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| Amazon's Transparent scooped up some big awards on Emmy night |
But for me, this year is the year the Emmys changed. Not just because old favorites (Breaking Bad) finally stepped down, but because the voting rules changed, the way we all watched TV changed and the tenor of our times changed.
Maybe like most things, the change has been happening incrementally, and I just finally saw it this year, but I did see it this year, in big ways.
Jill Soloway won for Best Directing, Comedy (for Transparent) and accepted her directing award in a pantsuit. All of that was and is landmark to me. Her show is landmark to me. Jeffrey Tambor (who never won for the fantastic Arrested Development, which changed comedy as we know it) was now onstage, accepting for Best Actor in a Comedy for playing the trans parent of the title.
Lisa Cholodenko, another amazing woman, won for directing Olive Kitteridge.
Viola Davis, when she stepped up to accept her landmark Best Actress award for Drama, spoke about the change that is happening. Jeffrey Tambor thanked those who "allowed him to be part of the change." Change which is so desperately needed in our country, is actually happening in our art.
The (dreadful and juvenile) host, Andy Samberg, alluded to it in his opening number, in which he locked himself into a bunker for a year so he could watch every show, and get caught up. It was meant to be funny, but it's truer this year than ever before. I gave up even trying. I used to be able to corral off a few dozen select shows, watch every episode of them, and feel pretty confident that I was prepared come Emmy time. This year, I just gave up.
Transparent, which this year gave Veep a good run for its money for Best Comedy Series, is on Amazon. Many shows are on cable. Some are on Netflix. Few, actually, are on regular network TV. And you could just feel that everywhere. It just wasn't same old, same old at the Emmys.
I mean, sure, some people (some from Veep, Allison Janney) who always win won again. But there's recent winner Kyle Chandler (from Friday Night Lights, which had its own torturous path of where to watch it), now a nominated actor from Bloodline (a Netflix series).
It's all kind of mind-blowing.
I'm just glad that Jon Hamm FINALLY won. But he didn't even thank Bryan Cranston.
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THE FABULOUS
All the wins for Transparent, especially Jill Soloway's win
Jon FRIKKIN Hamm FINALLY wins
Peter Dinklage again!!
Inside Amy Schumer wins for Variety Sketch Series
Uzo Aduba wins for Best Supporting Actress for a Drama
THE GREAT
Allison Janney again
Allison Janney's amazing dress!
Allison Janney giving a shoutout to recovery, and that "there is hope"
Padma Latchmi, on the red carpet, when asked her beauty secrets, said: "Happiness and good friends."
Veep finally winning for Comedy Series
Game of Thrones finally winning for Drama Series
Regina King wins for American Crime
Viola Davis wins for Best Actress
Frances McDormand wins for Olive Kitteridge
Richard Jenkins wins for the same
Tracey Morgan returns to give the final award
THE AWESOME
Amy Poehler and Ricky Gervais, both knowing they were going to lose, at least making a bit out of it
THE WHATEVER
The Voice beats Dancing with the Stars. Really?
Bill Murray wins but isn't there to accept
MAKING US SAD
Jon Stewart and The Daily Show, maybe winning for the last time
NOT MAKING US SAD
The In Memoriam segment using AGAIN "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Ugh.
THE WTF????
Andy Samberg. Ugh. Hated everything about him as host.
Jimmy Kimmel's nonsense about cutting up the winner's card and eating it. Ugh.
The voiceover says that this category "will have a new winner," then awards the same person who won last year (although the show was in the Comedy category then)
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