TV Talk: ‘Watchmen,’ ‘Schitt’s Creek,’ ‘Succession’ dominate an enjoyably intimate Emmy telecast

The remotely-produced 72nd annual Emmy Awards promised to be an unusual, revised-for-the-pandemic affair and it miraculously came together with almost no technical glitches and enough novelty to freshen and loosen up the staid format.

Pop TV’s “Schitt’s Creek” had an unprecedented early winning streak, taking home more top awards in a single year than any other series (comedy or drama) in Emmy history. Its Sunday night wins included best comedy series, lead comedy actress (Catherine O’Hara), lead comedy actor (Eugene Levy), writing (Dan Levy), directing (Andrew Cividino and Dan Levy), supporting comedy actor (Dan Levy) and supporting comedy actress (Annie Murphy).

“The internet is about to turn on me,” Dan Levy said after the fifth (of seven) “Schitt’s Creek” wins. “I’m so sorry.”

HBO’s “Watchmen” scored multiple limited series wins for series, lead actress (Regina King, who encouraged voting), writing (Damon Lindelof, Cord Jefferson) and supporting actor (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). Executive producer Lindelof accepted the limited series trophy after hugging colleagues gathered and masked, saying, “We’re all tested, I swear,” before dedicating the award to the victims and survivors of the Tulsa Massacre of 1921 that’s depicted in the series: “The fires that destroyed Black Wall Street still burn today, the only way to put them out is if we all fight them together.”

Mark Ruffalo won for lead actor in a limited series for HBO’s “I Know This Much is True.”

Uzo Aduba won supporting actress for a limited series for FX on Hulu’s “Mrs. America.” She was watching in the same home as her mother and could be heard calling out “mommy” as the camera cut away after her acceptance speech.

Netflix limited series “Unorthodox” won for director (Maria Schrader) and VH1’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race” won for reality competition series.

In the drama category, HBO’s “Succession” took home trophies for best series, lead actor (Jeremy Strong), writing (Jesse Armstrong) and directing (Andrij Parekh).

Zendaya won lead actress in a drama for her role in HBO’s “Euphoria,” Billy Crudup won for supporting actor in Apple TV+’s “The Morning Show” and Julia Garner won for supporting actress in Netflix’s “Ozark.” (See a full list of winners here: variety.com/2020/tv/news/2020-emmy-winners-list-1234772271/)

As for the “Pandemmys” telecast itself, veteran Emmy host Jimmy Kimmel generally walked the tightrope of this unusual telecast pretty well, although it started a bit rough with a too-obvious gag.

Kimmel’s opening monologue appearance was spliced in with scenes from past Emmys featuring a live audience. It improved once Kimmel finally acknowledged it was an anything but normal Emmys, revealing an empty Staples Center with cardboard cutouts of stars in the seats — and a flesh and blood Jason Bateman.

“You can stay as long as you promise to laugh at my jokes,” Kimmel said.

“I’m out,” Bateman responded, standing to leave. “I’m gonna call a car. If I win, give it to [Don] Cheadle.”

Some presenters were at Los Angeles’ Staples Center with Kimmel – socially distanced – so that meant the show still had the requisite straining-to-be-funny banter between Kimmel and assorted presenters. Sterling K. Brown, pretending “This Is Us” had won when it hadn’t even been nominated, was the show’s near-finale, unfunny nadir.

But there were also entertainingly unpredictable live TV moments, as when Kimmel set an envelope on fire and Jennifer Aniston (“The Morning Show”) used a fire extinguisher to put it out, which took more than one spray.

In an inspired bit of gonzo humor, trophies were delivered either by a person in a hazmat suit or from a box sent to nominees that sprung open, spewed confetti and popped out an Emmy if they won.

Some pre-planned bits worked well, from a half-“Friends” reunion (Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow) to having essential workers (teacher, UPS driver, farmer/rancher) serve as presenters in some award categories, which at first seemed non-sequitur but ultimately proved a charming touch.

Even the In Memoriam segment was better than usual, featuring not just a photo of the departed celebrity but also images from the show the person was best known for.

As in any year, the best bits were the most unexpected, including supporting actress nominee Alex Borstein (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) fleetingly shown lounging on a bed on a rooftop just before Annie Murphy was announced as the category winner. The Emmys should have found a way to better showcase the nominees in their homes before the winners were announced since this was the most unique aspect of the telecast. It felt like an opportunity that was too often missed.

