THE FIVE BEST MOMENTS AT THE EMMYS 2017

Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, and Jane Fonda at the Emmys 2017

1. When things got political

As has been the case with any major Hollywood event lately, things got political at the Emmys this year. It wasn’t a big surprise when Stephen Colbert spoke of President Donald Trump in his opening monologue itself. He brought up the fact that Trump has never won an Emmy, even though he was nominated for several, back when he was a reality show host. Colbert even went on to scold the Academy members, a lot of whom were in the audience, saying that if they had given Trump an Emmy, he maybe wouldn’t have thought of running for president. His rant eventually ended with the declaration that unlike the US presidency, Emmys usually go to those who actually win the popular vote.

          When Julia Louis-Dreyfus went up to accept her sixth Emmy for VEEP, she mentioned that they dropped the idea of doing an impeachment storyline, concerned that someone else would beat them to it. It clearly indicated hopefulness towards the impeachment of the actual president.

          However, the strongest lashing-out at the president was by Dolly Parton, and GRACE AND FRANKIE stars, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, the trio who presented together, as a reunion of their 1980 film, 9 To 5. Fonda stated, “Back in 1980, in that movie, we refused to be controlled by a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot.” And then Tomlin added, “And in 2017, we still refuse to be controlled by a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot.”

2. When Alec Baldwin put the importance of film and television in fresh and true perspective

When accepting his Emmy for supporting actor in a comedy series, for SNL, he said, “…I always remember what someone told me, that is when you die, you don't remember a bill that Congress passed or a decision the Supreme Court made or an address made by the president. You remember a song. You remember a line from a movie. You remember a play. You remember a book, a painting, a poem. What we do is important. And for all of you out there in motion pictures and television, don't stop doing what you’re doing. The audience is counting on you.”

3. When Ann Dowd reacted to her surprising win for THE HANDMAID’S TALE

It was the most surprising win of the evening—probably the only one in a largely predictable Emmys night—but it wasn’t undeserving. Ann Dowd delivered a scary, yet moving and conflicted performance as Aunt Lydia, the ‘mother superior’ to the handmaids. She was probably more surprised than anyone by the announcement, having never won an Emmy before, throughout her three-decade-long career. Her speech was heartfelt, tearful, and touching. “I have been acting for a long time and that this should happen now, I don't have the words. So I thank you," she said. It made me feel really happy for her, and for it, she deserved that Emmy even more.

4. When Sterling K. Brown said he was honored to win in the lead actor category

His speech had to be cut short, and he was played off, while the microphone was muted. He protested, it got awkward, but the crowd gave him a huge cheer anyway. But before that, he said that prior to any of the awards stuff, he was a fan of his fellow nominees. He went on to express how huge it was for him to have won what ‘Walter White’ and ‘Dick Whitman’ had won, referring to greats like Bryan Cranston and Jon Hamm, who won Emmys in the same category for their roles in BREAKING BAD and MAD MEN, respectively. After looking up to two of the most iconic, game-changing series of our times, he went back 19 years when ‘Detective Frank Pembleton’ won in this category, noting that it’s been 19 years since an African American won an Emmy outstanding lead actor. It was Andre Braugher in 1998, for his role as ‘Detective Frank Pembleton’ in HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREETS. Brown added that he was honored to follow in Braugher’s footsteps.

(Left) Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon;
(right) Elisabeth Moss

5. When women emerged as the biggest winners

All three outstanding series—VEEP, BIG LITTLE LIES, and THE HANDMAID’S TALE—turned out to be those with women as their hardcore protagonists. And lead actresses from all three series won as well. It was refreshing to see female-led shows dominating the overall awards for a change.

Reese Witherspoon, as a producer of BIG LITTLE LIES, while accepting the Emmy for outstanding limited series, expressed it well. "It’s been an incredible year for women in television, can I just say? Bringing women to the front of their own stories and making them the hero of their own stories, and thank you for that opportunity and for audiences to wrap their arms around us,” she stated. To that, Nicole Kidman, also a producer (and winner, lead actress limited series/TV movie) added, “And this is a friendship that then created opportunities. It created opportunities out of a frustration because we weren’t getting offered great roles.” With that honesty, she concluded, saying, “So, now, more great roles for women, please. Thank you.”

          Elisabeth Moss, on winning for THE HANDMAID’S TALE, thanked Margaret Atwood, the author of the book that the series is based on, and she also thanked another woman who inspires her—her mother. Looking at her mother, she said, “You are brave, and strong, and smart, and you’ve taught me that you can be kind, and a fucking badass!”

