With a seemingly endless amount of TV shows available to everyone, finding and recognizing the best ones may seem like an impossible task. Yet, that’s just what the Emmys set out to do. Every year for decades, the Awards show declares certain shows to be the best there is to offer. To see what was declared the best in categories like “Outstanding Comedy Series,” “Outstanding Drama Series” and more, read on.
This was a notable year for “Outstanding Drama Series.” Shows like “Succession” and “Squid Game” certainly kept fans invested; however, many were hoping the honor would be given to “Better Call Saul.” The beloved prequel to “Breaking Bad” has been nominated 46 times, and yet, has never taken home a single Emmy (1). So, fans of the show were particularly upset when the win went to “Succession.” Which show was better? Anyone interested in deciding for themselves should make sure to watch both.
Another notable category this year was “Outstanding Comedy Series”. With long-running shows like “Curb Your Enthusiasm” competing with brand new ones like “Abbott Elementary,” this year’s winner was anything but clear. When all was said and done, the award was given to “Ted Lasso,” the series about a soccer—uh sorry, football—coach moving to England to coach there, despite having no previous experience coaching the sport. With two seasons under its belt, it is neither an established or newly beginning show, with “Curb’s” eleven seasons and “Abbott’s” one being the two extremes of the nominations.
“Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series” seemed to prove that this was the year for “Succession,” with not one, but two actors making it into the nominations—Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong. Bob Odenkirk was also nominated for “Better Call Saul,” but the honor ended up going to Lee Jung-jae for his part in “Squid Game.” When it came to “Supporting Actor,” there were three nominations for “Succession,” Nicholas Braun, Matthew McFadyen, and Kieran Culkin; two for “Severance,” John Turturro and Christopher Walken; and two for “Squid Game,” Park Hae-soo and Oh Yeong-su. Matthew McFadyen took home this award.
As for the female side of things, “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series” had actresses as famous and noted as Sandra Oh and Reese Witherspoon sitting in their seats, hoping for the award to be theirs. The celebrity that was lucky enough to win was Zendaya, for her portrayal of Rue in “Euphoria.”
However, the award for “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series” did not go home to Euphoria’s Sydney Sweeney, but to one of the other nominees. Those included J. Smith Cameron and Sarah Snook for “Succession,” and Rhea Seehorn for “Better Call Saul.” This time around, the Emmy went to Julia Garner for her work in “Ozark.”
“Ted Lasso” picked up another win for Jason Sudeikis’ portrayal of the titular lead character, as it earned “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.” Jean Smart took home “Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series” for her role in “Hacks.” Brett Goldstein won “Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series,” giving “Ted Lasso” yet another award. “Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series” went to Sheryl Lee Ralph for her role in “Abbott Elementary.”
A controversy stirred when the show earned another award for “Best Writing in a Comedy Series.” When Quinta Brunson accepted her award, Jimmy Kimmel laid on stage throughout the entirety of her speech. It was part of a bit established earlier in the program, but many people thought that Brunson should have not had to share her moment with a man laying down next to her. People felt it was disrespectful for a white man to take the spotlight away from only the second Black woman to win this award.
Other wins went to notable actors, such as Micheal Keaton for his work in “Dopesick,” winning him “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series.” The winner for best actress in the same category was Amanda Seyfried, for “The Dropout.” Lizzo notably won, with her work in “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrls” winning “Outstanding Reality/Competition Series.”
Other non-surprising wins were for the success of “Saturday Night Live” in the “Outstanding Variety Sketch Series” category, and the win for “Last Week Tonight” in “Outstanding Variety Talk Series.” Overall, the awards ceremony had a bit less controversy than some of its contemporaries—ahem, this year’s Oscars—and also left some fans happy and while others were disappointed. Should “Better Call Saul” have taken home an award? Should Jimmy Kimmel have gotten off the stage? Maybe next year’s Emmys will address some of these questions, but that remains to be seen.
1. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/better-call-saul-emmys-2023-eligibility-1235219936/