Margaret Atwood standing on the 2017 Emmys stage getting an extra round of applause after the latest adaptation of her 1985 novel The Handmaid's Tale just won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama. That gesture was a nice salute to the power of the word and dystopian vision that is more relevant in 2017 than in 1985.
The Handmaid's Tale was nominated for 13 Emmys, winning 8 Emmys, including the major awards of Outstanding Drama; Elisabeth Moss for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama; Ann Dowd for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama; Showrunner Bruce Miller won for Outstanding Writing in a Drama; and Reed Morano for Outstanding Directing for a Drama. The Handmaid's Tale also won 3 Creative Arts Emmys before the telecast, including Outstanding Guest Actress in a drama series for Alexis Bledel.
Moss did swear during her speech addressing her mom in the audience. "You have taught me that you can be kind and a f—ing badass." While that got bleeped on CBS, wouldn't be surprised if that aired uncensored in Canada.
Margaret Atwood getting new appreciation thanks to TV revivals
Atwood got a lot of love from Emmy winners in their speeches. "Thank you for what you did in 1985 and thank you for what you continue to do," Moss said to Atwood in her acceptance speech. "To Margaret Atwood, who scared the living crap out of me when I was in college," Miller said in his writing acceptance speech.
Atwood was a consulting producer and had a brief cameo. The Handmaid's Tale was shot in Toronto. Season 2 of the drama starts shooting on Tuesday.
Tatiana Maslany wins the Lead Actress Emmy for Orphan Black
As June Osborne/Offred, Moss won the award that went to Maslany last year for Orphan Black. Maslany was a presenter for the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama award.
Given that Season 5 of Orphan Black started after the 2017 Emmys cutoff, the program and 2016 Emmy winner Tatiana Maslany were not eligible for this year's Emmys. The 2018 Emmys are the last chance for love for Maslany and the show. The Clone Club momentum needs to be loud and strong for Emmy voters to remember what the clones had to go through in the final season.
Jean-Marc Vallée won the Emmy for Outstanding Director for a Limited Series for the HBO miniseries Big Little Lies. Vallée has been known to American audiences for films that he directed such as Dallas Buyers Club and Wild.
Vallée reportedly was only going to direct a few episodes of the show, but Reese Witherspoon, star of Wild and Big Little Lies, told the Toronto Star that "we all attacked him and begged him to do more."
He beat out Noah Hawley (Fargo); Ryan Murphy (Feud: Bette & Joan); Ron Howard (Genius); James Marsh (The Night Of); and Steve Zaillian (The Night Of).
The Quebec director got love during speeches from winners Laura Dern and Nicole Kidman. The show also won the award for Outstanding Limited Series.
Vallée was nominated for an Oscar for Best Film Editing for Dallas Buyers Club.
Vallée made his mark in Quebec cinema with C.R.A.Z.Y. and Café de Flore. On those films, Vallée was the writer and director. While he has deservedly been praised for his directing prowess, when he also gets to write, the magic is on the screen.
CanadianCrossing.com TV coverage
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee was nominated for an Emmy in Outstanding Variety Talk Series and Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series. The show was nominated in 2016 for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series.
Samantha Bee and her crew, including fellow Canadian Allana Harkin, do strong episodes in a wave of insanity in the news. You might not know who Kris Kobach is, but Full Frontal with Samantha Bee did such comprehensive research. They may fly under the radar on TBS as opposed to HBO, home of the winner in both categories last night, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.
Hopefully, the Emmy nominations give Full Frontal with Samantha Bee more light for people to discover how wonderful they are.
photos credit: Emmys
Comments