Dan and Eugene Levy have come a long way from the middle of nowhere fictional town of Schitt’s Creek. The father-son duo’s hit show has won nine primetime Emmys, and on Sunday night, the pair hosted the 76th Emmy Awards.
The ceremony already made history before it started. Shōgun, nominated for 25 Emmys, took home 14 Creative Arts Emmys earlier in September, making it the most decorated show in a single season. And The Bear boasts 23 nods in the comedy category, becoming the most nominated comedy in Emmys history. During the show intro on Sunday night, Eugene Levy poked The Bear, so to speak, joking about the debate over the often dramatic show being nominated in the comedy categories: “In the true spirit of The Bear, we will not be making any jokes.”
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That was hardly the case. The hosts, presenters, and winners cracked plenty of hilarious jokes. Here are some of the most memorable moments of the evening.
Best father-son host pair
Eugene Levy said he’s played a lot of dads, but his most rewarding dad role was playing Dan’s Dad in Schitt’s Creek “because it got me my first acting Emmy.”
There were lots of playful jokes at the streaming services. Dan described the Emmys as “broadcast TV’s biggest night for honoring movie stars on streaming services.”
Terrific presenter trifecta
Only Murders in the Building stars Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez turned presenting the first award of the night into a comedy act, with Martin quipping to Short: “What an honor it is to be working with someone who looks like a former women’s tennis champion.” Gomez could not keep a straight face.
The Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series went to Ebon Moss-Bachrach for The Bear.
The Bear eats up the awards
In addition to Moss-Bachrach’s win, The Bear dominated the top acting awards for a comedy series.
Liza Colón-Zayas may have been a sous chef on The Bear, but she was front and center at the Emmys when she accepted her first Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Her words of wisdom for the audience: “Vote. Vote for your rights.”
And the Television Academy said “Yes, Chef!” to Jeremy Allen White, who won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.
Smart-est acceptance speech
TV legend Jean Smart of Hacks accepted the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a comedy series, saying, “I really appreciate this because I just don’t get enough attention.”
Then she went on to mix up HBO and Max, finally pausing with her head down, looking up, and lamenting to the audience how many different streaming sites there were.