Los Angeles (AFP)
The Emmy Awards will be presented Sunday night at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles are the equivalent of the Oscars for American television. As for the previous edition, the main duel will oppose the HBO chain, carried by the wings of the dragons of "Game of Thrones", to Netflix internet platform.
Here are five notable things to watch during this evening:
- No master of ceremonies -
When the Oscars decided to do without a single presenter last January, the ceremony, more nervous and collected, increased its audience by 12%. The fact that the Emmy Awards have chosen to follow the same path has not really surprised Hollywood.
The absence of master of ceremony will give way to a noria of stars, who will succeed at the microphone to punctuate the show and announce the winners of different categories: Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Michael Douglas, Naomi Watts, Julia Louis- Dreyfus, and even the Kardashian clan.
The ten comedians of "Game of Thrones" in competition will also succeed on stage.
- Oh story -
Last year, Killing Eve's lead actress, Sandra Oh, became the first Asian woman in history to be selected in this flagship category.
Present in the room alongside her Korean-born parents, the Canadian actress had kindly made fun of Hollywood claiming to have solved her problem of portraying diversities. "Thank you, but it's already an honor to be Asian," said the unfortunate candidate.
She received a new nomination and could this time transform the essay. Sandra Oh will be struggling Sunday with a formidable opponent: Jodie Comer, who plays Villanelle, his enemy became a partner in the second season of "Killing Eve".
- Last stand ? -
Jon Hamm had to wait for the last season of "Mad Men" to finally see his charismatic and mysterious performance.
This year, it is the turn of Game of Thrones and Veep to bow down after years of good and loyal service. However, with the exception of Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister), none of the actors of "GoT" has ever been awarded at the Emmy Awards.
Will the voters of the Emmy Academy seize this last opportunity to do justice to these inexplicably shunned actors?
The suspense is unsustainable, especially for stars like Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen) and Kit Harington (Jon Snow).
On the side of "Veep", if the series and its star Julia Louis-Dreyfus have already received many Emmy Awards, they will find on their way Phoebe Waller-Bridge, rising star of comedy and its creation "Fleabag".
- The Ancients (HBO) and the Moderns (Netflix) -
The duel between traditional channels and video-on-demand platforms, respectively played by HBO and Netflix, ended last year on a draw: 23 Emmy Awards everywhere.
The return match is Sunday and this time, HBO seems to have the advantage. The channel has received an impressive number of nominations (137 against Netflix 117) and already pocketed more awards last weekend in a first salvo of Emmy Awards in creative and technical categories (special effects, accessories , costumes, etc.)
Will the Netflix juggernaut be able to fill the gap thanks to "Ozark" and the hit mini-series "In their look"? A win could not hurt him when other entertainment giants (Disney +, Apple TV +, HBO Max) massively invest in the streaming market.
- Avalanche of records -
The 71st edition of the Emmy Awards could bring down a whole series of records.
If she wins a ninth victory, Julia Louis-Dreyfus ("Veep") will break the record of the comedian who has received the largest number of individual statuettes.
"Game of Thrones" could equal the price record for a drama series (four), reaching the level of "Mad Men" and "At the White House".
The medieval-fantasy series needs three wins in total Sunday to beat its own record at the Emmy Awards in one season (twelve).
The absolute record in this field is currently held by the mini-series "John Adams", already produced by HBO, with thirteen awards in 2008.
© 2019 AFP