Steve Pond's Blog, page 20

Emmys Déjà Vu: Another Big, Satisfying Surprise Ends the Awards Show

Another year at the Emmys, another last-minute surprise. Last year, it was “Hacks” beating defending champion “The Bear” after the FX show had set a new record for most wins in a single year by a comedy series.

This year, it was “The Pitt” sneaking in and winning the last two awards of the night to upset “Severance,” which had gone into the show with 27 nominations, more than double the total of its rival.

The two series had squared off at the beginning of the night, with “Severance” seemingly having the upper hand. “The Pitt” co-star Katherine LaNasa’s win over four different nominees from “The White Lotus” early in the show was the first sign of how strong “The Pitt” was with Emmy voters (though it may also have been a reminder of the perils of vote-splitting), and the enthusiasm in the room for her win was another good sign for the medical drama.

But a few minutes later, “Severance” star Tramell Tillman got an equally rapturous reception. And when Britt Lower followed by beating the heavily favored Kathy Bates (“Matlock”) for Best Actress in a Drama Series, it seemed that “Severance” was on a roll.

But that thorny sci-fi show, the subject of an on-stage joke about how impenetrable it can sometimes be, didn’t win again after those two acting awards. And “The Pitt” may have overcome the big lead “Severance” had in nominations by simply being more emotional and timelier, given its release in early 2025 as the Trump administration was making changes that would imperil healthcare for many people.

“The Pitt” always felt like more of an Emmy show in spite of the statistics that favored “Severance,” and it turned out to be more of an Emmy show.

Its win was part of an Emmy ceremony that felt different than other recent years, when Television Academy voters tended to dump a lot of awards on a few shows. They did that again this year to a degree, particularly in the limited series categories, but in the midst of showering a lot on a little, they also threw in some pretty big changes of pace. Even in the areas where you pretty much knew where you were going to end up – with “The Studio” and “Adolescence” winning the big comedy and limited series awards – you didn’t know exactly how you were going to get there or what detours you were going to take along the way. 

Owen Cooper wins Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Photo Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

That was a change from the last few Emmy programs, when it wasn’t unusual for all seven awards in a specific area to be divvied up between only two programs. Last year, “Hacks” and “The Bear” were the only comedy series to win on Emmy night; the year before, “Succession” and “The White Lotus” were the only two drama series to be honored.

If recent years have seen voters surgically targeting specific shows and showering them with awards, their spray pattern was much wider this year – and for the most part, it was very satisfying.

When the first five drama awards went to four different shows, with “Slow Horses” scoring a surprise win in the directing category and “Andor” following with a screenwriting victory, it almost seemed as if Emmy voters were actively trying to spread the love, which they seemed to have forgotten to do in the last five to 10 years.

On the comedy side, Jeff Hiller’s win for “Somebody Somewhere” was more of the same, with Harrison Ford or Ike Barinholtz seemingly poised to take that honor over the guy from a show that had been completely shut out by Emmy voters until its final season.  

But that only slightly derailed the victory march of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s “The Studio,” which went into the night having won nine awards at last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys ceremonies. Within the first hour of Sunday’s show, it had won two Emmys to tie the record set by “The Bear” last year for the most wins for a comedy show in a single year; 40 minutes later, it won a third to own the record outright.

James Weaver, Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen backstage at the Emmys (Getty Images)

In many ways, “The Studio” was made for the Emmys. It was funny but also visually bold with its use of long shots; and for people in the business, it was an insider’s delight, with a murderer’s row of luminaries playing themselves: Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Sarah Polley, Olivia Wilde… In a year in which 2023 winner “The Bear” seemed to have lost its mojo with voters, and 2024 winner “Hacks” didn’t have the heat it did when it upset “The Bear” last year, it was a clear favorite, even after “Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder finally won the supporting actress award after losing for the show’s first three seasons.

“Adolescence” was, if possible, even more of a lock. Released by Netflix in the same window as Emmy winner “Baby Reindeer” was last year, its story of a teenage boy accused of killing a female classmate was urgent and moving in a way that made it a frontrunner from the start. It won six of the seven limited-series awards handed out on Sunday – everything except Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, a category in which “Adolescence” did not enter anyone, which was won by Cristin Milioti for “The Penguin.”

