Emmy Night 2015: The HBO of It All

But before I get into that Wasnamp8217t it interesting and refreshing not to hear any real complaints yesterday on Twitter or elsewhere about Andy Sambergamp8217s work as host of this yearamp8217s awards Typically unless itamp8217s Neil Patrick Harris hosting the Tonys or Hugh Jackman hosting the Oscars or Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosting the Golden Globes the day after usually brings with it unending and often deserved criticism of any big award showamp8217s host But Samberg seems to have impressed all around perhaps because he maintained his signature gentlegoof charm throughout and made it work for him every time he was on stageLast month at a Fox event during the TCA tour I was in an elevator full of television critics that Samberg who had been waiting in line with us was reluctant to enter After we gently but firmly coaxed him into joining us for the long lift to the Soho House he launched into an impromptu riff on a particular highprofile series that was underperforming at the time It was one of the most entertaining elevator rides ever Sambergamp8217s instant improvisation was smart and funny and the whole thing at his request was off the record So the fact that he did as well as he did at as Emmy host didnamp8217t surprise me at allAs for the show itself I can39t help but wonder If television is bigger and better and broader than ever as everyone insists on declaring why weren39t the ratings stronger for this Emmy presentation Could it have anything to do with the dominance of HBO which may be a household name but is not a household network in the manner of the broadcasters the basic cablers and the streaming services Or is it simply the power of NFL Football a fearsome time period competitor for anythingRegardless HBO was triumphant in all three scripted genres and it also did well one week earlier at the Creative Arts Emmys where its movie amp8220Bessieamp8221 its documentary amp8220Going Clearamp8221 and its documentary series amp8220The Jinx The Life and Deaths of Robert Durstamp8221 were honored An almost complete amp8220Veepamp8221 sweep was compromised only by Allison Janney winning her second Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for amp8220Momamp8221 Iamp8217m not sure why Emmy voters thought better of this show than of HBOamp8217s much funnier amp8220Silicon Valleyamp8221 or ABCamp8217s fivetime winner amp8220Modern Familyamp8221 which had a better season in year six than in its previous three or Amazonamp8217s historic amp8220Transparentamp8221 But it was no surprise at all to see Julia LouisDreyfus pictured at top take home her sixth Emmy and Tony Hale his secondSimilarly I would never single out amp8220Game of Thronesamp8221 as the genreamp8217s best especially for its fifth season not its finest I really thought a farewell nod to AMCamp8217s fourtime winner amp8220Mad Menamp8221 was in order I predicted a second Emmy for amp8220Thronesamp8217amp8221 supporting dynamo Peter Dinklage amp8230 but I never thought the show would rack up 12 wins which landed it in the history books as the most honored series for one season in the history of the EmmysThank goodness Jon Hamm was lovingly honored at long last for his iconic role in AMCamp8217s amp8220Mad Menamp8221 With HBO on such a roll I thought for a moment that voters might for a second time give the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series to Jeff Daniels star of amp8220The Newsroomamp8221 When I told him later Sunday evening at the AMC Networks party that I had been present the many times that he and amp8220Mad Menamp8221 had been recognized over the years by the Television Critics Association with its coveted TCA Awards a beaming Hamm amp8211 who could not contain his Emmy happiness amp8211 praised the TCA for being amp8220early adoptersamp8221amp160Itamp8217s interesting that Netflix which seems to be foremost in everyoneamp8217s minds these days and which went into the awards with an impressive number of major nominations received only one major prize on Sunday amp8211 a not unexpected second win for Uzo Aduba of amp8220Orange is the New Blackamp8221 Last year she won the award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for the same role making her the first actor since Edward Asner to win both comedy and drama Emmys for playing the same character amp8211 in his case Lou Grant on the comedy amp8220The Mary Tyler Moore Showamp8221 and its drama spinoff amp8220Lou Grantamp8221 Coupled with Jeffrey Tamboramp8217s slamdunk for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for amp8220Transparentamp8221 it was a strong signal that streaming services have staked their claim at the Emmys and everywhere elseOn that subject Isnamp8217t it interesting that everyone who talks about such Netflix shows as amp8220House of Cardsamp8221 amp8220Orange is the New Blackamp8221 and amp8220Daredevilamp8221 always mentions Netflix in the conversation The same is true of shows on Amazon and Hulu Yet nobody says amp8220I watch amp8216Scandalamp8217 on ABC or amp8216The Blacklistamp8217 on NBCamp8221The many Emmys for HBOamp8217s limited series amp8220Olive Kitteridgeamp8221 were not surprising except perhaps for Richard Jenkinsamp8217 recognition as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie The often underappreciated Jenkins certainly deserved the award though I continue to wonder what all of the fuss was about for this production which was fine and all but hardly an amazing accomplishment that deserved an armload of top EmmysHow wonderful that Regina King of ABCamp8217s urgent and engrossing amp8220American Crimeamp8221 managed to dodge the amp8220Kitteridgeamp8221 steamroller and win for Outstanding Supporting Actress in this category Iamp8217m grateful that amp8220Crimeamp8221 received some recognition on televisionamp8217s biggest night It deserved even moreLastly count me among the millions of fans who were thrilled to see Viola Davis of ABC39s quotHow to Get Away with Murderquot win as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series not simply because she made history but because she deserved to be honored for so impressively inhabiting the role of the allpowerful yet always vulnerable Atty Annalise Keating the best and most complex character written for a woman since Claire Danes mesmerized us asamp160theamp160fascinatingly effedup Carrie Mathisonamp160on Showtime39s quotHomelandquot something Danes continues to do

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Emmy Night 2015: The HBO of It All

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Ed Martin

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