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The second Emmys ceremony this year, it comes eight months after the 75th Primetime Emmys, which were postponed by last year’s writers’ and actors’ strikes. Honouring the crème de la crème of the TV world, it was an incredible night with the likes of Shogun, The Bear and Baby Reindeer amongst this year’s top winners.
Reflecting the ever-evolving landscape of TV and the people that prop the industry up, here are 9 of this year’s top winners.
The out-and-out winner at this year’s Emmys, the series took home a whopping 18 awards – the most ever for a single drama season. An original adaptation of James Clavell’s novel, the series is set in Imperial Japan in the year 1600 at the dawn of a century-defining civil war. Lord Yoshii Toranaga is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him. When a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village, its English pilot, John Blackthorne, comes bearing secrets that could help Toranaga tip the scales of power and devastate the formidable influence of Blackthorne’s own enemies – the Jesuit priests and the Portuguese merchants.
Toranaga’s and Blackthorne’s fates become inextricably tied to their translator, Toda Mariko, a mysterious Christian noblewoman and the last of a disgraced line. While serving her lord amidst this fraught political landscape, Mariko—played by the incredible Anna Sawai—must reconcile her newfound companionship with Blackthorne, her commitment to the faith that saved her and her duty to her late father.
I was late to The Bear fanfare and admittedly, it took me right up until the end of season one to really see why people loved it so much but I get it now and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for that chaotic group of misfits.
Finishing up with 11 Emmys, including guest acting wins at the Creative Arts ceremony for Jamie Lee Curtis and Jon Bernthal, there was much debate about whether the series should be classed as a comedy or not. It shouldn’t if you ask me but that doesn’t mean it’s undeserving of recognition. Without giving too much away, the series centres on a young chef—Carmy Berzatto played by Jeremy Allen White—from the fine dining world who returns to Chicago to run his family’s sandwich shop. Naturally, nothing goes to plan though therein lies the fun. Season three left viewers on quite the cliffhanger (I won’t spoil it, don’t worry) and while season four hasn’t officially been confirmed, show creator Chris Storer did slap a big “to be continued” on the finale so it’s looking likely.
The show that took the internet by storm, Baby Reindeer was all anyone could talk about mere months ago and for good reason; it was funny, shocking, and thought-provoking all in one. Series creator Richard Gadd won three of the show’s four Emmys, with the other going to best supporting actress Jessica Gunning, whose performance as Martha still gives me chills.
If you’re one of the few who haven’t binge-watched the series yet, it’s based on Gadd’s own real-life experiences. Gadd stars as Donny Dunn, a struggling comedian who develops a strange and layered relationship with a woman named Martha. However, what started out as just friendly banter soon develops into something darker and it isn’t long before Martha’s initially friendly demeanor unravels and she begins stalking Donny relentlessly.
Speaking to Tudum—Netflix’s companion site—about the series, Gadd says that he didn’t want to write “a victim narrative.” “I think art is quite interesting when you don’t know who you are on the side of. I wanted it to be layered, and I wanted it to capture the human experience. The human experience is that people are good, but they have bits of bad and they make mistakes.”
Hacks picked up three awards at the 2024 Emmys, including the coveted prize for Outstanding Comedy Series. One of the few shows on this list that I haven’t personally seen, it’s definitely next on my list – not least because it stars Jean Smart.
Premiering on HBO Max back in 2021, the series centres on the professional relationship between a young comedy writer ( Hannah Einbinder) and a legendary stand-up comedian (Smart). The first two seasons score an impressive 100% on Rotten Tomatoes with season three coming in just slightly behind at 98%.
According to Deadline, creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky have long said that they pitched a five-season arc for Hacks, so all going well, there are still two seasons yet to come.
Jodie Foster got the first Emmy of her career on Sunday, taking home the gold in the Lead Actress in a Limited Series category for her performance in True Detective: Night Country. This season garnered nineteen Primetime Emmy Awards nominations, making it the most nominated season so far.
Set in the fictional town of Ennis, Alaska, Foster stars as Detective Liz Danvers alongside Kali Reis as Evangeline Navarro, with the story following the investigation behind the disappearance of eight men from a research station. Reviews were mixed with many claiming it didn’t match up to the first season but it still scores over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes so I’ll leave the deciding vote to you.
Running since 2014, Fargo celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. A black comedy-crime drama created and primarily written by showrunner Noah Hawley, it’s based on the 1996 film of the same name.
As per the IMDB description: “Various chronicles of deception, intrigue, and murder in and around frozen Minnesota. All of these tales mysteriously lead back one way or another to Fargo, North Dakota.” The anthology series consists of self-contained seasons, although they all share the same continuity as the film and feature minor overlaps. Five seasons of the show have been released so far, each with a different setting, cast and characters; the time periods also vary largely ranging from 1950 up to 2019.
Like many, I was consumed by The Traitors when it first aired, getting through the entire season almost in one night. The UK version—presented by Claudia Winkleman—came out in 2022 shortly followed by the US version, hosted by Alan Cummings. It’s the latter that joined the list of Emmy winners on Sunday evening, with the series being crowned Outstanding Reality Competition Program for the very first time.
Explaining the premise is somewhat difficult but I’ll give it a whirl. Basically, treachery and deceit are the name of the game. A group of 20 different contestants (including reality A-listers) are brought together to complete a series of challenges with the objective of earning a cash prize. The catch? Three of the contestants, coined “the traitors”, aren’t being fully truthful and are actually conspiring to steal the prize from the other contestants, i.e. “the faithful.”
It sounds hard to follow but it’s reality TV gold. Give it a few episodes to understand it and I guarantee you’ll be hooked (the UK version still has my heart though)
This year’s ceremony marked a final farewell to The Crown, Netflix’s biggest-ever winner at the Emmys which picked up a total of 24 awards over the course of its six-season run. Elizabeth Debicki was amongst those recognised in the 2024 lineup, taking gold for her portrayal of Diana, Princess of Wales. “Playing this part based on this unparalleled, incredible human being has been my great privilege,” she said, later describing the role as “a gift”.
Inspired by real events, the sixth and final season of the fictional dramatisation tells the story of Queen Elizabeth II and the political and personal events that shaped her reign. The Windsors face a reckoning as Diana, no longer a member of the royal family, continues to captivate the public in the weeks before her tragic death… worth watching for the revenge dress alone.
Starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell, The Morning Show gives an inside look at the lives of the people who help America wake up in the morning, exploring the unique challenges faced by the team. Inspired by Brian Stelter’s 2013 book Top of the Morning, the series is an unapologetically candid drama, examining the modern workplace through the lens of the characters and culture behind a network broadcast morning news program.
Season four is currently in production with Billy Crudup who plays Cory Ellison, telling journalists that the show’s writers “have delivered something very interesting. We’re in the middle of shooting it now, so I can’t divulge it, but it’s new terrain for Cory, and it’s exciting to play.” Watch this space.
Featured photography by Katie Yu/FX+.