Emmys: Night of British talent
LOS ANGELES—Olivia Colman and Josh O’Connor won the top television Emmy awards for drama actors on Sunday, on a banner night for British talent, dominated by “The Crown” and comedy “Ted Lasso.” An exuberant Kate Winslet was named best actress for her turn as a troubled detective in the limited series “Mare of Easttown,” while Ewan McGregor won for playing fash- ion designer “Halston.”
LOS ANGELES—“The Crown” and “Ted Lasso” won the top prizes at television’s Emmy awards on Sunday (Monday in Manila), while “The Queen’s Gambit” was named best limited series.
The best drama series win for “The Crown” gave Netflix its biggest prize so far, while Apple TV+ entered streaming’s big leagues with the best comedy series win for “Ted Lasso.” Neither Netflix nor AppleTV+ had previously won a best comedy or best drama series Emmy.
Olivia Colman and Josh O’Connor from “The Crown” were named best drama actress and actor on a banner night for British talent. The pair played Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles in the lavish saga of the British royal family.
An exuberant Kate Winslet was named best actress for her turn as a troubled detective in the limited series “Mare of Easttown,” while Ewan McGregor won for playing fashion designer “Halston.”
After a season that focused on the unhappy marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, “The Crown” also brought wins for supporting actors Gillian Anderson (as former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher) and Tobias Menzies (the late Prince Philip), as well as for writing and directing.
About family
“We’re all thrilled. I am very proud. I’m very grateful. We’re going to party,” said Peter Morgan, the series’ creator, at a gathering in London for the cast and crew.
Jason Sudeikis, the star and cocreator of “Ted Lasso,” was named best comedy actor while the show brought statuettes for Britons Hannah Waddingham and Brett Goldstein for their supporting roles in the heartwarming tale of a struggling English soccer team.
“This show is about family. This show’s about mentors and teachers and this show’s about teammates. And I wouldn’t be here without those three things in my life,” Sudeikis said on accepting the award.
But it wasn’t all plain sailing. “Ted Lasso” lost the comedy writing and directing awards to “Hacks,” a series about a fading stand-up female comedian played by Jean Smart, who got a standing ovation when she was named best comedy actress.
Still, “Ted Lasso” which stars Sudeikis as an American coach thrown into the world of tea-drinking Britons and the sometimes arcane rules of English soccer, won a total of seven Emmy awards.
It has charmed viewers and
Emmy voters with its folksy charm and unflagging optimism, eliciting countless memes, recipes for the show’s homemade English biscuits, and fascination with its words of wisdom.
Feel-good messages
Critics and fans alike have praised its edginess combined with its feel-good messages as a perfect antidote to the world’s pandemic times. As proof, they cite Lasso’s observations on life, soccer and England, including the following:
• “Be curious, not judgmental.”
• “I always thought tea was going to taste like hot brown water. And do you know what? I was right. It’s horrible.”
• “Believe.”
• “I believe in Communism. Rom-communism, that is. If Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan can go through some heartfelt struggles and still end up happy, then so can we.”
• “There is something worse out there than being sad, and that is being alone and sad. Ain’t nobody in this room is alone.”
• “If God would have wanted games to end in a tie, she wouldn’t have invented numbers.”
• “Fries are called chips, chips are called crisps, and bangers aren’t great songs but they do make you feel like dancing because they’re so darn tasty.”
• “You know what the happiest animal in the world is? It’s a goldfish. It’s got a 10-second memory.”
• “Tea and I are still on a lifelong hiatus.”
• “I think I literally have a better understanding of who killed Kennedy than what is offside.”
• “Taking on a challenge is a lot like riding a horse. If you’re comfortable while you’re doing it, you’re probably doing it wrong.”
• “Our goal is to go out like Willie Nelson—on a high.”
Concerns over the Delta variant of the coronavirus forced the award ceremony to move to an outdoor tent in downtown Los Angeles, with a reduced guest list and mandatory vaccinations and testing.