This is the least experienced Bee crew I think we've ever seen: zero five-timers, one four-timer (who hasn't been on prime time), and only eight three-time repeaters -- though one of them has made prime time in his first two appearances. There are no Shivashankars, and we'll be making some new stars.
• But, okay, two siblings of recent former winners (Jairam Hathwar and Srinath Mahankali).
• You'll want to meet this year's Jamaican speller, Chaunte Blackwood. Because unlike the Penn Relays, in Spelling Bees this blog is pro-Jamaica.
• On the other hands, after many years of drought, we're somehow back to five Canadians this year.
• Historically, Philadelphia does in the Bee like New Hampshire in the Miss America Pageant, but we're still rooting for Saif Siddiquee

MOTHER OF DRAGONS, BREAKER OF CHAINS, WIZARD OF PINBALL:  Have we reached Peak HBO? A 538 investigation.

BACK-FLIPPING BADASS:  A brief video on longtime ALOTT5MA Fave Surya Bonaly.

DO WE STILL HAVE AN ALOTT5MA VISCOUS CONDIMENT DESK?  Because Alex Balk has some thoughts on mayonnaise.

IT GOES ELECTRIC WAVY WHEN I TURN IT ON: It was widely assumed that Lin-Manuel Miranda would roll to his EMPGOT this year (EGOT + Pulitzer + MacArthur Genius Grant) for his (as yet unheard) original songs for Moana, but he's got some competition from Justin Timberlake--who's already got 4 Emmys, 2 for acting and 2 for songwriting, and 9 Grammys--whose "Can't Stop The Feeling" is making a bid not just for the Oscar (it's apparently from the soundtrack of the upcoming Trolls), but for Song of the Summer (bunches of radio stations are already playing it hourly).

MAKING IT HARDER TO GET A SHOT TO THROWAWAY:Unsurprisingly, Hamilton dominated the Tony nominations, busting The Producers' record, despite having one less category to be eligible in.  A few #EGOTWatch notes:

• Steve Martin, nominee for Best Book for Bright Star, has Emmy and Grammy already.
• Julian Fellowes, nominees for Best Book for School of Rock, has Oscar and Emmy already.  
• Glenn Slater, nominee for Best Score (Lyrics) for School of Rock, has Grammy already and is a prior Oscar and Emmy nominee.
• Jessica Lange, nominee for Best Leading Actress in a Play for Long Day's Journey Into Night, has Oscar and Emmy already.
• Sara Bareilles, nominee for Best Score for Waitress, somewhat surprisingly does not have a Grammy, though 5 nominations!  (She wouldn't have won Best New Artist the year she was eligible, as that went to Adele, but she wasn't even nominated, though Jonas Brothers, Duffy, and Jazmine Sullivan were.)

The biggest surprise is that despite rave reviews and her record-setting Tony wins, Audra McDonald is not a nominee for Shuffle Along.

WHO NEEDS TO READ AND WRITE WHEN YOU CAN DANCE AND SING?  Add Martin Short (Wilbur) and Derek Hough (Corny) to your NBC Hairspray cast.

Related: since when did it come to pass that People In The Know started calling him "Marty" all the time?