‘Schitt’s Creek’ sweeps comedy categories at Emmy Awards
LOS ANGELES — “Schitt’s Creek,” the little Canadian show about a fishout-of-water family, had a big night at Sunday’s Emmy Award, sweeping the comedy category with best series honors and awards for its stars, including Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy.
“Our show at its core is about the transformational effects of love and acceptance, and this is something we need more now than ever before,” said co-creator and star Daniel Levy, who encouraged people to register and vote to achieve that goal.
O’Hara accepted the award virtually in the pandemic-safe ceremony.
“Though these are the strangest of days, may you have as much joy being holed up in a room or two with your family as I had with my dear Roses,” O’Hara said, surrounded in a decorated room by mask-wearing co-stars who play the Rose family members.
Levy called it “ironical that the strangest role I ever played lands me an Emmy for a comedy performance. I have to seriously question what I’ve been doing” for the past 50 years.
Moments later, Levy’s son Daniel won the award for comedy writing for an episode of “Schitt’s Creek,” then shared a directing award and captured the supporting actor comedy trophy. The supporting actress trophy went to his co-star Annie Murphy.
Daniel Levy thanked his father and O’Hara for teaching an extended “master class” in comedy.
Host Jimmy Kimmel opened the show with a monologue that appeared to be defiantly delivered in front of a packed, cheering theater — until it was revealed they were clips from past Emmy shows.
“Of course I’m here all alone. Of course, we don’t have an audience,” he said. “This isn’t a MAGA rally. It’s the Emmys.”
With more than 100 long-distance video feeds with nominees ahead, “what could possibly go right?”
A minor gaffe marred Saturday’s virtual Emmys for technical and other honors, when Jason Bateman’s name was announced for a guest acting award that belonged to Ron Cephas Jones of “This Is Us.” Other guest acting honors went to Eddie Murphy and Maya Rudolph for “Saturday Night Live” and Cherry Jones for “Succession.”
Bateman was one of the few people on hand at the Staples Center for Sunday’s show, sitting in the audience during Kimmel’s opening monologue. Bateman sat stone faced amid a collection of cardboard cutouts, trading jokes with Kimmel after the host pointed out he was there.
HBO’s limited series “Watchmen” was the leading nominee, with its star and three-time Emmy winner Regina King up for honors. “Succession,” “Ozark” and “The Mandalorian” vied for the drama series crown.
“Euphoria” star Zendaya’s nomination put her in contention for the youngest winner in the drama actress category at age 24 (topping Jodie Comer, who was 26 when she won last year for “Killing Eve”).