Succession has done it again, taking home the night’s biggest prizes at the Emmys just a week after big wins at the Golden Globes.
The fourth and final season of the critically acclaimed series, following the saga of a media mogul and his empire, was named best drama – while Kieran Culkin and Sarah Snook, who play squabbling siblings Roman and Shiv Roy, took the prizes for best actor and actress respectively.
In the comedy categories, it was claustrophobic chef’s kitchen series The Bear that dominated, while road-rage comedy-drama Beef was the big winner in the limited series group.
Image: The Bear co-stars Jeremy Allen White (left) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach celebrated big wins for the comedy, as did Ali Wong (below) for Beef
Elsewhere, Sir Elton John was also among the winners for a televised live-stream of one of the shows from his farewell tour, putting him in the exclusive EGOT club of stars who have won all four major entertainment awards in the US – an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and a Tony. However, he was unable to attend the ceremony after having a knee operation.
Succession star Brian Cox, who plays fearsome patriarch Logan Roy and was also nominated in the best actor category, got a kiss on the lips from Culkin as his Emmyswin was announced.
Culkin then announced on stage in his speech that he would like more children with his wife, Jazz Charton, while Snook, who was pregnant while filming, thanked her young daughter as she accepted her award.
Image: Kieran Culkin’s best actor in a drama series trophy was one of six awards for Succession
Jesse Armstrong, creator of the HBO/Sky Atlantic series, told the audience: “It was a great sadness to end the show, but it was a great pleasure to do it.”
The series also picked up the trophies for dramatic writing and directing, and best supporting actor for British star Matthew Macfadyen, taking home six in total.
Celebrating the best in television at a ceremony in LA on Monday night, the 2023 ceremony had been pushed back from September due to the US actors’ and writers’ strikes.
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Image: Matthew Macfadyen, who plays Tom Wambsgans in Succession, and The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri (below) on stage with their prizes. Pic: Phil McCarten/Invision/AP
The Bear was named best comedy series for its first season, with stars Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Ayo Edebiri winning the awards for lead actor, supporting actor and supporting actress respectively.
The show follows White’s fine-dining chef Carmy as he tries to turn around his family’s Chicago sandwich shop.
“Thank you for believing in me when I had trouble believing in myself,” said White as he accepted his prize, while Edebiri said: “This is a show about family and found family and real family, and my parents are here tonight – I’m making them sit kind of far away from me because I’m a bad kid.”
Moss-Bachrach shared a comical on-stage kiss with co-star Matty Matheson as they collected the main comedy series prize.
Like Succession The Bear also won six awards, including prizes for writing and directing.
Abbott Elementary star and creator Quinta Brunson was named best actress in a comedy, becoming teary as she was presented the award by industry legend Carol Burnett.
“I don’t know why I’m so emotional – I think it’s the Carol Burnett of it all,” Brunson said. “I’m so happy to be able to live my dream.”
Jennifer Coolidge took home her second supporting actress gong for her performance in The White Lotus, taking the opportunity to thank “all of the evil gays” – in reference to a line one the show about those involved in a murder plot against her character.
Image: Jennifer Coolidge picked up her second prize for her performance in The White Lotus. Pic: AP/Chris Pizzello
‘I am not Elton John’
Road rage comedy-drama Beef was also a big winner, taking home the award for best limited series and scoring wins for stars Ali Wong and Steven Yeun in the acting categories and also for directing and writing.
Creator and director Lee Sung Jin made three speeches, also picking up best writing and directing of a limited series, and told the audience: “I’m really grateful and humbled by anyone who watched the show and reached out about their own personal struggles, it’s very life-affirming.”
Sir Elton’s award was accepted by a spokesperson, who told the audience: “I am not Elton John, sadly he had a knee op. He’s absolutely fine but wanted to send his love and thanks…
“We knew this show would be historic, because it was going to be Elton’s last ever show in North America on tour. We knew it would be historic because it was Disney’s first live global stream.
“We didn’t know it would be historic because it was going to win a man – who has navigated the soundtrack to our lives he’s done so much great for society who is all of our hero’s – we didn’t know it would win him an EGOT.”
‘Being together brings back some great memories’
Image: Where everybody knows your name: Cheers and Grey’s Anatomy were some of the series celebrated to mark 75 years of the Emmys
Organisers used the milestone event – the 75th Emmy Awards – to honour classic television shows with cast reunions.
Host Anthony Anderson opened the ceremony with a choir singing theme songs, with Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker joining to play the drum solo from Phil Collins’s In the Air Tonight, a song that aired during a pivotal moment in 1980s hit Miami Vice.
Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, Rhea Perlman and other stars of Cheers gathered around a recreation of the iconic bar set before presenting the outstanding directing in a comedy series award.
With Danson standing behind the bar in a nod to his character Sam Malone, John Ratzenberger, who played Cliff Clavin, said: “Ted, don’t you just think about it as a long overdue class reunion, huh? Being together brings back some great memories from a show we’re all very proud of.”
Grey’s Anatomy actresses Katherine Heigl and Ellen Pompeo spoke from a hospital room set, while other series including The Sopranos, Game Of Thrones and Dynasty – with an appearance from Dame Joan Collins – were also celebrated.
Irish author Sally Rooney has told the High Court she may not be able to publish new books in the UK, and may have to withdraw previous titles from sale, because of the ban on Palestine Action.
