Keeping pace with Hollywood’s perpetual awards horserace. Sign up for the newsletter here . The 2024 Emmy Awards tried, in presentation and award distribution, to spread the love around.
It paid tribute to classic, beloved shows and the archetypes that have been a constant throughout the medium’s existence: cops; moms and dads; coaches, I guess? It also rewarded current TV that took creative risks, including limited series winner Baby Reindeer and the most dominant winner in the drama categories, Shōgun , which won a total of 18 Emmys for its detailed reimagining of the 1980 miniseries. There were some surprises, too, like the crowning of Hacks for Outstanding Comedy Series and acting wins for Fargo ’s Lamorne Morris and The Bear ’s Liza Colon-Zayas. But as is the case with all Emmys, there were definitely some low points, and yes, that is a reference to the bizarre spon-con for Johnnie Walker Blue that had no business being jammed into an awards ceremony.
LOW: A shocking, offensive, and frankly obscene hosting performance from Eugene and Dan Levy. Just kidding, it was perfectly fine. They are very charming.
Some jokes worked, like the father and son needling each other about various roles they did not get. Some jokes didn’t land quite as well, especially in the opening monologue when they didn’t have the rhythm yet and the whole thing felt tentative. But the Levys understood the right approach to this gig — it’s a do-no-harm position — and they pulled it .