Emmys: HBO battle and Netflix, while Amazon brings more heat to broadcast

A few years ago, as cable began to dominate the Emmy Awards, broadcast network executives were in the habit of complaining that broadcasts had become the Cable ACE Awards. The joke must be updated: Monday night, the Emmys continued their metamorphosis into the Streamy Awards.

For the first time ever, a streaming service was rewarded for winning the most Emmys in a year of awards: Netflix, which ultimately competed with HBO, each with 23 wins. (And it should be noted that HBO is accessible to non-cable subscribers via its HBO Now streaming service, which means that many consumers are consuming the best winners online this year.)

Meanwhile, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel 'from Amazon has been named an outstanding comedy series, marking the first time a streaming series has won this award. "Maisel" won five awards Monday, the largest number of series during the broadcast on Primetime Emmys.

The draw for Netflix came after winning the highest number of nominations for the first time – 112, against 108 for HBO. Last year, HBO led all winners with 29 Emmys followed by Netflix with 20.

The battle between HBO and Netflix – which both sides have publicly defeated, but which is nevertheless the source of many peaches during the Emmy season – is partly the result of the two channels' volume strategy. HBO does not produce nearly as many series as Netflix, but competes strategically in many key categories such as limited series and variety / discussion, in addition to drama and comedy. Netflix spends more than $ 13 billion on programming and its originals span the gamut.

Earlier this summer, FX Networks CEO John Landgraf – who had a great evening – nevertheless expressed the hope that he will produce a wider variety of programs in the coming years to remain competitive with HBO and Netflix.

"When you look at the fact that HBO is still very much appreciated and that it produces a lot of good TV results, I think even being a premium brand to compete with HBO, we'll have to do more," he said. he tells IndieWire. "In the end, I can not decide if we will do more because I do not write the checks. But if you ask me where I think FX should go, we should continue to do what we do well and invest in "best-in-class" programming. And to be a "best-in-class" brand, we need to do a little more and be in more genres.

Netflix seemed to want to finish the night as a network leader, until HBO's "Game of Thrones" won a last-minute victory for the outstanding drama series. "Thrones" was considered a favorite, as was Hulu's "The Handmaid's Tale". But while the Emmy telecast was progressing, neither "Thrones" nor "Handmaid's Tale" dominated in the game, no matter who.

These are not all roses for streamers, however: Hulu, who made the story last year with "The Handmaid's Tale," won the first dramatic drama series Emmy for a streaming platform. ceremony. That makes things even more disappointing for Hulu: The streamer, which is probably counting on victories on Monday night, used Emmy TV to launch a new advertising campaign centered on the slogan "Better Ruins Everything".

Other streaming services were even more disappointed: YouTube, for example, did not receive any nominations or major wins this year.

Overall, the network's richness extended a little more this year: behind HBO and Netflix was NBC, which won 16, against 15 last year, making it once again the best winner of the broadcast network . And FX Networks scored 12 points in total, doubling its total of six last year.

ABC, on the other hand, avoids being completely whitewashed at the Emmys, winning a unique trophy for the Oscars. CBS did not win any Monday, but won two at Creative Arts Emmys. For two broadcast networks that once dominated the Emmy Awards, it continues its long fall. (It also makes it a little disconcerting that broadcast networks continue to renew their agreement with the TV Academy to broadcast the Emmy.)

As has been the case in recent years, NBC's transportation has been achieved largely thanks to "Saturday Night Live". The series latenight won its 72nd Emmy, once again winning an exceptional series of skits. It's also Emmy's 16th win for producer Lorne Michaels.

Several premieres were also seen this year on the Microsoft Theater scene: Amy Sherman-Palladino's two consecutive victories for outstanding drama and exceptional comic staging – in both cases for the pilot of "The Wonderfull Mrs. Maisel "- were first for a woman.

Sherman-Palladino won the most Emmy Awards this year, winning four awards: as a director, executive producer, music supervisor and writer.

Meanwhile, "RuPaul's Drag Race" has been a breakthrough as a series of exceptional reality competitions, becoming just the fourth winner of its 15-year history. Before this year, only three shows had won: "The Amazing Race" (10 times), "The Voice" (four times) and "Top Chef" (once). And in the 10 years since the creation of the Outstanding Animator category for a Reality or Reality-Competition series, no show has ever been presented in the same year – until this year. At the Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony the previous week, host RuPaul Charles won his third consecutive Emmy for an outstanding host.

With its winning drama series, "Game of Thrones" was the most awarded Emmy award this year, with nine in total. "Saturday Night Live" and "Marvelous Mrs. Maisel "were tied for second, then FX" The assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story ", with seven.

Netflix's account was split between "The Crown," "USS Callister (Black Mirror)," "Godless," "Queer Eye," and "GLOW," while, besides "Thrones," HBO included "Last week with John Oliver "," Westworld "and" Barry ".

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