‘Succession,’ ‘The Bear’ dominate television’s 75th Emmy Awards

“Succession,” HBO’s powerhouse drama about a family squabbling for control of a media empire, and “The Bear,” FX’s comedy about a successful chef returning home to help run his family’s sandwich shop, were basking Tuesday in their dominance of the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, with each collecting six prizes, including the honors for best drama and comedy series.

The shows both nearly swept the categories for drama and comedy series. It was a fitting farewell for “Succession,” which ended its four-season run last May. And it was a deserving welcome for “The Bear,” which blew away the competition in its first year of Emmy eligibility.

In addition to its prize for best drama series, “Succession” earned Emmys for best actor for Kieran Culkin, best drama series actress for Sarah Snook, drama series supporting actor for Matthew Macfadyen, directing for Mike Mylod and writing for Jesse Armstrong.

Culkin, accepting his first career Emmy, thanked the entire “Succession” cast and showrunner Armstrong, while also thanking “my mom for giving me life and my childhood, which was great, so thank you for that.” He also praised his “beautiful wife Jazz (Charton),” saying, “Thank you for sharing your life with me and giving me two beautiful kids.”

He quickly added, “And Jazz, I want more. You said maybe if I win,” drawing laughs from his wife and the crowd.

Snook, also with her first Emmy win, hailed the cast and crew of the show, noting that the “bar was set so high.” She also gave thanks to her newborn daughter, noting that she was pregnant while filming the show’s final season.

“It’s very easy to act when you’re pregnant because you’ve got hormones raging,” she joked. “It’s all for you from here on out!”

Macfadyen’s win for supporting actor in a drama series was his second consecutive win.

The win was the second consecutive and third overall prize for best drama series for “Succession.”

The only drama series Emmy that didn’t go to “Succession” went to best supporting actress winner Jennifer Coolidge for another HBO series, “The White Lotus.” Coolidge also won the supporting Emmy for “The White Lotus” last year, in the category of limited or anthology series.

“The Bear” enjoyed identical success on the comedy side of the awards, missing out on only one category.

The show won prizes for best comedy series, Christopher Storer for directing and writing, while Jeremy Allen White won the award for outstanding actor in a comedy series, and the supporting actress and actor prizes went to Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, respectively.

The Emmys were all first-time wins on first-time nominations for White, Edebiri and Moss-Bachrach.

“I am so proud, I am so full of gratitude to be standing in front of you all,” White said as he accepted the best actor award. “I love the show so much. It gave me a passion. It set a fire in me. … Thank you to all those who stayed close to me, especially in this past year, … I love you, I love you.”

“The Bear” spoiled the end-of-run party for “Ted Lasso,” which won the best comedy series Emmy the past two years but was shut out during Monday’s Emmy ceremony.

Quinta Brunson was the only comedy-category winner from a show other than “The Bear.” She was named best actress in a comedy series for her role as a teacher at an off-beat Philadelphia school in “Abbott Elementary.” It was her first Emmy win for acting. She previously won for writing the series’ pilot episode.

“I love making ‘Abbott Elementary’ so much,” Brunson said while accepting the honor. “And I’m so happy to be able to live my dream and act out comedy. And I say it every time — I just love comedy so much. I am so happy to be able to get this (award).”

Combined with prizes that were awarded last weekend during the Creative Arts Emmy ceremonies, “The Bear” was the biggest winner of the year with 10 overall Emmys.

“Beef,” the gripping limited series about a dark feud between two people sparked by a road rage incident, was named best limited or anthology series and also collected four other prizes on the night.

Steven Yeun scored his first Emmy as he took home the prize for best actor in a limited or anthology series for “Beef,” while co-star Ali Wong was named best actress. It was also the first career Emmy win for Wong.

“Beef” also earned prizes for best director and writer for creator Lee Sung Jin. Combined with wins announced during the earlier Creative Arts Emmy ceremonies, “Beef” collected a total of eight awards, tying it with “The Last of Us” for second place behind “The Bear.”

Niecy Nash-Betts collected her first career Emmy, winning for supporting actress in a limited series or movie for her work in “Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.”

“I’m a winner baby!” she shouted as she was handed the statuette. In an energetic speech that brought the crowd to its feet, she included herself in the list of people to thank.

“I want to thank me for believing in me and doing what they said I could not do,” she said.

Paul Walter Hauser also earned his first Emmy for supporting actor in a limited series or movie for “Black Bird.”

HBO’s “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” won the prize for outstanding scripted variety series, and it also won its eighth consecutive prize for best writing for a variety series.

“Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium” won outstanding live variety special. The famed musician was not at Monday night’s ceremony, but the show’s win elevated him to show business royalty by completing an EGOT, meaning he has now won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards.

The prize for best talk series went to “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.”

“RuPaul’s Drag Race,” meanwhile, won its fifth Emmy for outstanding reality competition program.

During the ceremony, the LGBTQ advocacy organization GLAAD was presented with the Television Academy’s 2023 Governors Award, honoring its work to ensure fair and accurate representation of the LGBTQ community in the media and entertainment industries.

The Academy’s Governors Award honors an individual, company or organization — chosen by the Academy’s Board of Governors — that has “made a profound, transformational and long-lasting contribution to the arts and/or science of television.”

The ceremony at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles, hosted by Anthony Anderson, included reunions of cast members from several classic TV series, including “Cheers,” “Ally McBeal,” “The Sopranos” and “All in the Family,” with Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers paying tribute to show creator and legendary producer Norman Lear, who died in December at age 101.

The Emmy ceremony was originally scheduled for Sept. 18 of last year, but it was postponed due to the then-lingering strikes by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA actors union.

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