Looking for ‘Schitt’s Creek’ and ‘The Watchmen’: The 2020 Emmy Awards Big Winners

Even amid the ongoing pandemic, the old adage is that the show must go on; And instead of announcing that their awards show would be delayed, the TV Emmy Awards were held on Sunday night, September 20 (in the US), and they struggled to make it to an awards night virtual and protocol security – by Jimmy Kimmel. It was a courageous collective effort to make this a celebration despite the strict and limiting conditions brought on by the virus, and up to 130 cameras were deployed around the world to capture the reactions of the nominees and winners in their own homes.

And, of course, these nominees seized the opportunity, making their appearances that much more memorable and engaging. Jennifer Anniston, nominated for (The Morning Show) on Apple TV +, shocked the world by having her ‘roommates’ Lisa Kudrow and Courteney Cox flanking her on the couch. Jason Bateman even stopped by. The stars of Amazon Prime’s Little Fires Everywhere, Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington, were found at a garden party, celebrating New Year’s Eve, their joke, as Hollywood producers who can do anything, to put 2020 on the rear-view mirror.

As for the big winners, they were HBO’s The Watchmen in the Limited Series categories: Regina King as Leading Actress, Best Limited Series, Supporting Actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II; and in the Comedy Series category, ironically the last season of Pop’s Schitt’s Creek. For Schitt’s Creek, in addition to the Outstanding Comedy Series victory, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Dan Levy, and Annie Murphy were all big winners. Zendaya (Euphoria), Billy Crudup (The Morning Show), Jeremy Strong (Succession) and Mark Ruffalo (I know this is true) took home acting statuettes. And Succession was the outstanding drama series. Taking home the Featured Variety Talk series was Last Week Tonight with Brit John Oliver, and the Outstanding Reality / Competition series was for RuPaul’s Drag Race.

As for whether the show was a resounding success, I suppose that depends on how much you are willing to be swayed by effort and seriousness. In that regard, I will give the show high marks for trying to make things light and celebratory during a difficult time. The messages from the winners asking people to stay alert and vote in November did not escape me, how this is precisely why Donald hates Hollywood’s liberal creative community. And I’ll be curious to know about the show’s ratings, as even last year, with Game of Thrones still on board, the Emmy Awards ratings suffered from a decline.

But if you push me against the wall and ask me if it was an attractive viewing, I’ll have to confess that all too often, it was run like it was a Jimmy Kimmel Late Night special or extended show, and not like the Emmy Awards. it was supposed to be. And the appearance of the alpaca was so random. The sense of the true occasion was diminished, and the glitz and glamor we rightly associate with Hollywood were lost in digital translation. We can only hope that this time next year we will see each other returning to a live show.