“SCHITT’S CREEK,” “SUCCESSION” TOP WINNERS AT EMMYS
“Schitt’s Creek,” the little Canadian show about a fish- out- of- water family, made history at Sunday’s Emmy Awards with a comedy awards sweep, something even TV greats — including “Frasier” and “Modern Family” — failed to achieve.
Zendaya, 24, became the youngest lead drama actress winner for her role as a troubled teenager in “Euphoria.”
“I know this seems like a really weird time to be celebrating,” Zendaya said. “But I just want to say there is hope in the young people out there. I know our TV show doesn’t always feel like a great example of that,” but thanked young people out there “doing the work.”
“Succession,” a family power struggle over a media empire, was honored as best drama series, and “Succession” star Jeremy Strong won the drama actor trophy for his role as an aspiring heir.
The awards for Pop TV’s “Schitt’s Creek” included best comedy series and trophies for its stars, including Catherine O’Hara and father- son Eugene and Daniel Levy.
“It is absolutely incredible. I think my dad said it best earlier this evening: it’s a dream you don’t want to wake up from, to be honest. What an absolutely unbelievable way to end our series,” Daniel Levy said backstage.
In his acceptance speech, he said the sitcom was about “the transformational effects of love and acceptance, and this is something we need more now than ever before,” encouraging people to register and vote to achieve that goal.
Other winners, including “Watchmen” star Regina King, made a point that the Nov. 3 general election was near.
References to coronavirus were an ongoing part of the ceremony, with essential workers — including a teacher and a UPS deliveryman — presenting awards and Jason Sudeikis ostensibly getting a COVID- 19 test onstage. In a year with a record number of Black nominees — 35 — there was a notable lack of diversity in the show’s early going. With “Schitt’s Creek” gobbling up comedy awards, that left “Insecure” and creator Issa Rae empty- handed Sunday. That was also true of Ramy Youssef, creatorstar of the semi- autbiographical comedy “Ramy,” about a young Muslim American’s love and religious life. Yousef tweeted a video of a hazmat suit- wearing person clutching an Emmy and waving goodbye after he lost the lost the comedy actor category. The powerful series “Watchmen,” a graphic novel- adaptation steeped in racial pain, was voted best limited series and King won lead actress for her work on the HBO show. She was showered by confetti as she accepted in an armchair, wearing a T- shirt that honored police shooting victim Breonna Taylor. “This is so freaky and weird,” said King. “The cops still haven’t been held accountable,” she said backstage. “She represents just decades, hundreds of years of violence against Black bodies. Wearing Breonna’s likeness and representing her and her family and the stories that we were exploring, presenting and holding a mirror up to on ‘ Watchmen,’ it felt appropriate to represent with Breonna Taylor.”