The group’s co-founder Huda Ammori is taking legal action against the Home Office over the decision to proscribe Palestine Action under anti-terror laws in July.
The ban made being a member of, or supporting, Palestine Action a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Rooney was in August warned that she risked committing a terrorist offence after saying she would donate earnings from her books, and the TV adaptations of Normal People and Conversations With Friends, to support Palestine Action.
In a witness statement made public on Thursday, Rooney said the producer of the BBC dramas said they had been advised that they could not send money to her agent if the funds could be used to fund the group, as that would be a crime under anti-terror laws.
Rooney added that it was “unclear” whether any UK company can pay her, stating that if she is prevented from profiting from her work, her income would be “enormously restricted”.
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Why was Palestine Action proscribed?
She added: “If I were to write another screenplay, television show or similar creative work, I would not be able to have it produced or distributed by a company based in England and Wales without, expressly or tacitly, accepting that I would not be paid.”
Rooney described how the publication of her books is based on royalties on sales, and that non-payment of royalties would mean she can terminate her contract.
“If, therefore, Faber and Faber Limited are legally prohibited from paying me the royalties I am owed, my existing works may have to be withdrawn from sale and would therefore no longer be available to readers in the UK,” Rooney added, saying this would be “a truly extreme incursion by the state into the realm of artistic expression”.
Rooney added that it is “almost certain” that she cannot publish or produce new work in the UK while the Palestine Action ban remains in force.
She said: “If Palestine Action is still proscribed by the time my next book is due for publication, then that book will be available to readers all over the world and in dozens of languages, but will be unavailable to readers in the United Kingdom simply because no one will be permitted to publish it, unless I am content to give it away for free.”
Sir James Eadie KC, barrister for the Home Office, said in a written submission that the ban’s aim is “stifling organisations concerned in terrorism and for members of the public to face criminal liability for joining or supporting such organisations”.
“That serves to ensure proscribed organisations are deprived of the oxygen of publicity as well as both vocal and financial support,” he continued.
The High Court hearing is due to conclude on 2 December, with a decision expected in writing at a later date.
The creator of an AI actress has told Sky News that synthetic performers will get more actors working, rather than steal jobs.
AI production studio Particle6 has ruffled feathers in Hollywood by unveiling Tilly Norwood – a 20-something actress created by artificial intelligence.
Speaking to Sky News’ Dominic Waghorn, actor and comedian Eline Van der Velden – who founded Particle6 – insisted Norwood is “not meant to take jobs in the traditional film”.
AI entertainment is “developing as a completely separate genre”, she said, adding: “And that’s where Tilly is meant to stay. She’s meant to stay in the AI genre and be a star in that.”
“I don’t want her to take real actors’ jobs,” she continued. “I wanted to have her own creative path.”
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Norwood has been labelled “really, really scary” by Mary Poppins Returns star Emily Blunt, while the US actors’ union SAG-AFTRA said in a statement: “Tilly Norwood is not an actor, it’s a character generated by a computer program that was trained on the work of countless professional performers – without permission or compensation.”
Responding to the criticism, Ms Van der Velden argued that Hollywood is “going to have to learn how to work with [AI] going forward”.
“We can’t stop it,” she said. “If we put our head in the sand, then our jobs will be gone. However, instead, if we learn how to use these tools, if we use it going forward, especially in Britain, we can be that creative powerhouse.”
Ms Van der Velden said her studio has already helped a number of projects that were struggling due to budget constraints.
“Some productions get stuck, not able to find the last 30% of their budget, and so they don’t go into production,” she said. “Now with AI, by replacing some of the shots […] we can actually get that production going and working. So as a result, we get more jobs, we get more actors working, so that’s all really, really positive news.”
Prince William wasn’t close to being born when Fawlty Towers first aired – but now even his children have fallen in love with it.
The Prince of Wales, 43, revealed his kids’ love of the classic British sitcom – which first aired in 1975 – during a conversation with star John Cleese.
The pair shared a few words at the Tusk Conservation Awards at London’s Savoy Hotel on Wednesday night, which honoured those safeguarding the habitats and animals of Africa.
William told Cleese they were having “a lot of family laughs” watching the show, and his children “love it”.
Image: The Prince of Wales and John Cleese were among those attending the Tusk Conservation Awards. Pics: PA
The future king said he has also been “reminiscing” on the series and enjoying it “all over again”.
“It’s brilliant,” he added.
After their chat, Cleese said of Fawlty Towers: “I always explain it’s about ‘who’s scared of who’ and kids pick that up immediately. And mine, all those years ago, grew up watching it.”
The veteran comic actor – an ambassador of the trust – was joined by his wife Jennifer Wade, and fellow ambassador Ronnie Wood, the Rolling Stones guitarist.
Other guests were Zara Tindall and husband Mike, and William’s cousins Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza Spencer.
Winners included Laban Mwangi, a head ranger working in Kenya; Rahima Njaidi, who has established a Tanzanian community-led forest conservation network; and Kumara Wakjira, who was honoured for his work in Ethiopia.
William said they “should inspire us to drive change”.
He added: “If we all want to continue to enjoy and benefit from the wonders of the natural world we must not be the generation that stands by as wildlife and biodiversity disappears.
“What we choose to do will have an impact on future generations, and tonight we must choose to do more.”