The fact that Milioti’s co-star, Colin Farrell, lost the best-actor category to Stephen Graham was the ultimate sign of just how dominant “Adolescence” was.

Until “The Pitt” pulled off its eleventh-hour upset, the biggest suspense wasn’t what would win, it was whether host Nate Bargatze would have to donate any of the promised $100,000 to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, or whether speeches running past 45 seconds would wipe out the entire donation. (And then they did just that with a half hour to go, but there wasn’t even much suspense over whether Bargatze and the Television Academy would step in at the end of the night and make good on the entire $100,000 and then some.)

At first, that gimmick of Bargatze’s actually succeeded in cutting down on acceptance speeches in a way that other awards show’s constant reminders and occasional gimmicks haven’t, though it also hijacked that aspect of the show and robbed some of the speeches of some emotion.

But the final stretch of the show regained some of that heart, mostly because of the popularity of the big winners: first “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” then “Adolescence,” then “The Studio,” then Noah Wyle and “The Pitt.”

That’s a roster of Emmy recipients that was enormously popular inside the Peacock Theatre, and played well on TV, too. And at an Emmys that was notable for being different from recent shows, the flash of deja vu at the very end was a welcome capper to a good night.

The post Emmys Déjà Vu: Another Big, Satisfying Surprise Ends the Awards Show appeared first on TheWrap.

Alan Cumming Invites Donald Trump on ‘The Traitors,’ Says President Would Perfectly Fit Show’s Mold of Deception

“The Traitors” host Alan Cumming said President Donald Trump would perfectly fit the mold of deception needed to win the Emmy-winning Peacock competition show.

“I’m sure our president would be very good on the show … having a lot of chaos and sort of turmoil and treachery, so maybe he’d like to come on and be paid for that, probably better than he gets as president,” Cumming, who accepted the award for outstanding reality competition program on behalf of “The Traitors” at the 2025 Emmys, told press backstage when asked which celebrity he thinks would succeed at deception. “Let’s move on to the next question.”

Trump, however, won’t be among the next batch of celebrities competing in “The Traitors” Season 4, which include Michael Rappaport, Donna Kelce, Lisa Rinna and Dorinda Medley, all of whom were extensively researched by Cumming ahead of production this summer.

“I really SWAT up on who all the players are, because mostly, usually I don’t really know them, so I get a lot of material,” Cumming said, likening his preparation to “an assassin preparing for a hit.” “I learn everything I can about these people and their backgrounds.”

With “The Traitors” Season 4 already filmed, Cumming is gearing up to host the all-civilian version of the competition series for NBC, and he revealed he’s decided to tone down his style for that one.

“We’ve gone so crazy on this escalation of the style of the character of the host,” Cumming said. “We can bring it down and slightly reboot it a wee bit … I’m thinking that’s quite a good idea. Otherwise, I’d be, I don’t know, wearing a spaceship or something.”

The post Alan Cumming Invites Donald Trump on ‘The Traitors,’ Says President Would Perfectly Fit Show’s Mold of Deception appeared first on TheWrap.

Emmys Review: Speeding Up the Acceptance Speeches Came at a Too-High Cost

Nate Bargatze said before hosting the 77th annual Emmy Awards that he wanted to keep the show silly and fun. It was occasionally that thanks to an abundance of first-time winners, but its central device — trying to find a way to speed up the acceptance speeches — became a case study in unintended consequences, leaving much of the “fun,” and certainly most of the relevance, on the cutting-room floor.

Unfortunately, racing through the speeches came at too high a cost for the show itself, one that played out in uneven pacing and awkward moments strewn throughout.

Not that you can entirely blame the producers for trying something a little bit different. Unlike the Oscars, the Television Academy must adhere pretty rigidly to its three-hour broadcast window, which makes finishing on time more of a priority.

The gimmick to run a tighter ship sounded funny when Bargatze laid it out: The host announced a $100,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, which would rise or fall depending on how well people adhered to the 45-second limit on acceptance speeches.

It was at first blush inspired, hilarious and more than a little cruel, representing a novel twist on the whole “play-off music” issue that bigger stars tend to ignore.

Hollywood egos versus charity? Who would win?

