Comedy " The Marvelous Mrs.
Maisel" dominated the early awards at the Emmys on Monday,
picking up four trophies for the Amazon television show
about a 1950s housewife who turns to stand-up comedy.
Rachel Brosnahan was named best comedy actress, while Alex
Bornstein, who plays her determined manager, won for her
supporting role.
" Mrs. Maisel" also won the Emmys for comedy series writing
and directing, positioning the exuberant show, which is also a
front runner for best comedy series, for a triumphant night.
" Saturday Night Live" comedians Michael Che and Colin Jost
got the ceremony for television's highest awards off to a
satirical start with jokes about diversity on screen, sexual
misconduct in the entertainment industry and the dominance of
streaming services like Amazon and Netflix over
traditional networks.
Netflix this year notched up a leading 112 Emmy nominations,
ahead of HBO and NBC.
"I think we can keep TV going for another 5-6 years tops,"
Jost quipped.
"We solved it!" sang a line-up of celebrities, giving
themselves a tongue-in-cheek pat on the back for this year's
most diverse array of Emmy nominees in the 70-year history of
the awards.
In a shock result, presumed front-runner Donald Glover, the
star and creator of the surreal hip-hop-inspired FX
show "Atlanta," lost out in the comedy acting category to Bill
Hader's hitman-turned-struggling actor in HBO's
showbusiness satire "Barry."
" Barry" also brought honors for veteran Henry Winkler,
winning his first-ever Emmy for his supporting role as a
self-important acting teacher.
"I wrote this (speech) 43 years ago," said the former " Happy
Days" actor, who had been nominated six times previously. "If
you stay at the table long enough the chips come to you."
HBO's crowd-pleasing medieval series " Game of Thrones" went
into Monday's ceremony with a leading 22 nominations, but awards
pundits said it faced a strong challenge from streaming service
Hulu's bleak "The Handmaid's Tale" for the best-drama series
Emmy.
" Handmaid's Tale" star Elisabeth Moss could also be a repeat
Emmy winner.
Yet the drama actress field is particularly strong with
contenders Claire Foy as the quietly formidable Queen Elizabeth
in Netflix royal series " The Crown," Keri Russell in her final
turn as a ruthless Russian spy living as an ordinary American
housewife in FX's " The Americans," and Sandra Oh, who could
become the first woman of Asian descent to win a best actress
drama series Emmy, in BBC America's " Killing Eve."