See here a complete list of winners at the 69th Emmy Awards:

Outstanding Drama Series

BETTER CALL SAUL

THE CROWN

THE HANDMAID’S TALE

HOUSE OF CARDS

STRANGER THINGS

THIS IS US

WESTWORLD

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

Viola Davis, HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER

Claire Foy, THE CROWN

Elisabeth Moss, THE HANDMAID’S TALE

Keri Russell, THE AMERICANS

Evan Rachel Wood, WESTWORLD

Robin Wright, HOUSE OF CARDS

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series

Sterling K. Brown, THIS IS US

Anthony Hopkins, WESTWORLD

Bob Odenkirk, BETTER CALL SAUL

Matthew Rhys, THE AMERICANS

Liev Schreiber, RAY DONOVAN

Kevin Spacey, HOUSE OF CARDS

Milo Ventimiglia, THIS IS US

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama

Uzo Aduba, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

Millie Bobby Brown, STRANGER THINGS

Ann Dowd, THE HANDMAID’S TALE

Chrissy Metz, THIS IS US

Thandie Newton, WESTWORLD

Samira Wiley, THE HANDMAID’S TALE

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series

Jonathan Banks, BETTER CALL SAUL

Ron Cephas Jones, THIS IS US

David Harbour, STRANGER THINGS

Michael Kelly, HOUSE OF CARDS

John Lithgow, THE CROWN

Mandy Patinkin, HOMELAND

Jeffrey Wright, WESTWORLD

Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series

The Duffer Brothers, STRANGER THINGS

Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan, WESTWORLD

Peter Morgan, THE CROWN

Bruce Miller, THE HANDMAID'S TALE

Gordon Smith, BETTER CALL SAUL

Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields, THE AMERICANS

Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series

Stephen Daldry, THE CROWN

Kate Dennis, THE HANDMAID'S TALE

The Duffer Brothers, STRANGER THINGS

Vince Gilligan, BETTER CALL SAUL

Lesli Linka Glatter, HOMELAND

Reed Morano, THE HANDMAID'S TALE

Jonathan Nolan, WESTWORLD

Outstanding Comedy Series

ATLANTA

BLACK-ISH

MASTER OF NONE

MODERN FAMILY

SILICON VALLEY

UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT

VEEP

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

Pamela Adlon, BETTER THINGS

Jane Fonda, GRACE AND FRANKIE

Allison Janney, MOM

Ellie Kemper, UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, VEEP

Tracee Ellis Ross, BLACK-ISH

Lily Tomlin, GRACE AND FRANKIE

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

Anthony Anderson, BLACK-ISH

Aziz Ansari, MASTER OF NONE

Zach Galifianakis, BASKETS

Donald Glover, ATLANTA

William H. Macy, SHAMELESS

Jeffrey Tambor, TRANSPARENT

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series

Vanessa Bayer, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

Anna Chlumsky, VEEP

Kathryn Hahn, TRANSPARENT

Leslie Jones, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

Judith Light, TRANSPARENT

Kate McKinnon, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series

Louie Anderson, BASKETS

Alec Baldwin, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

Tituss Burgess, UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT

Ty Burrell, MODERN FAMILY

Tony Hale, VEEP

Matt Walsh, VEEP

Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series

Aziz Ansari and Lena Waithe, MASTER OF NONE

Alec Berg, SILICON VALLEY

Donald Glover, ATLANTA

Stephen Glover, ATLANTA

Billy Kimball, VEEP

David Mandel, VEEP

Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series

Jamie Babbit, SILICON VALLEY

Donald Glover, ATLANTA

Mike Judge, SILICON VALLEY

David Mandel, VEEP

Morgan Sackett, VEEP

Dale Stern, VEEP

Outstanding Limited Series

BIG LITTLE LIES

FARGO

FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN

GENIUS

THE NIGHT OF

Outstanding TV Movie

BLACK MIRROR: SAN JUNIPERO

DOLLY PARTON’S CHRISTMAS OF MANY COLORS: CIRCLE OF LOVE

THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS

SHERLOCK: THE LYING DETECTIVE

THE WIZARD OF LIES

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Series Or TV Movie

Carrie Coon, FARGO

Felicity Huffman, AMERICAN CRIME

Nicole Kidman, BIG LITTLE LIES

Jessica Lange, FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN

Susan Sarandon, FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN

Reese Witherspoon, BIG LITTLE LIES

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Series Or TV Movie

Riz Ahmed, THE NIGHT OF

Benedict Cumberbatch, SHERLOCK: THE LYING DETECTIVE

Robert DeNiro, THE WIZARD OF LIES

Ewan McGregor, FARGO

Geoffrey Rush, GENIUS

John Turturro, THE NIGHT OF

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited Series Or TV Movie

Judy Davis, FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN

Laura Dern, BIG LITTLE LIES

Jackie Hoffman, FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN

Regina King, AMERICAN CRIME

Michelle Pfeiffer, THE WIZARD OF LIES

Shailene Woodley, BIG LITTLE LIES

Best Supporting Actor In A Limited Series Or TV Movie

Bill Camp, THE NIGHT OF

Alfred Molina, FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN

Alexander Skarsgård, BIG LITTLE LIES

David Thewlis, FARGO

Stanley Tucci, FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN

Michael K. Williams, THE NIGHT OF

Outstanding Variety Talk Series

FULL FRONTAL WITH SAMANTHA BEE

JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!

LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER

THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH JAMES CORDEN

THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT

REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program

THE AMAZING RACE

AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR

PROJECT RUNWAY

RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE

TOP CHEF

THE VOICE