In practice, though, even if it seemed likely the charity would be made whole before the night was over (as it was, to the tune of $350,000), the pressure to rush off winners robbed the show of much of its spontaneity, as the gag worked against Emmy recipients addressing issues that might resonate beyond the room.

The result was an initially fast-paced ceremony — until things ground to a halt in the final hour — but an otherwise bland affair, which, one suspects, is just the way the Television Academy wanted it.

The major outlier in that regard was “Hacks'” star Hannah Einbinder, who said she would “pay the difference” to the Boys & Girls Club and used her time to say “F–k ICE” (although that was mostly obscured by the censor’s button) and “Free Palestine,” to what sounded like a roar of approval from the crowd.

#Hacks star #HannahEinbinder accepts her first #Emmys win for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and says “Go Birds, f—ck ICE and free Palestine!” pic.twitter.com/eZJxwqtWr9

— TheWrap (@TheWrap) September 15, 2025

The show did derive intermittent emotion from an abundance of first-time winners, including “Severance’s” Britt Lower and Tramell Tillman, Seth Rogen (“The Studio”), Jeff Hiller (“Somebody Somewhere”), Stephen Graham and Erin Doherty (“Adolescence”), Cristin Milioti (“The Penguin”), and “The Pitt’s” Katherine LaNasa.

While the producers don’t control who wins, they benefited from the spectacle of seeing some lesser-known actors triumph in categories they shared with superstars, none bigger than an exuberant Hiller taking home supporting actor over Harrison Ford.

Granted, there were nice moments, such as Ray Romano and Brad Garrett riffing together near the end, or Owen Cooper, the 15-year-old star of “Adolescence,” getting his supporting-actor honor. But that was a speech to bask in, not one for watching the timer.

So while people discussed politics on the red carpet, the telecast felt largely stripped of meatier moments. And there was the disconnect of presenters taking all the time they wanted, then chasing off the winners who followed.

Hannah Einbinder accepts her Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. (Credit: Getty Images)

Even a few highlights that might have lent themselves to more pointed statements stayed in relatively benign territory. After opening with a standing ovation for Stephen Colbert, the outgoing CBS late-night host merely joked about his future employment prospects, handing a resume to Harrison Ford.

Later winning for “The Late Show,” Colbert delivered an emotional rallying cry for America, noting that his program had gone from one about love to loss. Notably, of the 26 competitive categories handed out Sunday, the two that went to broadcasters were both for late-night franchises (the other being “Saturday Night Live’s” 50th anniversary), while streaming claimed 21 of the statuettes.

Improbably, one of the few political statements came from TV Academy president Cris Abrego, who referenced the group’s pre-broadcast honor to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the need to champion inclusion and “keep telling stories” that will bring people together.

At the 77th #Emmys, TV Academy chairman Cris Abrego urged the industry to defend storytelling as a cultural force amid division and the defunding of institutions like the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

"Neutrality is not enough. We must be voices for connection, inclusion,… pic.twitter.com/L7SUaqJDkL

— TheWrap (@TheWrap) September 15, 2025

The last hour also saw the presentation of the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award to Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen for their philanthropic endeavors, allowing them time to offer a heartfelt speech that seemed more welcome juxtaposed with the hurried ones that preceded it.

As for the host, Bargatze had a relatively limited role beyond an opening sketch about the creation of television and servicing the acceptance-speech bit. His contribution turned out to be another victim of the idea that dominated the evening.

“What a night,” Bargatze muttered near the end.

It’s worth noting the Emmy ceremony rotates (for now) among the four major broadcast networks, but its TV-rights future after next year remains up in the air.

While poking fun at award shows on an awards show certainly has its place, appearing to make an award show aimed at people who dislike awards shows doesn’t. And in terms of fixing that, the TV Academy’s clock should start ticking now.

The post Emmys Review: Speeding Up the Acceptance Speeches Came at a Too-High Cost appeared first on TheWrap.

The Best and Worst Moments From the 2025 Emmys

It all went down at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards. Lots of wins, even more losses and many moments we just had to rate as either best or worst – from Stephen Colbert’s standing ovation to start the show to

This year’s show was hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze, who kept things moving along by donating $100,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of America and adding or subtracting $1,000 for every second a winner speech went under or over 45 seconds long.

Here are the best and worst moments from the 2025 Emmy Awards.

