Glory for Australia at the Emmys, Shogun breaks records

There were tears, jubilation and plenty of awkward speeches racing against the clock at the 76th annual Emmy Awards. And, as with all good TV shows, there was one stunning twist — as Hacks wrested the comedy award from favourite The Bear.

Australia walked away swathed in Emmy glory. Elizabeth Debicki won the outstanding supporting actress in a drama category for her work on The Crown. Accepting the award, the 34-year-old described the late Princess Diana as an “unparalleled, incredible human being”.

Elizabeth Debicki in the press room after being named outstanding supporting actress in a drama series.Credit: AP

Debicki’s win added to an unexpected early haul for Australia: the American adaption of the hit series Love on the Spectrum won two Emmys, in reality program categories for casting and directing, from four nominations at last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys.

But our second acting nominee, Naomi Watts, was pipped by Jodie Foster, a first-time Emmy winner, in the actress in a limited series category. It’s a shame; Watts’ work, as American socialite Babe Paley in the critically acclaimed Feud: Capote vs The Swans, was a career-best performance.

The telecast for the 76th annual Emmys delivered a charm sandwich, with a big side serve of nostalgia. As a walking, talking, award-accepting metaphor for the business, there were wins for The Bear and Baby Reindeer pitched squarely at Gen Z, as well as anniversary reunions for Happy Days and The West Wing.

The critically acclaimed drama Shogun was the night’s favourite, scoring 14 wins at last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys, before they had even started handing out awards at TV’s night of nights. Its total haul was 18, including for directing, actor, actress and drama series.

The success of Shogun also has implications for the value of the FX brand, which was to some extent pushed into the sidelines after the Disney-Fox merger. But now, off the back of Shogun’s stunning winning streak, it stands easily shoulder-to-shoulder with Netflix and HBO.

The cast and crew of Shogun receive their award for outstanding drama series.Credit: AP

This year’s awards were held in the Peacock Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. They were technically the second Emmys of 2024. Industrial action by writers and actors effectively closed the entertainment industry for the best part of last year, forcing the 75th annual Emmys scheduled for September 2023 to be delayed until January.

The Australian-British co-production Slow Horses won the Emmy for writing for a drama series. “I come in peace, despite my name,” British screenwriter Will Smith said, referring to actor Will Smith and the Oscar slap heard around the world, and winning him a big laugh from the audience.

Two other nominated Australians, creative directors Patrick Clair and Raoul Marks, were nominated three times in the main title design category for their work on Fallout (Amazon), Silo (Apple TV+) and 3 Body Problem (Netflix). They lost, as did many nominees, to Shogun.

Jean Smart (Hacks) accepts the award for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series.Credit: AP

Jean Smart won the Emmy for actress in a comedy, for her extraordinary work on Hacks. “It’s humbling because I don’t get enough attention,” Smart joked.

Smart’s win was a loss for actress Maya Rudolph, who was nominated for the Apple TV+ series Loot. But the 52-year-old Saturday Night Live star isn’t doing too badly. She won her sixth Emmy last weekend, for her voice performance on the series Big Mouth.

Rudolph is also playing US Vice President Kamala Harris on SNL during the election campaign, doubtless one of the plum jobs in modern American comedy. “I feel like I am connected somehow to an incredible time in this country and an excitement that I haven’t felt in a long time,” she said last weekend.

When the nominations were announced earlier this year, Shogun was the leading program with 25, followed by 23 for The Bear. On those numbers, there were high expectations for both. Shogun stunned, but The Bear’s glory was soured by a winning night for Hacks.

Other key winners included Billy Crudup (supporting actor in a drama for The Morning Show), whose marriage to Naomi Watts makes the Emmy more or less another win for Australia, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (supporting actor in a comedy for The Bear), who rattled off a list of names so long it sounded, for a moment, like he was riffing off the magic mirror from Romper Room.

The ceremony was hosted by Eugene Levy and Dan Levy. The father and son Schitt’s Creek duo kept their scripted patois light, focusing on the nominees, the industry and the event itself, refraining from anything too sharp. “We’re not hosts – we’re more like actors acting like hosts,” Daniel said.

It was a safe but charming performance, capping off an unpredictable year for awards hosts: comedian Jo Koy skidded into a train wreck with the Golden Globes, while actor/comedian Anthony Anderson played it safe with the delayed 2023 Emmys. Neither matched the industry’s safest best, Jimmy Kimmel, who handled the Oscars with elegance. And none of them have yet bested the historic high bar of Ricky Gervais. It’s unlikely anyone will.

The 45-second speech time limitation was gently but firmly enforced, regardless of anyone’s level of preparedness. “I didn’t write anything down because I am very superstitious, and now I’m in a pickle,” Debicki said when she got to the stage.

John Oliver’s speech turned into a car crash when the producers tried to play him off, pausing when they realised he was speaking of his family losing a beloved pet. “F--- you, ” Oliver exclaimed.

Lamorne Morris’ speech (supporting actor in a limited series for Fargo) landed a little better. “I told you I’d do it. You always doubted me,” Morris said to his daughter, who was watching the telecast at home.

The “in memoriam” segment included acknowledgments of legendary actors James Earl Jones and Donald Sutherland, broadcaster Phil Donahue, actress Shannen Doherty, journalist Robert MacNeil, television exercise guru Richard Simmons and stuntwoman Jeannie Epper, who was Lynda Carter’s stunt double on the 1970s television series Wonder Woman.

The Governors Award, a special Emmy, was presented to screenwriter, producer and director of film and television Greg Berlanti in recognition of his significant impact on television and culture by depicting the underrepresented in film. Berlanti’s credits include Dawson’s Creek, Brothers & Sisters, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and the films The Broken Hearts Club and Love, Simon.

The winners of the Emmys are determined via ballot, by the more than 25,000 members of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences; members vote only in their area of expertise.

Key winners from last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys included Jamie Lee Curtis (guest actress in a comedy series for The Bear), Shogun (cinematography for a one-hour series, production design for a narrative period program, and others), Beckham (documentary or non-fiction series) and Alan Cumming (host for a reality or reality competition series for The Traitors).