Another HBO entry, “Succession” won the award for Outstanding Achievement in Drama in its sharp second season; it’s creator Jesse Armstrong could barely get his thanks out due to transmission problems.
HBO’s “A Black Lady Sketch Show” won a new category, outstanding achievement in sketch/variety show, with creator Robin Thede on tape joking, “You are going to send an award, right?”
Sketch variety was a new category this year because comedy shows like John Oliver’s and “The Daily Show” kept winning the News and Information category, somewhat embarrassingly for us, for them, and for the news industry at large. Winning that category this year, instead, wasn’t exactly news either, but it was widely popular — ESPN’s documentary series on Michael Jordan, “The Last Dance.” “I hope we brought you a little bit of an escape in a tough year,” said director Jason Heir.
Comedy winner this year in its final season was the Canadian import on the tiniest network (Pop), “Schitt’s Creek,” which was boosted from replay on Netflix. It won both Outstanding Achievement in Comedy and Individual Achievement in Comedy for Catherine O’Hara, who sent along taped thanks along with her longtime co-star Eugene Levy, who said “I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like a kind word from critics.”
One PBS entry, “Molly of Denali” won outstanding youth programming for its animated portrayal of native people in Alaska. Sovereign Bill, the voice of the character, accepted, saying “For too long indigenous people have been sidelined.”
Nostalgia reigned in Heritage category, with the original “Star Trek” winning and Eugene Roddenberry saying his fatherGene Roddenberry created the series “with a vision of hope and optimistic view of what the humanity could become, told through the lens of science fiction.”
And the career achievement award went to a man still hard at work, Alex Trebek, the “Jeopardy!” host and cancer survivor. “I am truly humbled and most appreciative,’ he said in his stentorian style. Trebek appeared before the TCA in a panel the last time it convened in January — and was the rare recipient of applause.