Stephen Colbert accepts the Outstanding Talk Series Award for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)Best: The Crowd Goes Wild For Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert was the first to present at the 77th Emmy Awards and was greeted with a standing ovation from the crowd. The reaction comes months after CBS announced that “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” was coming to an end in May 2026. The ovation was a clear sign which side the Hollywood players in the room stood on the decision.

Later in the show, “The Late Show” won the Emmy for Talk Series, and the award show audience erupted. Colbert gave a powerful speech about love and loss that capped with “I’ve never loved my country so desperately.”

Reba McEntire. Karen Fairchild, and Kimberly Schlapman (Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)Worst: ‘The Golden Girls’ Theme Performed Live

After host Nate Bargatze stressed – partly as a joke, partly to keep the show moving – that speeches over 45 seconds would remove a grand from a $100,000 donation to the Boys and Girls Club of America, there was still some time cut out for Reba McEntire, Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman to sing a bit of the “Golden Girls” theme song ensuring that the runtime would not be affected that much in the long run.

Jeff Hiller accepts the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series award for “Somebody Somewhere” (Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)Best: Jeff Hiller Wins Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Beating out Harrison Ford, Ike Barinholtz and Colman Domingo, Jeff Hiller took home the Emmy Award for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for his performance in “Somebody Somewhere.” Fellow nominees Bowen Yang and Michael Urie appeared shocked and elated for Hiller as Julianne Nicholson announced his name. Hiller thanked co-star Bridget Everett for “changing his life.”

Elizabeth Banks (Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)Worst: One Male Limited Series Director Beats 5 Female Nominees

Presenter Elizabeth Banks was rightfully excited that outstanding directing in a limited series had five female nominees to only one male nominee which had not happened at the awards show before. After all that talk — and a joke about the lone male director Philip Barantini being “The Oner” of the group — she quickly announced that Barantini won for his directing of “Adolescence.”

Barantini’s win is certainly well-deserved, but the lead up to the reveal was a tough look.

Jennifer Coolidge (Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)Worst: Winners Penalized for Talking More Than 45 Seconds While Presenters Rambled

Bargatze’s joke about knocking away money from a $100,000 donation to the Boys and Girls Club of America for every second beyond 45 seconds that Emmy winners went on their acceptance speech was a fun one. But when put into comparison with how long — and often cringey — the presenters got to go on maybe they should’ve been the ones with a timer.

Lorne Michaels (Credit: Monica Schipper/Getty Images)Best: Tina Fey Gives Lorne Michaels Emmy for “SNL” 50th Anniversary Special

It was a “Saturday Night Live” reunion as Tina Fey presented Lorne Michaels with the Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special for “SNL50: The Anniversary Special.” After joking that she may have been a biased choice to present the award, Fey fittingly handing the Emmy to Michaels was well worth it. The creator of the sketch series received a standing ovation as he accepted the award, honoring 50 seasons of “SNL”’s legacy. Cameras cut to “SNL” alums Steve Martin and Martin Short beaming at the producer.

Cristin Milioti accepts the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie award for “The Penguin” (Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)Best: Cristin Milioti’s Acceptance Speech

Cristin Milioti won the Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Limited Series and gave one of the best speeches of the night in a show where many felt rushed because of the donation add/subtract. Her love for her role in “The Penguin” and passion for acting in general was never more evident than in her ecstatic sign-off: “I love you and I love acting so much. WOOO!”

Britt Lower (Credit: Monica Schipper/Getty Images)Best: Britt Lower Snuck A ‘Severance’ Reference Onto Her Acceptance Speech Sheet

Britt Lower’s Innie snuck a secret message into her Emmy Award acceptance speech. As she accepted the award for lead actress in a drama series for her performance in “Severance,” there was a note on the back that read: “LET ME OUT.” The moment mirrored a scene in the Apple TV+ series in which Lower’s Innie spoke out against her father while posing as her Outie Helena Eagen. In the sci-fi workplace drama, Lower plays both Helly R. and Helena Eagan as her characters navigate the severed world of Lumon Industries.

Nate Bargatze and JB Smoove (Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)Worst: The Up and Down Donations to Boys and Girls Club of America

Bargatze’s bit about donating to the Boys and Girls Club was funny at first but it the 45 second clock otherwise donation number would go down clearly stressed the winners out. Even as the show went on and the number dropped and it became more clear that it was a bit that was going to end with money being donated well beyond $100,000 (and it did) it was still getting in the head of many during speechs.

