LOOKING BACK AT The 77th Annual Emmy Awards Show

By Jane Harig
Entertainment Columnist
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Hollywood hit downtown LA’s Peacock Theater for the 77th annual Emmy awards, a glamorous event to honor TV’s best, hosted by standup Nate Bargatze. The event brings together writers, actors, producers, directors and more to compete for the win in a number of categories, ranging from Outstanding Lead Actor to Outstanding Cinematography. Outstanding Drama Series, Comedy Series and Limited Series or Anthology that are currently on TV, or were in the last year, represent the three large categories. 

To highlight the evening’s standout events, I would be remiss not to mention the standing ovation bestowed upon Late Show’s best, Stephen Colbert, following the announced (and seemingly politically motivated) cancellation of his talk show The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Actors, writers and directors alike filled the room with their appreciation for the comedic legend as he came to the stage to present Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. On stage, Colbert joked about his need for a job, pulling out a resume from his inside pocket, featuring a headshot from the beginning of his career. He passed the resume off to Harrison Ford, explaining that he only had one copy, and could give that to Steven Spielberg, which Ford happily accepted. Colbert received another standing ovation that night, when he was announced the winner for Best Talk Series (having competed for the award against The Daily Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live!).  
    
The Studio dominated the night with a total of 13 wins, including Best Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, and lead actor Seth Rogen winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. The Apple TV+ series follows newly appointed network studio head Matt Remick (along with his ragtag team of studio employees played by Ike Barinholtz, Kathryn Hahn and Chase Sui Wonders) as he navigates the ups and downs (mostly downs) of running the fictional Continental Studios – from casting the Kool Aid movie to deals with Scorsese to “Oners” and missing film reels. Each episode has a standalone quality and feel to it (and often a famous cameo, whether it be Ron Howard and Anthony Mackie or someone more recurring, like Catherine O’Hara and Bryan Cranston), with a rich 70s film aesthetic. Equal parts humorous and stressful, one of the last episodes of the season takes place at a fictional Golden Globes (with many actors playing versions of themselves, like Adam Scott and Quinta Brunson, just to name a few). A running bit in the episode was the speeches the winners made when they took the stage, each adding a thank you to Matt Remick’s second-in-command, Sal Saperstein, played by comedy veteran Ike Barinholtz, whether they knew the character personally or not. The show walked away with lots of applause that night, and viewers can rest assured knowing the show has already been greenlit for a season two.  
    
The Emmy’s brought us back to recognizing a very big night in New York City last February, when Saturday Night Live aired its 50th Anniversary episode. SNL Anniversary Specials stand out amongst others in the season, traditionally bringing back tons of old cast members, writers, hosts, and musical guests to celebrate, honor old sketches, and reprise many iconic characters. The 50th Anniversary episode brought back many fan favorites, with Kate McKinnon playing her infamous Close Encounter character, this time alongside Meryl Streep. Amy Poehler and Tina Fey did bits with the audience, before Poehler and Maya Rudolph hopped into their old roles as the ladies hosting Bronx Beat, where they pulled Miles Teller from the audience, insisting on calling Top Gun Maverick, “Top Gun 2.” Emma Stone had popcorn in her dress, John Mulaney and Steve Martin monologued, Bill Murray ranked the top ten Weekend Update hosts, and Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter sang a duet. The night had so many comedy MVPs, all led by Captain Lorne Michaels, leading the SNL 50th Anniversary Special to walk away with the Emmy for Outstanding Live Variety Special.  

Season two of another Apple TV+ series, Severance, got a lot of fanfare. The show, directed by the ever-versatile Ben Stiller, is a twisted – yet comedic – take on the work life balance, which the characters take to the next level as they are “severed” from their home lives every day at work by having their memories switched in the elevator (essentially creating two separate people: their home version, which they call their “Outie,” and their work version, their “Innie”). The show received the most nominations going into the night and walked away with eight wins. Two standout wins of the evening were Tramell Tillman, for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, and Britt Lower, for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Tillman, who plays the chilling Mr. Milchick on the show, made history as the first black man to win in his category, thanking his mother, who he joked was his “first acting coach.” Britt Lower, who plays the impeccable Helly R., had one of the best moments of the night. People watching closely could see that on the back of her acceptance speech she had written “LET ME OUT” for the audience to see, in vain of her severed, rebellious character on the show. Kudos to Britt Lower for that easter egg bit, which surely made many fans chuckle. 

One of the biggest shows of the year was Netflix’s Adolescence, the dark story of a young boy, Jamie Miller, convicted of killing his classmate and the ripple effect this has on his life, his family, and the world around him. Described as a “why-done-it,” the story is told in four one-hour episodes, each done in one take. The show – headed by actor, director, and writer Stephen Graham – won Outstanding Limited Series or Anthology. Graham also won outstanding lead actor for his role as Jamie’s father. Erin Doherty, who appears in arguably the most intense and memorable episodes of the show, won for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Anthology. One of the biggest wins of the night was the adolescent win for the show, meaning young Owen Cooper’s award. Cooper (in his first ever professional role!) played the titular lead of Jamie Miller and walked away that night with the trophy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Anthology, being the youngest, at fifteen years old, to win for his category.

Not only that, but he met his hero, Jake Gyllenhaal, before the event, who bestowed upon him a “lucky duck,” which he kept in his pocket the night of the evening. A truly wholesome moment backdropped to a dark but extremely impressive show. In his speech, Cooper stated: “I think tonight proves if you listen, and you focus and you step out your comfort zone, you can achieve anything in life.” 

If the Oscars proved that cinema is still alive, the Emmys did the same for television. Whether it be a storied show like SNL, or a newcomer, like The Pitt, we can count on Hollywood to gather the troops and celebrate the stories we see on our TVs each night and celebrate the people who make them.  ​