At least with the winners, we got a lengthier glimpse into their home lives. Producers sent kits to 130 nominees — tripod, ring light, laptop, camera, boom mic – so the nominees could capture their own reactions. (A few nominees, including Meryl Streep for “Big Little Lies,” apparently declined to participate.)

The telecast offered better pre-taped bits as the show went on. One reel featured celebrities saying what they did in quarantine, from Mindy Kaling’s nerve-soothing embroidery (“Help I’m going insane,” she sewed) to Bob Newhart’s deadpan declaration that he gave up skydiving and quit his alligator wrestling class.

Of local note, winners with Pittsburgh ties were fewer than in some years, with local links limited to the Creative Arts Emmys announced over the last week. Trent Reznor, a New Castle native who grew up in Mercer, and Nine Inch Nails collaborator Atticus Ross won their first Emmy for original dramatic score for a limited series (“Watchmen”).

Cherry Jones, a 1978 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama, won her third Emmy, this time for best guest actress in a drama series (“Succession”).

Partially Pittsburgh-set “This Is Us” claimed a guest actor in a drama Emmy for former series regular Ron Cephas Jones, who plays William.

Monroeville native Don Roy King won his 10th Emmy for his work directing NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”

ABC used the necessitated changes to this year’s telecast in advance promotions, promising, “All the stars and half the glamour,” which turned out to be pretty accurate. Some celebs wore comfy T-shirts while others were more dressed-up as they described the oddity of this year’s awards in Emmy pre-shows.

“I’m in my living room and my dog is snoring right off camera,” said “The Good Place” star and best supporting comedy actress nominee D’Arcy Carden on ABC’s pre-show livestream.

E!’s “Live from the Red Carpet” lost its announced hosts, Giuliana Rancic and Vivica A. Fox, after they both tested positive for covid-19 prior to the telecast. Brad Goreski and Nina Parker filled in, interviewing stars remotely.

The questions remained as groan-worthy as ever. Parker asked “Good Place” star William Jackson Harper, “Does it feel like you’re in a good place right now?”

“Watchmen” lead actress nominee Regina King sent E! a video clip of what haute couture she would have worn had there been an actual red carpet to walk. Instead she wore a jacket over a T-shirt featuring the image of Breonna Taylor, a Louisville, Ky., EMT killed in her home by police.

Supporting actor in a drama Emmy nominee Mark Duplass (“The Morning Show”) described his recycled tuxedo jacket over a pajama top as “from the exclusive Target Clark Griswold Christmas jammies collection.”

Local Emmys

In the Mid-Atlantic Regional Emmys, announced Saturday night in a virtual ceremony due to covid-19, WQED-TV won 12 trophies, the most of any outlet statewide, including awards for overall excellence, education/schools program feature (“The Hunger Lesson”), entertainment program special (“All the Marbles”), health science program feature (“The Air We Breathe”), health/science program (“The Long Shadow of Childhood Trauma”), historic/cultural program feature (“A Crowning Achievement”), historic/cultural program (“The Good Fight”), human interest program (“Homecoming: Sgt. Hamilton’s Long Journey”), talent reporter features (Beth Dolinar), societal concerns program (“Life After Hate” and “Ride to Rescue”) and community service (“Serving Time, Too”).

Other local TV station winners include:

- WPXI-TV won four trophies for morning newscast, evening newscast (5 p.m.), news anchor (Lisa Sylvester) and general assignment reporter (Mike Holden).

- KDKA-TV won four awards for feature news report series (“KDKA Mysteries”), business/consumer news feature (“Spies Among Us”), news special (“Remember. Repair. Together.”) and politics/government news story (“We’re Losing Facilities Like Dominoes”).

- WTAE won two regional Emmys for news excellence and team coverage (“Turnpike Bus Crash”).

- AT&T SportsNet took home two awards for live sports program (“Penguins Pregame Show”) and sporting event live (“Pirates Baseball”).

The Mid-Atlantic Emmys inducted two retired local TV reporters – KDKA’s Ralph Ianotti and WPXI’s Renee Wallace — into the Silver Circle Society, which recognizes significant contributions by individuals in the industry for 25 years or more.

For a complete list of winners, visit natasmid-atlantic.org/2020-mid-atlantic-emmy-recipients.