Tack on to that it seemed to be the one joke of the entire show. Every one of Bargatze’s appearances throughout the show just referenced the money status. It got old fast and unfortunately lasted the entire ceremony.

The post The Best and Worst Moments From the 2025 Emmys appeared first on TheWrap.

‘The Pitt’ Beats ‘Severance’ for Best Drama in Emmys Upset

“Severance” wasn’t invincible after all.

Near the end of the 77th Emmy Awards, HBO Max’s “The Pitt” beat Dan Erickson and Ben Stiller’s Apple TV+ show for Outstanding Drama Series. Plenty of prognosticators had their money on “Severance,” whose second season debuted in January to stellar reviews and seemed unbeatable … until “The Pitt,” which premiered around the same time and started generating buzz in the late winter/spring.

TheWrap’s Steve Pond predicted this very outcome in one of his last Emmy columns of the season. Why? “Maybe because ‘The Pitt’ came on late in the eligibility period and seemed to seize real momentum heading into voting, particularly with voters who can embrace the old-school (but souped-up) charms of a medical series,” he wrote. “Statistics clearly say that ‘Severance’ will win, but this race feels a whole lot closer than stats suggest, so we’re going to predict an upset.”

Created by R. Scott Gemmill, who exec produces with fellow “ER” alum John Wells and series star Noah Wyle, “The Pitt” found a receptive audience for its first season right away. It continued to grow week after week, averaging 10 million viewers per each of its 15 episodes. The show, which is produced by John Wells Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, also debuted as one of the top five most-watched Max original series premieres ever.

“The Pitt” unfolds in real time over a grueling 15-hour shift in an under-funded and -staffed Pittsburgh hospital, and stars Wyle as Dr. Michael “Robby” Rabinovitch, a senior attending ER physician. The actor and EP has explained that the impetus for the show was to spotlight the frontline workers who risked their lives daily during the pandemic. For their part, the medical community gave “The Pitt” its stamp of approval, praising its realism and accuracy.

The success of “The Pitt” has led to a slew of reports about the state of prestige television and a potential swing back to more network-style storytelling (like “ER”) that was once the backbone of the industry.

Noah Wyle and Katherine LaNassa in “The Pitt” (HBO Max)

In addition to Outstanding Drama Series, “The Pitt” also won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Noah Wyle), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Katherine LaNasa), Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Shawn Hatosy) and Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series. “Severance,” too, won one lead, one supporting award and one guest acting award for Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman and Merritt Wever respectively, keeping the night thrilling to the end.

Last year, the big upset came in the Outstanding Comedy Series category, where HBO Max’s “Hacks” overcame FX’s “The Bear.” Meanwhile, the heavily favored drama frontrunner, FX’s “Shōgun,” walked away with the top prize, one of a record-setting 18 it took home for its first season.

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Britt Lower Sneaks ‘Severance’ Easter Egg Into Emmys Speech: ‘Let Me Out’

“Severance” star Britt Lower found an ingenious way to pay homage to the Apple TV+ series while accepting the award Sunday night for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series at the 2025 Emmys.

The Easter egg in question was spotted by eagle-eyed Emmys viewers, who noted online that Lower had scribbled three words in all caps on the back of the paper containing her acceptance speech. The three words? “LET ME OUT.”

Lower, notably, made no reference to the not-so-hidden message, but “Severance” fans have gotten used to looking for easy-to-miss details and clues.

pic.twitter.com/6J9QE94OeR

— best of helly r./helena eagan (@hellyrfiles) September 15, 2025

The message is, of course, a nod to “Severance” and specifically Lower’s “innie” character in the show, Helly R. Helly writes those same words on her arms during a memorable scene in “Severance” Season 1. Beyond that, Helly and her fellow “Severance” innies have spent the entire show demanding that they be let out of the labyrinthine Lumon Industries office floor where they all work.

Lower’s scribbled Emmys message, in other words, cheekily suggests that it was not Helly R. who accepted the Lead Actress Emmy Sunday night, but her “outie” self, Helena.

“It’s a privilege to even be mentioned alongside such an incredible group of artists,” Lower said during her speech, referencing her fellow Lead Actress nominees this year. “I share this award with my heroic cast and crew whose work catalyzes mine.”

