LOS ANGELES: Media family saga Succession, dystopian drama Watchmen and feel-good comedy Schitt’s Creek dominated the Emmy Awards on Sunday in a show sprinkled with jokes about the coronavirus pandemic, political jibes and appeals for racial justice.

“Hello, and welcome to the PandEmmys!,” said host Jimmy Kimmel, opening the show, where most celebrities took part remotely from their sofas and backyards dressed in a variety of gowns, hoodies and sleepwear.

HBO’s Succession, the wickedly juicy tale of a fractious media family, was named best drama series, while Jeremy Strong won best actor for his role as a downtrodden son. “Succession’s seven-Emmy haul included writing and directing.

In one of the most pointed acceptance speeches of the night, Succession creator Jesse Armstrong made a series of what he called “un-thank yous.” “Un-thank you to the virus for keeping us all apart this year. Un-thank you to President Trump for his crummy and uncoordinated response. Un-thank you to (British Prime Minister) Boris Johnson and his government for doing the same in my country.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2020