Did you miss not only the Emmys yesterday, but most of the best television of the last year? Alex Casey breaks down the big winners and where to find them.
If there was a theme for the 75th primetime Emmy awards, it was time travel. The 2023 Emmy awards took place in 2024, recognising some of the finest shows of 2022. Trevor Noah accepted an award for The Daily Show, despite having not hosted the show for over a year, Meredith Grey, Alex Karev and Izzy Stephens reunited in a Seattle Grace ward for the first time in 15 years, and the cast of Cheers partied at the bar like it was 1982. But who really cares what years are, or what time is, when you’ve got this much good TV still to catch up on?
Here are the big winners of the night, and where you can watch them in New Zealand.
The Bear
What: The Bear tore up the comedy tent and ate all the scroggin in sight. The anxiety-oozing ghost train through the horrors of hospitality in the post pandemic era won best comedy series, and creator Christopher Storer won for both best writing and directing in a comedy series. In a cruel twist of irony, he was in not in attendance due to having Covid-19. Jeremy Allen White accepted best lead actor in a comedy in an appropriate chef white tuxedo jacket, and his co-stars Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Ayo Edebiri both won for their supporting roles.
Where: The Bear is available here on Disney+ (warning: you’ll need some deep breathing techniques for S01E07 and S02E06).
Beef
What: If The Bear ate all the scroggin, then Beef made absolute jerky out of the limited series or anthology category. If you missed it last year, what begins as a road rage comedy quickly unravels into a “deliciously subversive” existential thriller about identity, mortality and “muddled humanity”. Creator Lee Sung Jin won for both writing and direction of a limited series, and saved his biggest thanks for his three dogs. Stars Ali Wong and Steven Yeun (who also took out a Golden Globe earlier in the month) also won Emmys for their performances, with Wong’s historic win representing the first time a woman of Asian descent has won the category.
Where: Season one of Beef is available here on Netflix (speaking of time travel, get ready for the best angsty 90s/2000s soundtrack you’ll ever hear in a series, limited or otherwise).
Succession
What: The best series about rich white folks arguing about who will get a kiss from Daddy ended last year, and unsurprisingly got nearly a full suite of smooches in the drama categories (sidenote: there’s been years of debate about what genres and categories even mean any more which you can read about here, here and here, and then cleanse with this video of Brian Cox singing ‘Wannabe’). Succession won best drama series, best directing and writing for a drama series, best lead actress in a drama series (Sarah Snook), best lead actor in a drama series (Kieran Culkin) and best supporting actor in a drama series (Matthew McFayden). Well-deserved kisses from Daddy Emmy for all.
Where: The full series is available here on Neon (make sure you pop the champagne for the loved-up nuptials of S04E03).
Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium
What: Sir Elton John became the latest member of the elite EGOT club (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) after winning an Emmy for his special Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium. Described as a “full circle moment”, the special sees John return to the venue that hosted his career-defining 1975 shows in the final North American stop on his ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour. We’d normally say something here about how he’s still standing after all these years, but John was unable to accept the award due to a recent knee surgery (he’s fine).
Where: Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium is available here on Disney+.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
What: Given that he made such a big deal out of our most important award ceremony of the year, it is only right that we return the favour. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver took home Emmy awards for best scripted variety series and writing for a variety series. Another “interesting” category controversy if you are into that sort of thing – until last year Last Week Tonight ran in the talk series category but the Television Academy deemed the series “too scripted” by comparison to the looser yarnage of Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert etc. Regardless of what category he won, John Oliver did not thank the Pūteketeke in his acceptance speech.
Where: Seasons 8-10 of Last Week Tonight are available here on Neon.
Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
What: This weirdly-named and extremely controversial serial killer series was derided by the families of Dahmer’s victims, needs mentioning because of Niecy Nash-Betts’ performance and acceptance speech for best actress in a limited series. She thanked producers, platforms, partners, but then went in a new direction. “I want to thank me – for believing in me and doing what they said I could not do. And I want to say to myself in front of all you beautiful people, ‘Go on girl with your bad self. You did that.'” Nash-Betts then acknowledged “every Black and brown woman who has gone unheard, yet overpoliced.” Easily the speech of the night.
Where: Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is available here on Netflix.
The White Lotus
What: Easily the third best thing Mike White has ever done (1. Writing School of Rock 2. Runner-up on Survivor), dark social satire The White Lotus feels like it came out roughly one hundred thousand years ago. Still, it is always good to see an impassioned acceptance speech from Jennifer Coolidge, who won for best supporting actress in a drama series (see again: genre and category debate). Coolidge immediately placed her Emmy on the ground citing strength issues, and went on to thank “all the evil gays” to rapturous applause.
Where: S1 and S2 of The White Lotus are available here on Neon.