“Thank you to my mom and my dad, my brother, my husband, our kids, our co-parents, our chosen family. I love you so much,” Lower added. “Thank you for this. And thank you [to] Helly R. for choosing me.”

“Severance” Season 2 netted the most Emmy nominations of any of this year’s nominated shows. In addition to Lower, her “Severance” co-star Tramell Tillman also took home the Emmy Sunday night for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

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From Hero to Zero: ‘The Bear’ Suffers Massive Drop in Emmy Wins in a Single Year

“The Bear” just broke an Emmys record. But probably not in the way the series’ creators would hope.

In 2024, the show took home 11 Emmys for its second season, becoming the winningest comedy series in a single year at the Television Academy awards. On Sunday, however, the show didn’t score a single Emmy. When combined with its shutout at the Creative Arts Emmys in early September, “The Bear” ends its 2025 season with a total of zero Emmy wins.

This gives it the biggest drop for a comedy series in a single year in Emmys history — and ties it with “The Crown” for the biggest drop for any series.

Why did the once adored FX series have such a precipitous fall from grace? There are a few reasons.

To begin with, “The Bear” had extremely limited competition for this negative record. The majority of shows that have won 10 Emmys or more are limited series or TV movies (beginning with “Angels in America” in 2004 and also including “John Adams,” “Chernobyl,” “Watchmen,” “The Queen’s Gambit” and “Behind the Candelabra”), which didn’t return the following year and thus couldn’t suffer a drop.

“Game of Thrones” was one of the only shows that could reasonably compete with “The Bear” in this arena. In 2015, the HBO series broke the record for the most wins in a single season for an ongoing program, scoring 12 Emmys for Season 5. The following year, “Game of Thrones” matched this total, bringing in 12 more Emmys for Season 6. After a year off, “Game of Thrones” returned in 2018 with a nine-Emmy haul (giving it a drop of only three awards from one season to the next). It then beat this total with 12 wins in 2019 for its final season.

Aside from “Game of Thrones” and “The Bear,” only three seasons of continuing series television have scored double-digit wins at the Emmys. In 2022, Season 1 of “The White Lotus” scored a 10-Emmy haul — though this happened in the limited series category, where its first season was classified. The following year, Season 2 was moved to the drama series categories and won half as many Emmys, five. In 2024, “Shōgun” shattered the Emmys record with 18 wins, but the show has yet to release a second season.

That leaves “The Crown,” which earned 11 Emmys out of 24 nominations for its fourth season in 2021. When the Netflix series returned to the Emmys in 2023, however, it went home empty-handed with only six noms, giving it a similar fall to “The Bear.” The show would return in 2024 for its final season, winning three times.

As for what made Emmy voters turn on “The Bear” so dramatically, it may be a combination of the fresher competition and the renewed discourse over whether the intense show even belongs in the comedy category.

At the moment, voters seem to be looking for comedy series that are first and foremost funny. Its worth noting that even during its record-breaking season, “The Bear” lost the top Emmy prize to “Hacks,” a show about the art and business of comedy that is packed with frequent and overt humor.

This year, it was Apple TV+’s “The Studio” that received the most voter love of any comedy. The show won 13 Emmys total, including Outstanding Comedy Series. The Hollywood send-up is unwaveringly committed to generating laughs, with Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and company filling each episode with wall-to-wall gags. It also boasts strong technical elements, using long takes and intricate sets to play up both the glamor and the mania of show biz. No wonder it’s the new champ.

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Stephen Colbert Warns to ‘Stay Strong’ in Emotional Emmys Speech: ‘I’ve Never Loved My Country So Desperately’

Stephen Colbert took the Emmys stage following “The Late Show’s” win for Outstanding Talk Series on Sunday night. His victory was one of the most celebrated of the evening, causing the crowd to erupt into chants of “Stephen.”

“Think of the children,” Colbert joked, nodding to host Nate Bargatze’s donation gimmick. He then opened up about what it was like to start his tenure on “The Late Show.”

