A Sweep For ‘Schitt’s Creek,’ Zendaya Makes Emmy Awards History



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By AP Article publication time19h ago

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Beth harris

“Schitt’s Creek,” the small Canadian show about a family of fish out of water, made history at Sunday’s Emmy Awards with a sweep of comedy awards, something not even the greats of television like “Frasier” and “Modern Family ” they got.

Zendaya, 24, became the youngest winner of the drama lead actress for her role as a troubled teenager in “Euphoria.” She is the second black actress to win the award, following Viola Davis’ groundbreaking 2015 win for “How to Get Away With Murder.” “

“I know this seems like a really weird time to celebrate,” Zendaya said. “But I just want to say that there is hope in young people. I know our TV show doesn’t always feel like a great example of that, “but the young people are” getting the job done. “

“Succession,” a family power struggle for a media empire, was hailed as the best drama series, and creator Jesse Armstrong seized the opportunity to offer “thanks,” including to President Donald Trump for what Armstrong called his “bad news.” “pandemic management.

“Succession” star Jeremy Strong won the drama actor trophy for his role as a potential heir to the throne.

The virtual ceremony, with a worker Jimmy Kimmel as host, went smoothly despite concerns from producers that the plan to remotely tie in more than 100 nominees could result in failures.

Jimmy Kimmel presenting the 2020 Primetime Emmy Awards. Image: The Television Academy and ABC Entertainment via AP

Although the rise of streaming services, including Disney + and Apple TV +, dominates the television landscape, it was the hard-core HBO of the Emmys that stole the show, with winners like “Succession” and “Watchmen” making up for its now. defunct award giant “Game of Thrones”. “Pop TV, owned by ViacomCBS, and its quirky comedy were also unbeatable.

Disney’s Star Wars spinoff “The Mandalorian” had to settle for technical awards, falling short in the best drama competition.

Awards for Pop TV’s “Schitt’s Creek” included best comedy series and trophies for its stars, including Catherine O’Hara and her father and son Eugene and Daniel Levy.

Jimmy Kimmel presenting the 2020 Primetime Emmy Awards. Image: The Television Academy and ABC Entertainment via AP

“It is absolutely incredible. I think my dad said it best tonight: it’s a dream you don’t want to wake up from, to be honest. What an absolutely incredible way to end our series, ”said Daniel Levy backstage.

The comfortable pansexuality of his character led to plot lines that Levy personally called “cathartic.”

In his acceptance speech, he said the comedy was about “the transformative effects of love and acceptance, and this is something we need more now than ever,” encouraging people to register and vote to achieve that goal.

Other winners, including “Watchmen” star Regina King, noted that the November 3 general election was close.

All of the winners accepted their awards virtually at the pandemic-proof ceremony, including O’Hara, but she was not alone.

“Although these are the strangest days, that you enjoy being locked in a room or two with your family as much as I had with my dear Roses,” said O’Hara from Canada, surrounded in a room decorated by masks – wearing co-stars. who play members of the Rose family.

Levy said it’s “ironic that the simplest role I’ve ever played wins me an Emmy for a comedy performance. I have to seriously question what I’ve been doing ”for the last 50 years.

Moments later, his son won the comedy writing award for the episode “Schitt’s Creek,” then shared a directing award and captured the supporting actor comedy trophy. The supporting actress trophy went to her co-star Annie Murphy.

Daniel Levy thanked his father and O’Hara for teaching a lengthy comedy “masterclass.” The show’s triumph came for its highly acclaimed final season.

References to the coronavirus were an ongoing part of the ceremony, with essential workers, including a teacher and a UPS delivery man, handing out awards and Jason Sudeikis seemingly getting a Covid-19 test on stage.

In a year with a record number of black nominees, 35, there was a notable lack of diversity in the early days of the show. With “Schitt’s Creek” gobbling up comedy awards, that left “Insecure” and creator Issa Rae empty-handed.

That was also true of Ramy Youssef, creator and star of the semi-autobiographical comedy “Ramy,” about the love and religious life of a young Muslim American. Yousef tweeted a video of a person dressed in a flight attendant suit holding an Emmy and saying goodbye after losing the lost comedy actor category.

There was a sign of change with the dramatic awards, which came in the latter part of the ceremony, and the black actors eventually won a record seven trophies. But there was a familiar pattern, with actors of color doing exceptional work on limited series but not finding as many opportunities on ongoing shows, with Zendaya the exception this year.

“Watchmen” is one such example. The graphic novel adaptation, steeped in racial pain, was voted best limited series and King won lead actress for her work on the HBO show. She was showered with confetti when she accepted in an armchair, wearing a T-shirt honoring the victim of the police shooting, Breonna Taylor.

“This is so fucking weird,” said King, who regained his composure and asked viewers to vote and, behind the scenes, explained why he was wearing the message shirt.

“The police have not yet been held responsible,” he said. “She represents only decades, hundreds of years of violence against black bodies. With the image of Breonna and representing her and her family and the stories that we were exploring, presenting and showing a mirror in ‘Watchmen’, it felt appropriate to represent with Breonna Taylor. “

His co-star, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series.

Uzo Aduba won the Counterpart Actress Award for her portrayal of Shirley Chisholm in “Mrs. America.”

Anthony Anderson, nominated for “black-ish”, took the stage to make his disappointment known and said the awards should have been “Howard University homecoming Black.”

“This is not what it should have been. … But black stories, black performances and black lives matter, ”he said, urging Kimmel to scream with him.

Tyler Perry, the actor-turned-media mogul and influential advocate of African American talent, accepted the Governor’s Award.

The supporting drama awards went to Billy Crudup for “The Morning Show” and repeat winner Julia Garner for “Ozark.”

“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” was once again honored as best variety talk series, with David Letterman announcing the award after being dumped on the road by an annoying rideshare driver.

Oliver joined the ranks of winners calling for Americans to vote, as did Mark Ruffalo, who won the limited series acting trophy for “I Know This Is True.”

Kimmel opened the show with a monologue that seemed to be delivered defiantly in front of a cheering-filled theater, until it was revealed that clips from previous Emmy shows had been played.

“Of course I am here alone. Of course, we don’t have an audience, ”he said. “This is not a MAGA rally. It’s the Emmys. “

A small mistake marred Saturday’s virtual creative arts Emmys for technical and other honors, when Jason Bateman’s name was announced for a guest acting award that belonged to Ron Cephas Jones from “This Is Us.”

Bateman was one of the few people present at the Staples Center for Sunday’s show, sitting in the audience during Kimmel’s opening monologue. The actor sat stone-faced amid a collection of cardboard cutouts, trading jokes with Kimmel after the host pointed out he was there.

In the accumulated of awards given on Sunday and in the creative arts events, HBO was the leader with 30 trophies, followed by Netflix with 21, Pop TV with 10 and Disney + and NBC with eight each.



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