The TV shows Schitts Creek, Succession and Watchmen were the big winners at the Emmy Awards on Sunday – this year dubbed The Pandemmys due to the ceremony being held virtually amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Schitt’s Creek, a Canadian show about a fish-out-of-water family, made history with nine award wins, including the gong for best comedy series.
Succession, a family power struggle over a media empire, won best drama series, and creator Jesse Armstrong used the opportunity to offer unthanks, including to President Donald Trump for what Armstrong called his crummy handling of the pandemic.
The shows star Jeremy Strong won the drama actor trophy for his role as a potential heir to the throne.
And Watchmen, based on the 1980s comic book, won a number of awards, at a time when its subject matter – the fight against police violence and racism – reflects events currently taking place in the United States and beyond.
Among its awards were best limited series and a lead actress gong for Regina King.
The Emmys are the small-screen version of the Oscars, and this year the stars, producers and crew of the shows were forced to attend remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The virtual ceremony, with Jimmy Kimmel as host, went smoothly despite concerns that the plan to link 100-plus nominees remotely could result in glitches.
The Schitts Creek stars accepted their awards from a private event in Toronto, where they were wearing masks, and had been tested for coronavirus prior to attending.