The Emmy Awards are on tonight on ABC.
It’s the second Emmys this year because back in January we had the delayed edition from 2023 (thanks to the strikes).
Eugene Levy and Dan Levy of “Schitt’s Creek” fame will be the hosts. Eugene is currently on “Only Murders in the Building.” Dan Levy does real estate commercials.
Will they be funny? Let’s hope so, and distracting, too. Because these Emmys aren’t promising a lot of surprises.
“The Bear” and all its actors will win tonight. Jamie Lee Curtis and Jon Bernthal have already won Best Guest actors in a comedy. Now Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss Bacharach, and Ayo Edibiri will win their categories.
The whole problem, of course, is that “The Bear” is a drama, or at least a dramedy. It’s not a comedy. “Hacks” is the best comedy, and Jean Smart should be Best Actress in A Comedy. “The Bear” and all its wonderful cast and crew should be in Drama.
It looks like “Shogun” is set to win Best Drama. Yes, “SHogun” was a miniseries decades ago. This is a new one, on Netflix, and it’s in Japanese. Is is the Best Drama? Better than “The Crown”? Or “Slow Horses?” Or “The Bear”? Netflix is very good at promoting novelty shows, like “Squid Game,” with the TV Academy.
Will there be any surprises? Probably not, although this may be the first year ever HBO goes home empty handed. (They’ll be back big time next year.) Hulu, FX, and Netflix have had the best year. It’s the luck of the draw.
What we won’t see is any acknowledgment of broadcast TV apart from “Abbott Elementary.” How could Angela Bassett be on a TV series and not get nominated? But that’s the Emmys now. Broadcast TV is considered crass and commercial. It’s too bad because “Abbott” really deserves more consideration. It’s a breath of fresh air, and it’s funny.
One problem with these streaming shows, like “The Bear” and “Shogun,” is that no one knows the size of their audience. Streamers don’t release actual viewing figures. At least with HBO you have an idea of some ratings. But not with Hulu or Netflix. So the actual interest in the Emmys based on popularity of these shows remains a mystery.
So, on to tonight, for better or worse.
