‘Shogun’ set records at the Emmy Awards but also demonstrated the academy’s tendency to play it safe

When you think about it, it’s more than a little ironic that in a TV universe that has never been more fractured, with viewership divided among a dizzying number of series, the Emmy Awards continue to give the lion’s share of the prizes to just a handful of shows.
Thus, going into Sunday’s gala, it was expected that “Shogun” would dominate the drama categories, “The Bear” the comedies and “Baby Reindeer” the limited series, and that’s how it turned out. 
Sure, “The Bear” lost the best lead actress, writing and comedy series statuettes to “Hacks” — that last one was a shocker — but it still took a leading four awards on the night — for a record-breaking 11 when you include its Creative Arts Emmys victories. And despite the surprise best comedy win for “Hacks,” it’s not as if that show is some Emmys outlier; it had previously won six of them, with Jean Smart’s best actress triumph her third for the role.
If voters had really wanted to break the mould, they would have given best comedy to “Reservation Dogs,” a wonderful series that, like “The Bear,” deals with serious subject matter but, unlike “The Bear,” does it with actual laughs.
It’s an honour just to be nominated, I guess, although it boggles the mind that it took until the third and final season for the TV academy to notice that “Reservation Dogs” existed. 
Its presence on the ballot was an example of the diversity touted onstage by TV academy president Cris Abrego, the first Latino in that role. He was introduced by actor John Leguizamo who, in a frank speech, decried the historic lack of opportunity for Latinx actors. “I used to watch ‘Star Trek’ and think, ‘Wow in the future there ain’t gonna be no Latin people,’” he said.
Earlier, Liza Colón-Zayas became the first Latina to win supporting actress in a comedy for “The Bear,” besting Meryl Streep. “All the Latinas who are looking at me, keep believing and vote,” she said tearfully.
I suppose it’s hard to get more diverse than a drama cast with a majority of Asian actors in which 70 per cent of the dialogue is in Japanese. Anna Sawai became the first Asian to win lead actress in a drama series.
And while I will admit to some initial skepticism over how “Shogun” would be received when it was first presented at the Television Critics Association press tour in February, by the time I and my fellow critics had bestowed four Television Critics Association Awards on it in July — including program of the year — it was clear it was bound for Emmys glory.
It didn’t sweep on Sunday. Billy Crudup made good on “The Morning Show”‘s ridiculous plethora of acting nominations with a best supporting actor win — Yabushige, we feel your pain! — and “Slow Horses,” another series the Emmys just noticed existed, won the writing prize for Will Smith. (No, not that Will Smith; as the other said in his acceptance speech, “Despite my name, I come in peace.”) 
But its 18 total wins — four on Sunday, 14 (!) at the Creative Arts Emmys the weekend before — set a record for most Emmys won by a show in a single year, and I’m not mad about that. Here’s hoping the magic can be maintained in the coming second and third seasons.
Of course, all those wins were made possible by the decision to extend the life of the series — based on the James Clavell novel about an Englishman thrust into 17th-century Japan — moving it out of the limited series category and into a weakened drama grouping that was absent contenders like “House of the Dragon” and “The Last of Us.”
We’ll never know what a “Shogun” vs. “Baby Reindeer” limited series showdown would have looked like. But without “Shogun,” “Baby Reindeer” was free to dominate a category that lacked powerful rivals. 
If you had asked me on April 5, the day after “Ripley” was released on Netflix, I would have said it was the one to beat. A week later, “Baby Reindeer” came along and the buzz built steadily from there.
Creator and star Richard Gadd looked incredulous on each of his three trips to the podium on Sunday, to accept the writing, lead actor and outstanding limited or anthology series trophies. “If ‘Baby Reindeer’ is proof of anything, it’s that there’s no set formula to this, that you don’t need big stars, proven IP, long-running series, catch-all storytelling to have a hit,” he said.
The show also won supporting actress for Jessica Gunning, who was terrific as the stalker terrorizing her “Baby Reindeer.” It’s lucky she was nominated in that category rather than the more logical lead actress one, since I doubt she could have bested double Oscar winner Jodie Foster, who took her first Emmy for playing a cantankerous cop in the divisive “True Detective: Night Country.” 
“Ripley” at least earned the directing prize for Steve Zaillian, well-deserved in my opinion; that series was a work of art in its languorous, black-and-white presentation. The biggest surprise in limited series, one of the biggest of the entire night, was Lamorne Morris taking best supporting actor for the latest “Fargo” in a race that had once seemed like “The Sympathizer” co-star Robert Downey Jr.‘s to lose.
“Robert Downey Jr., I’ve got a poster of you at my house,” an elated Morris declared.
Overall, no matter what you think of the academy’s choices, it was an enjoyable if not exciting event, despite missteps like that dreadful Johnnie Walker ad involving “Bear” winner Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Taylor Zakhar Perez of “Red, White & Royal Blue.”
The tone was set early by charming hosts Eugene and Dan Levy, whose “Schitt’s Creek” glow was obviously still shining brightly for the audience inside the Peacock Theater.
There was a one-two feel-good punch as the Levys’ monologue was succeeded by “Only Murders in the Building” stars Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez presenting the first award of the night. And the evening ended with a mini “Schitt’s” reunion, as Annie Murphy joined her TV dad and brother onstage to introduce her TV mom, Catherine O’Hara, who presented the final prize of the broadcast to “Hacks.”
“I am shocked and delighted to be presenting the award for outstanding comedy series,” said O’Hara before tearing up a prop envelope pretending not to choose just one winner.
There’s nothing wrong with a little Canadian kind-heartedness and humility on television’s biggest night.