Coronavirus Pandemic Spurs Virtual Edition of Emmy Awards 2020

"It's a relief for HBO that they have 'Succession' hitting at the right time," said Deadline awards columnist Pete Hammond.

The critically adored show about a powerful family's back-stabbing battle for control of a dynastic media empire won a writing Emmy in its first season, and has amassed 18 nominations this time.

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But it is tied with "Ozark", a dark money-laundering tale set in the American heartland from Netflix, which despite landing a record 160 nominations this year is still desperate to win its first major series Emmy.

Lurking in the background are British royals saga "The Crown" and Star Wars tale "The Mandalorian", which boasts lavish Thrones-esque production values and has already scooped five Emmys in technical categories this week for newcomer Disney+.

Comedy this year appears to be a toss-up between previous serial winner "The Marvelous Mrs Maisel" — Amazon's quirky tale of a 1950s housewife who becomes a standup comic — and "Schitt's Creek".

The latter, a Canadian comedy about a privileged family forced to live in a rundown motel, failed to earn a single nomination in its first four years, but became a sleeper hit after airing on Netflix and signed off with a heartwarming final season.

Emmy voters "know it's the show's last chance... that's the one that's got big momentum," said Hammond.

'Crapshoot'

Of the more than 100 acting nominations in the drama, comedy, limited series and television movie categories this year, more than a third of them went to black actors — a new record.

Aside from the awards themselves, the night will honor the career achievement of Tyler Perry.

The African-American entertainment mogul has championed greater diversity in Hollywood, and this year paid funeral costs for black victims of police violence including George Floyd.

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The theme of tackling racism is expected to feature prominently throughout the night, while many stars in famously liberal Hollywood are likely to have a wary eye on President Donald Trump's re-election bid.

And then of course there's the pandemic itself to address.

With nominees given "unprecedented freedom" as they broadcast from locations of their choosing, winners' speeches on a night billed by Kimmel as "the Emmys meet Big Brother" are likely to have surprises in store.

"It's a crapshoot," said Hammond. "That's the one thing you can't predict." 

(Writer: Andrew Marszal) 

Source: http://u.afp.com/3azQ