Sakshi Venkatraman
US reporter
Image source, Fabio Lovino/ HBOWarning, there’s some spoilers ahead.
Set against the backdrop of a beautiful resort in Thailand, this season of White Lotus was less about action and more about gradual mental undoing’s.
There were no rich ladies falling to their death from a yacht or brutal stabbings, but watching Jason Isaacs’ character have a several-episode mental breakdown had me stressed.
This emotional rollercoaster of a season was rife with the whispered trash talk and subtle jabs of a girls trip, the self-hatred of a shady man with major daddy issues, and a set of entitled, borderline-incestuous siblings.
The writing was understated and full of red herrings, and the entire internet was convinced the final killer was a monkey with a gun.
There were so many standout performances, especially by Isaacs, Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood (who played the world’s most patient girlfriend). So it makes sense that the show is up for multiple acting and writing awards tonight.
The cast has virtually taken over the outstanding supporting actress in a drama series category, with Carrie Coon, Parker Posey, Natasha Rothwell and Aimee Lou Wood all facing off. Isaacs and Goggins are also going head to head in the supporting actor category.
My White Lotus honourable mention is Lisa from Blackpink, who, though not nominated for an award, made the season extra exciting. I hope she makes an appearance tonight.
Laura Blasey
US reporter
Image source, Apple TV+Warning, there’s some spoilers ahead.
Severance often gets compared to The Office‘s satire of aughts corporate life, though one is a thriller and the other a comedy. I’d argue Apple TV+’s hit actually has more in common with the work of David Lynch — and that’s a major selling point for me. It’s a rare, worthy successor to the auteur’s films that deserves our attention for its unsparing look at the modern workplace.
Lynch’s work often mingled the mundane with the sinister, with an occasional hit of whimsy (melon party, anyone?). His work often features dual personalities and average people corrupted by forces that lurk out of view — dark technologies, personal tragedy and mysterious cults, perhaps.
Severance and Lynch’s oeuvre also share Patricia Arquette. She plays Harmony Cobel, the emotionally-repressed and ambitious program leader of the severed floor in the Apple series, and also starred in Lynch’s surrealist thriller Lost Highway (1997) as an emotionally-repressed and ambitious femme fatale.
This season of Severance wasn’t perfect – Cobel’s revelatory visit home was a slow weak spot. But the season greatly expanded the world of Lumon Industries, and when it hit its marks, it was transcendently weird, such as the reveal of Gemma’s doll-like existence as a research patient.
Tramell Tillman’s Seth Milchik was also given an expanded and complex role this season worthy of an Emmy. We see how his job, his status in the company and his race divide him in different ways.
Mark’s (Adam Scott) conversation with his severed self via an old-school camcorder (a very Lynchian device!) was also an inspired and inventive highlight for me.
In a world full of slick streaming productions and corporate branding, a little weirdness can wake us up. Even if it doesn’t win the major awards this year, Severance has your attention.
Brandon Livesay
US reporter
With about an hour to go until the red carpet coverage really ramps up, we’re going to take a look at the five most nominated TV shows of this year’s Emmys.
I’ve asked some of my colleagues to tell us what they loved about each series.
(And be warned, I’ve marked in bold if they drop any spoilers.)
As a reminder, these are the most nominated shows: Severance (27 nominations), The Penguin (24), The White Lotus (23), The Studio (23), The Last of Us (16).
Laura Blasey will start us off with Severance, the office satire where employees really leave their personal lives at the door.
Nardine Saad
Reporting from the Emmy Awards
Dame Julie Andrews, Alan Cumming and former US President Barack Obama have already won Emmys. That’s because many of the prizes are handed out long before tonight’s red carpet.
The Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony took place in Los Angeles across two nights last weekend, and the bulk of the technical and behind-the-scenes awards (and some standout categories like guest star and animated programmes) were recognised.
“This is the real Emmys. This is the Emmys for the people who make all the magic happen,” host Maya Rudolph said at the show.
That’s why a show like Severance, this year’s top nominee, starts off with 27 Emmy nominations but might only be mentioned a handful of times during the primetime telecast. The Apple TV+ drama picked up six trophies last weekend, including one for guest star Meritt Wever and for outstanding title design.
The scorecard begins to take shape even before tonight’s opening monologue is recited, with shows such as comedy frontrunner The Studio – nominated 23 times this year – starts off its evening with nine prizes already in the bag. The Penguin, the limited series favourite, already has eight wins to its name.
David Willis
Reporting from Los Angeles
The cast of Adolescence formed a protective cordon around young Owen Cooper at BAFTA’s pre-Emmy tea party on Saturday.
The young man from England stands on the verge of history – he could become the youngest male Emmy winner ever.
The 15-year-old has some red carpet lessons still to learn.
His co-star Stephen Graham, who also created Adolescence, had to stop the teen from talking about some of his upcoming, still secret and unmanned projects with the media.
Check out what they had to say in the video above.
Regan Morris
Image source, Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty ImagesEmmys host Nate Bargatze, known for his clean, friendly sets and his
southern, Tennessee drawl, may have finally figured out how to fix the awards
season.
The standup comedian has created an ingenious method of curtailing
boring acceptance speeches and the endless thanking of agents and hairdressers
– for every second a winner goes over time, they will be taking money away from
a children’s charity.
Who wants to be on stage blabbing away taking money from away from
children?
Each winner will be given 45 seconds to say their thank yous from the
stage. Bargatze told the LA Times he plans to donate up to $100,000 to the Boys
& Girls Club of America.
For every second a winner goes over, he will dock
$1,000 from the charity.
Bargatze isn’t a household name. But he will soon likely be everyone’s
favourite awards show host for this creative plan.
As someone who watches
a lot of awards shows, he’s already mine.
Workplace satire Severance is leading the pack this year with 27 Emmy nominations.
Here’s a look at the shows with the most nominations:
Severance – 27 nominations
The Penguin – 24 nominations
The White Lotus – 23 nominations
The Studio – 23 nominations
The Last of Us – 16 nominations
Andor – 14 nominations
Hacks – 14 nominations
Sakshi Venkatraman
Live reporter
Welcome to our live coverage of the 77th Emmy Awards. We’re here to bring you all the latest news from television’s biggest night.
Our reporters on the red carpet and backstage at the awards will be bringing you updates on all of the winners and surprises of the night.
Celebs are set to start walking the carpet from 15:00 local time (18:00 ET, 23:00 BST) in Los Angeles.
And the show starts at 20:00 ET (01:00 BST). Stick with us!