The Emmys: "Game" Over

They tell us we're living in the era of Peak TV.  A wonderful, magical world where--for just a few bucks a day--you can watch almost every TV show and movie your little heart desires, or what taste makers tell you is great, from the comfort of your living room.  One of those taste makers is the Television Academy's Emmy Awards, whose 71st annual festivities were held Sunday in Los Angeles and shown on Fox.

The big winners, as it has been for the past few years, were shows from premium cable and streaming services:  "Fleabag" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" are on Amazon Prime.  "When They See Us", "Black Mirror"and "Ozark" are on Netfllix.  HBO carries "Barry" "Chernobyl", "Veep", "Last Week Tonight" and "Game of Thrones".  You've heard of these shows, haven't you?  Have you ever watched them?

"Thrones", which in its final season has already won more Emmys than anyone else in its history, won another Best Drama nod (tying "LA Law", "Mad Men", "Hill Street Blues" and "The West Wing" for the most in this category) along with a Best Supporting Actor trophy for Peter Dinklage (his fourth).  Because the series ended on an unsatisfying note for critics and fans, this was pretty much a Lifetime Achievement Emmy for GOT.

"Veep", the Julia Louis-Dreyfus comedy set in the White House, did not share the same love as GOT did during its final season.  "Fleabag" did a near-sweep of the comedy category, with its star Phoebe Waller-Bridge taking home the Best Actress, Comedy Emmy instead of a seventh for Louis-Dreyfus (who remains in a tie with Cloris Leachman).

A few new faces won Emmys this year instead of the usual suspects.  Besides Waller-Bridge, Jodie Comer won Best Actress, Drama for "Killing Eve" (over her co-star Sandra Oh, no less).  Billy Porter won Best Actor, Drama for "Pose", the first African-American gay man to do so.  Julia Garner earned a Best Supporting Actress, Drama nod for "Ozark".  Jherelle Jerome got a trophy for Best Actor, Limited Series/Movie, for his role in "When They See Us".

The other awards went to the following:

• Supporting Actor, Comedy:  Tony Shaloub, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel".
• Supporting Actress, Comedy:  Alex Borstien, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel".
• Reality Competition:  "RuPaul's Drag Race"
• Actor, Comedy:  Bill Hader, "Barry".
• Supporting Actor, Limited Series/Movie:  Ben Whishaw, "A Very British Scandal".
• Supporting Actress, Limited Series/Movie:  Patricia Arquette, "The Act".
• Actress, Limited Series/Movie:  Michelle Williams, "Fosse/Verdon".
• Movie:  "Bandersnatch" (episode of "Black Mirror").
• Limited Series:  "Chernobyl"
• Variety Show, Sketch:  "Saturday Night Live"
• Variety Show, Talk:  "Last Week Tonight".

We need to talk about the telecast.  The Emmys went hostless this year, in the apparent belief that, if it worked for the Oscars, it should work for them..  Also, Fox happens to be the only broadcast network without a late night talk show, which is where hosts have been coming from in recent years.
Only the initial snarkiness of off-camera commentator Thomas Lennon, the dulcet tones of voiceover Ellen K. and all those plugs for "The Simpsons" (after three decades, Homer Simpson is still Fox's biggest star) and "The Masked Singer" reminded us that we're still watching an awards show.

Almost seven million of you watched the Emmys, the lowest turnout yet.  It faced daunting competition from NBC's "Sunday Night Football" game, ABC's game shows and whatever CBS put on that night. Also, Ken Burns' video treatise on country music continued on PBS stations.

Or maybe you just spent the evening ignoring all those taste makers and binge-watched episodes of "Friends", "The Office" or "Seinfeld".  Those, apparently, are what people actually watch instead of either "Mrs. Maisel" or "The Masked Singer".  Maybe there's only so much Peak TV we can take.