A breath of fresh air following the extremely unfunny and predictable Golden Globes, Anthony Anderson’s 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, which were delayed for several months, was masterfully emceed by him (with his mother on clock duty).
Even though the Emmys were celebrating last year’s programs, they nevertheless managed to look strikingly better than their competitors, at least in terms of diversity. The television Academy is currently surpassing its peers who are primarily focused on film.
Because the Emmys are so resistant to change in other areas, this progressive tilt is noteworthy. Since 2016, for instance, broadcast television has hardly taken home a major prize outside of “Saturday Night Live,” but the Emmys are still exclusively broadcast on network TV. Additionally, several streaming series win for their first seasons after their second seasons had concluded because to its qualifying date. However, the Emmys decided to lead the way in terms of diversity, willingly changing its procedures in 2015 in response to the “Oscars So White” campaign, which produced slates that were significantly more varied.
Monday night’s Emmy equitable efforts were evident, interspersed by the Television Academy’s choice to present GLAAD with its governor’s award. Sarah Kate Ellis, president of GLAAD, immediately took advantage of the opportunity to call for increased transgender representation in media.
That might have been far worse. It was already bad optics to force the industry to work on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a holiday that some states failed to observe properly until this century. It wasn’t ideal to happen the weekend of the recently revitalized Critics Choice Awards, an NFL playoff game, the Iowa Caucuses, and a week after the Golden Globes returned. And it’s still odd that the Emmys are running so much behind schedule; all other award programs are celebrating “The Bear’s” second season, but the Emmys are still operating as if it hasn’t happened yet.
Ultimately, however, it makes little difference which season of “The Bear” won the trophy (or which season of “The Crown” was excluded). Who carried the statues home was what mattered.
Ayo Edebiri from “The Bear” and Quinta Brunson from “Abbott Elementary” nearly immediately took home the best supporting actress and best actress awards; the latter is the first major role in a broadcast series to receive acclaim in a long time. (Sheryl Lee Ralph won a supporting actress trophy for “Abbott Elementary” the previous year.) Even on its own, this seemed like a welcome corrective following the previous two weeks’ almost exclusively white victors.
At one point, host Anderson gleefully referred to the evening as “The Chocolate Emmys,” after both Niecy Nash-Betts and RuPaul used their wins to make succinctly stated (and viral TikTok-worthy) political calls to action on behalf of the Black and queer communities.
In the meantime, Asian artists won numerous accolades for their film “Beef,” directed by Lee Sung Jin from Korea, which nearly won the whole Limited Series category. Although Lee’s address lacked the fervor of Nash-Betts’, it struck a rare note of unvarnished public candor in his passionate appeal to anyone contemplating suicide.
Given that this is the 75th Emmy Awards and award shows like any milestone, the Television Academy brought out a larger-than-usual cast of former stars for some healthy, albeit much less varied, nostalgia. The night’s greatest chuckles went to Carol Burnett, who, at ninety, is set to co-star in the Apple TV+ series “Palm Royale.” She commented on how wonderful it was to see young men like Steve Martin and Martin Short succeeding in comedy. The final performance of “All In the Family” by Norman Lear was also held in commemoration of the renowned TV producer, who passed away last month at the age of 101. In addition, the event created a small amount of history when it awarded Elton John an Emmy for his Disney+
The Golden Globes made a big deal out of highlighting its “new and improved” appearance and vibe. It was voted on by a different group and relocated from NBC to CBS, a different network. Nor were the ratings unsatisfactory. However, it ultimately gave awards to the same old white individuals while remarkably avoiding politics throughout the event. On a wintry Monday night, the Emmys faced competition from football, basketball, the beginning of the 2024 election season, and whatever else was available for streaming. But maybe unintentionally, the Emmys demonstrated how far they have come in recent years by scheduling their broadcast for this MLK Day. And how much more work remains for everyone else.