The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards are here, and no, you're not imagining things: It's only been eight months since the strike-delayed Emmys in January, where “Succession,” “Beef” and “The Bear” dominated.
At tonight’s ceremony, FX’s “The Bear” is expected to perform well again, even if no one really thinks it’s a comedy. But this year’s field of contenders includes a number of new or previously overlooked titles. While FX and Netflix are likely to pick up a slew of trophies, there are plenty of pressing questions heading into the night: Will Jodie Foster win her first Emmy for HBO’s “True Detective: Night Country”? Will the huge buzz around Netflix’s “Baby Reindeer” translate into awards? And will “The Crown” pick up any awards for its uneven final season?
The Times keeps you up to date on television’s biggest night with live updates from the Emmys. Staff writer Meredith Blake and columnist Mary McNamara break down the highs, lows and ins and outs of Sunday’s telecast on ABC. Follow their conversation below.
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5:12 pm It's been 10 minutes and we already have a joke about a childless cat lady. I guess it won't be the last. JD Vance is still an accidental comic genius.MEGABYTE
5:09 pm Dan Levy highlights the number of nominations for queer actors this year, including Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey, who play lovers in McCarthy-era Washington, D.C., in the miniseries “Fellow Travelers.” Their nominations prove “that you can be nominated for playing a gay person even if you’re not straight.”MEGABYTE
5:05 pm Hosts Eugene and Dan Levy take the stage and do a shared monologue—a duologue?—that highlights the father-son dynamic. Sample joke: “Hands down, the most rewarding father role I’ve ever had was playing your dad … on ‘Schitt’s Creek,’ because it earned me my first acting Emmy,” Eugene says.MEGABYTE
I need to know who designs the glasses for the Levy family. And a nice reference to the “comedy controversy” surrounding “The Bear”: “In the spirit of ‘The Bear,’” says Eugene, “we won’t make any jokes.”MM
16:53 At least Andrew Scott is nominated this year for the intense “Ripley,” which almost, but not quite, makes up for his incredible snub as the iconic sexy priest in “Fleabag.” This year’s incredible snub goes to Kristin Scott Thomas, who somehow wasn’t nominated for “Slow Horses” (and the fact that those two are sharing snub honors says everything you need to know about the Emmys and awards shows in general). “Baby Reindeer” is predicted to edge out “Ripley” in the limited series category, but Scott’s performance was incredible.MM
4:40 pm Hey, Mer. Here we are again: the second Emmys broadcast of 2024! In some ways, it makes sense, given how much TV there is, but it’s still a lot for those of us who cover awards shows, not to mention stylists!
There are sure to be some repeats: The first season of FX’s “The Bear” swept the January awards, and the second season, which included the life-changing episode of “Fishes,” will likely dominate the comedy categories. (Jamie Lee Curtis just won her first Emmy, for outstanding guest actress, for “Fishes.”) This time, though, they have some competition from HBO’s “Hacks”: Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder are the favorites to win best lead and supporting actress, though Meryl Streep, nominated for “Only Murders in the Building,” should never be counted out.
But there are also some major newcomers at the Emmys, including FX’s “Shogun” and my personal favorite, Apple TV+’s “Slow Horses.” Our colleague Glenn Whipp thinks “Shogun” will take home the win in the outstanding drama category, so we could be in for a long-overdue big night for FX. But who knows?
January’s broadcast brought us plenty of reunions and a reminder of a time when broadcast networks ruled television. Beyond the joyous anticipation of seeing father/son duo Eugene Levy and Dan Levy take over hosting duties and the possibility of Jodie Foster also winning her first Emmy for HBO’s “True Detective: Night Country,” is there anything you’re looking forward to this time around?MM
Well, hello again, Mary. I have to be honest with you: I feel a little adrift as I sit here, thinking about a three-hour broadcast in which absolutely no member of the Roy family appears. This is a year of transition, not just in the TV industry at large, but at the Emmys as well. A ton of big-name shows (including my beloved “Succession”) ended their run last year, and between that and various strike-related delays, this year’s crop of nominees is, well, weird. But weird can be good, especially at the Emmys, an awards show that tends to automatically approve nominees year after year. I hope “weird” means some high-profile wins for some of the Indigenous artists and projects nominated this year, like Kali Reis in “True Detective: Night Country,” or maybe even the heretofore overlooked “Reservation Dogs.”MEGABYTE
