EMMYS DELIVER RECORD BREAKERS AND THE ULTIMATE QUESTION - SHOULD ‘THE BEAR' MOVE TO DRAMA AFTER LOSING COMEDY SERIES?
Does anyone remember when the first season of "Arrested Development" beat out the final season of "Sex and the City" at the Emmys? Or the iconic moment when "Moonlight" snatched the Oscar for best picture from "La La Land" after a historic mix-up? Awards shows are no stranger to stunning upsets, and this year, FX's "The Bear" finds itself among the ranks of notable jaw-dropping moments, losing the Emmy for outstanding comedy series to HBO/Max's "Hacks."
Despite its loss in the top category, "The Bear" shattered the all-time comedy series record with 11 wins, a monumental feat that only makes its three losses - each to "Hacks" - in lead comedy actress, writing, and, of course, the big prize, feel all the more jarring.
I could never have imagined a show that won five acting Emmys - tied for the most in history with "The Crown," which won drama series in 2020 - losing the big one in the end.
After months of debate about whether "The Bear" even qualifies as a comedy - an issue that Emmy hosts Dan and Eugene Levy couldn't resist joking about - this loss raises the question: Is it time for "The Bear" to switch to the drama categories?
Don't call it an identity crisis; let's just look at it for what it is. Let's address the fundamental question: Would "The Bear" have stood a better chance had it competed in the drama categories, possibly going head-to-head with its network counterpart "Shōgun?"
At its core, "The Bear" is a 30-minute show, a format traditionally associated with sitcoms and light-hearted fare. But its gritty exploration of anxiety, grief, and trauma often pushes it closer to the realm of intense drama. And let's not forget, it's also in English. So, could it hold its own in the dramatic field? Considering the depth of storytelling, I'd argue yes.
Take "Shōgun," a sweeping, visually stunning narrative set in feudal Japan. It's a powerhouse, no doubt, but as we've seen with non-English-language series like "Squid Game," the most-watched Netflix series of all time, even groundbreaking international hits can struggle to clinch top prizes. "Squid Game" couldn't surpass the third (and weakest) season of HBO's "Succession" at the 2022 Emmys, where the show nabbed only four of its 25 nominations. Hollywood's hesitance to fully embrace non-English programming remains a barrier, but that seems to have fallen this year. But let's be honest, the field it beat didn't precisely excite most industry members and voters. The Hollywood strikes made it easier for "Shōgun" to switch from limited to drama. Nonetheless, in that sense, "The Bear," with its universal themes and English-language format, could have been a more viable contender.
The distinction between comedy and drama at the Emmys has grown increasingly murky. In 2015, the Television Academy implemented a rule that automatically classified any show shorter than 30 minutes as a comedy, while longer shows were slotted into drama. However, in 2021, this rigid classification system was abandoned, allowing shows to choose their categories regardless of runtime.
This shift has opened up a broader conversation about what defines a "comedy" in today's TV landscape. Shows like "The Bear" and past nominees like "Barry" and "Orange is the New Black" toe the line between both genres, blending humor with darker, more dramatic narratives.
The question, then, isn't just about whether "The Bear" should compete in drama - it's about whether the lines separating the two categories still make sense. For now, the Emmy voters seem to have decided, at least for this year, that "The Bear" doesn't fit their definition of comedy enough to beat a more traditionally structured show like "Hacks." With only three wins, "Hacks" has the lowest-winning tally of a comedy winner since Season 5 of "Modern Family" in 2014, its fifth consecutive win. I guess comedy is now funny again.
As we look toward the 2025 Emmys, plenty of speculation surrounds where "The Bear" will fit in, especially with mixed reviews already surfacing for the already-aired third season. Will it continue to play in the comedy field, or should it finally embrace its darker, more dramatic identity?
While the loss in the top category may have stolen headlines, the night wasn't without significant milestones.
Veteran Puerto Rican actor Liza Colón-Zayas made history as the first Latina to win supporting comedy actress for her moving portrayal of Tina Marrero in "The Bear." She joined a small but growing group of Latina nominees in this category, following Sofia Vergara for "Modern Family" and Rosie Perez for "The Flight Attendant." And considering what she achieves for Season 3, maybe this is only her first trip to the stage.
Her victory was met with enthusiastic support from the Latino community. While presenting Cris Abrego, the first Latino Chair of the Television Academy, actor, producer and comedian John Leguizamo took the opportunity to shout out all the Latino nominees in the room, including Selena Gomez, Nava Mau and Issa López. Leguizamo also used his platform to address the longstanding issue of Latino underrepresentation in Hollywood, quipping, "Everybody played us, except us." For those advocating for increased Latino visibility, it was one of the evening's most powerful moments.
On the drama side, "Shōgun" made Emmy history with 18 wins, cementing its status as the most-awarded series in Emmy history. Hiroyuki Sanada became only the second Asian actor to win lead drama actor for his portrayal of Lord Yoshii Toranaga, in addition to being the first to win two statuettes, which also included outstanding drama series as a producer, in the same year. His co-star Anna Sawai became the first Asian perforer to win lead drama actress for her heartbreaking turn as Toda Mariko.
Twenty-three years after James Earl Jones made history as the first Black actor to win supporting actor (limited) for his turn in "Heat Wave," Lamorne Morris became the fifth to take home the prize for his performance as North Dakota Deputy Whitley Farr on "Fargo."
Meanwhile, in the limited series categories, Richard Gadd swept his three nominations for "Baby Reindeer," winning for producing, writing, and acting - marking the first time someone has won an acting Emmy for a show they wrote in this category.
FX Networks emerged as the night's biggest winner, securing more statuettes than any other network for the first time in history. Notably, it's the first time in over 15 years that neither HBO nor Netflix topped the studio leaderboard.
As an awards analyst, I always look for patterns - some overarching narrative that ties the evening's winners together. Usually, there's a straightforward story being told by the collective choices of the Television Academy voters. But this year? The message is less overt. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this year's ceremony is that, despite the predictions, the Emmys can still surprise us.
And isn't that what makes awards shows so fun in the first place?