‘Schitt’s Creek,’ ‘Succession’ are big winners.
Comedy series sweeps, while ‘Watchmen,’ ‘Succession’ win big
Last year, the Emmy Awards operated without a host, which worked out fine. This year, the telecast operated without an audience. This has been a remarkable year, right? But the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences forged ahead with its 72nd annual event, one that will, hopefully, prove unique in Emmy history. Typically, doing this annual recap of the telecast, I get into the winners and then get to the production. But this particular Emmys bears mention for its production, which was sweet and spare as Jimmy Kimmel delivered an opening monologue to a packed house of laughing TV stars, a lovely gag that reached its conclusion when he looked out and saw himself in attendance, revealing the crowd was a composite from previous Emmy ceremonies and the Staples Center was empty but for Kimmel and Jason Bateman.
The sight gag of the Emmys in an empty theater started quite well as Kimmel and Jennifer Aniston read the evening’s first winner, lead actress in a comedy series. With his yellow rubber gloves and Lysol (“you never know where these accountants’ hands have been”), Kimmel sanitized the envelope, which he then set on fire. Aniston tried unsuccessfully to extinguish it, and you could hear a producer off stage yell, “Put it out!” from off screen.
That first winner was Catherine O’Hara of “Schitt’s Creek,” a show about making the best of a bad situation and adapting to one’s environment, even in difficult times. During our bad times, “Schitt’s Creek” also took best comedy. The show had a ridiculously big night also winning a supporting actor award, and honors for writing and a directing for co-creator and star Daniel Levy.
The final season of “Schitt’s” served as both a reflection of and a balm for a nation in the early stages of unprecedented tumult. It isn’t a story of endurance, but rather evolution, about casting loose assumptions and prejudices.
Also it was presented with a lot of heart. The show represents the best of TV success stories: A quiet little family endeavor that started shrilly yet evolved beautifully as it put its characters through comic paces over several seasons. Its audience grew from a few to a fervent following because of its writing and character development.
Levy’s father, Eugene Levy — who developed the show with his son — also won best lead actor in a comedy series. Also, Annie Murphy won the Emmy for best supporting actress, comedy.
And I feel I should take a moment to defend the current state of the Emmys from complaints about comedy sweeps the past two years. For the second consecutive year, the show handed out much of its hardware to a single show (last year it was “Fleabag”), and in both cases, the show was one that had reached its conclusion. Rather than the TV and Emmys of yore, when shows or actors could win several years in a row, there’s something heartening about a show recognized at the end of a satisfying arc. TV isn’t as it was: It allows discovery without a VHS player or timed viewing. And late is better than never. Should “Schitt’s” or “Fleabag” not be your bag, next year will bring some other winner.
Kimmel quipped on the Canadian show’s sweep: “Trump should’ve built that wall on the northern border.”
‘Watchmen’ wins
Outside of comedy, “Watchmen” was a deserving big winner in the limited series category including best limited series. The show took a pre-existing narrative that stretched across
in Tulsa, Okla., in 1921. Co-creator Damon Lindelof, clad in a “Remember Tulsa ’21” shirt, cited that horrifying destruction of the Black Wall Street.
Regina King, wearing a Breonna Taylor T-shirt (as was Uzo Aduba, a supporting actress winner for “Mrs. America”), expressed muted excitement calling the whole proceedings “so freaking weird.” The award was King’s fourth Emmy to go with an Oscar: Looking up her awards, I was reminded of how effortlessly brilliant she was on “Southland,” a role and show that got no recognition. She’s an artistic treasure. She should own sturdy shelves to support the hardware she earns.
“Watchmen” also won a writing award and a supporting actor award for Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. It appeared poised to win for direction, but instead, that award went to another brilliantly conceived and executed drama “Unorthodox.” The limited series format — like much of TV — was loaded this year. But a daring show drew deserved attention. Between comedy and limited series, the Emmys set a welcoming tone, one that condemned violence and lauded inclusion, underscored by Tyler Perry’s warm acceptance speech for his Emmy Governor’s Award. This theme ran throughout this weird, reconfigured telecast. It was threaded through the In Memoriam, which was full of legends claimed early by COVID-19 but also some who just drew a bad card. That segment closed with a fiery quote from Chadwick Boseman — the star of “Black Panther” among many other great films.
‘Succession’ sweep
Drama categories were loosened by the absence of “Game of Thrones.” “Succession” — a brilliantly nasty look at a familyrun media empire — won big, including best drama. The show’s Jeremy Strong won for lead actor, drama, which seemed to take the actor entirely by surprise; after he gave a thank-you speech, he seemed to think the camera was off and offered a “Holy ——.” The show also won awards for writing and directing.
Also in drama, Zendaya won best actress, drama, for the edgy “Euphoria,” who prompted lovely videos of her fellow nominees celebrating the young actress’ win. Julia Garner from “Ozark” was the evening’s rare repeat winner for best supporting actress, drama.
Over several years, the Emmys has seen viewership slide, prompted by changing TV trends and an eroding interest in awards shows in general. They locked into a few stories presented by three networks, and repetition was hardwired into the ceremony’s existence. But this telecast was a reminder that the past is worthy of embrace. And the future is as bright as the stories we choose to embrace. On this night the stories awarded celebrated inclusion, condemned exclusion and several of them won’t be back, leaving room for the next great set of shows to continue telling stories that are difficult and, ideally, hopeful.