After 40 years in the business, Channel Seven host Larry Emdur won the Gold Logie for most popular performer on television on Sunday night. Then, he proceeded to address the elephant in the room. “You know my own kids, they’re 30 and 28, and they haven’t watched free to air in 15 years,” joked Emdur.
It was a throwaway line in a classy speech that saw Emdur reflecting on his career and thanking his family. But they say the best jokes contain a hint of truth, and his gag pierced right to the heart of the matter. Felix Cameron and the Boy Swallows Universe cast stole the show at the Logies.
Credit: Getty Images for TV WEEK Logie Awards Traditionally a celebration of free-to-air TV and its associated personalities, the Logies have struggled in recent years to reconcile their past while staying in touch with the present. Audiences have moved away from scheduled programming in favour of watching whatever they want, whenever they want – the rise of streaming coinciding with a dip in the relevancy of free-to-air TV. On Sunday night, this clash came home to roost as Emdur won the top prize, but Boy Swallows Universe and its charismatic teenage lead, Felix Cameron, undeniably won the evening.
The Netflix series based on Trent Dalton’s semi-autobiographical novel scooped five “best” awards, more than any other show and any network except the ABC. Author Trent Dalton with actors Felix Cameron and Lee Tiger Halley. Credit: Getty Images This year, the Logies looked to move.