“Ten years ago, in September of 2015, Spike Jonze stopped by my office and said, ‘Hey, what do you want this show to be about?'” Colbert said. “I said, ‘Spike, I don’t know how you could do it, but I would like to do a late night comedy show that was about love. I don’t know if I ever figured that out, but at a certain point — and you can guess what that point was — I realized that in some ways, we were doing a late night comedy show about loss.

“That’s related to love, because sometimes you only truly know how much you love something when you get a sense that you might be losing it,” Colbert continued. “Ten years later, in September of 2025, my friends, I have never loved my country more desperately. God bless America. Stay strong, be brave, and if the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy and put to the higher floor.”

Only three shows were nominated for the category this year: Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Though Colbert’s victory was deserved, it was one of the most bittersweet moments of the evening.

In July, CBS announced it would be ending “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” as well as the entire “Late Show” franchise in March of 2026. Though this cancellation came after Colbert criticized CBS’ parent company, Paramount Global, for settling with Donald Trump over his “60 Minutes” lawsuit, Paramount insisted the axing only happened for financial reasons. The cancellation has been widely criticized throughout Hollywood, especially among those in comedy.

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Phylicia Rashad Honors ‘The Cosby Show’ Co-Star Malcolm-Jamal Warner at 2025 Emmys: ‘Remains in Our Hearts’

Phylicia Rashad paid tribute to her “The Cosby Show” co-star Malcolm-Jamal Warner during the introduction to the 2025 Emmy Awards’ In Memoriam performance.

“He was a beloved teenager in an iconic television series who the world watched grow into manhood. Like all our friends and colleagues who transitioned this past year, Malcolm-Jamal Warner remains in our hearts,” she said.

“Tonight, as is tradition at the Emmys, we remember them not just for their immense talent, but also for the way the made us believe in something bigger, the best that is within us,” the actress continued. “Even though they may not longer be here with us, we can all smile, knowing their impact will remain, knowing that their lasting impressions will continue to live on through story, knowing that they touched our lives. And whether you grew up watching them, or have just now discovered their brilliance, their light remains in the very fabric of our industry.”

Her remarks come after Warner died in July at the age of 54 due to an accidental drowning while on a family vacation in Costa Rica.

Rashad and Warner portrayed mother and son Clair and Theo Huxtable on the NBC sitcom, which ran from 1984 to 1992.

His performance garnered him a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the 38th Primetime Emmy Awards. Warner also guest starred as Theo on “The Cosby Show” spin-off “A Different World.”

In addition to “The Cosby Show,” Warner’s other notable roles include Malcolm McGee on the Kansas City, Missouri-based buddy sitcom “Malcolm & Eddie,” Dr. Reed in the sitcom “Reed Between the Lines” Sticky in FX’s “Sons of Anarchy,” Al Cowlings on “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” and Dr. AJ Austin on “The Resident.”

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‘The Pitt’ Star Katherine LaNasa Says Nurse Dana Makes ‘Tired Old Working Women’ Feel Seen

Fresh off of her Emmys win, Katherine LaNasa applauded “The Pitt” for making “tired old working women” and medical professionals alike feel seen.

“I just felt so much love from the fans,” LaNasa told press just minutes after receiving her Emmy for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series for her portrayal of Nurse Dana on “The Pitt.” “I think a lot of tired old working women really feel seen now.”

LaNasa added that she hopes medical professionals also feel seen, noting that “The Pitt” and her performance in it and “all that [Dana] gives and endures” is a “love letter” to nurses and doctors, especially given her own cancer journey, about which she has previously been outspoken.

“Joining the role, even just the imaginary process of being present for someone else’s serious trauma, has really opened me up to, first of all, what healthcare workers are bearing for us all day, every day — people in the emergency department, which basically is only seeing trauma immediate things that mean immediately — but also mean more things that you don’t know what people are going through,” LaNasa said.

With LaNasa winning in the best supporting actress in a drama series categories against the likes of Carrie Coon and Patricia Arquette, the actress said her win stands for the longevity of her career, noting that an actor’s life is full of strategy.

“I love the acting, but the job of being an actor can be really difficult without getting the little recognition here and there,” she said.

LaNasa will reprise her role as Nurse Dana when “The Pitt” returns for its second season in 2026, a return that thrilled many fans after her character expressed doubt in returning to the Pittsburgh emergency room after a particularly traumatic day.

“The Pitt” Season 1 is now streaming on HBO Max.

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