Hail to the king indeed. In the weeks leading up to today’s Primetime Emmy Awards, the question on everyone’s mind was whether voters would honor Breaking Bad, widely considered to be one of TV’s greatest series, in its absolutely stunning final season, or instead recognize newcomer True Detective, which left jaws dangling with its ambitious mixture of gritty atmosphere, philosophy and master-class acting.
The battle between the two shows for Best Drama Series – and for Best Actor In A Drama, between Bryan Cranston and Matthew McConaughey – dominated internet buzz leading up to this year’s ceremony. Now, we have our answer – it appears that, for Emmy voters, it just feels too good to be Bad. That’s right – Breaking Bad took Best Drama Series, and Cranston snagged a Best Actor trophy, his fourth for the role of chemistry teacher turned kingpin Walter White. Additionally, Aaron Paul and Anna Gunn won for their portrayals of Jesse Pinkman and Skyler White, respectively, and show writer Moira Walley-Beckett also earned an Emmy. True Detective was shut out in major categories, though it did receive some love in technical categories and for Cary Fukunaga’s direction.
Also at the Emmys, Modern Family took best comedy for its fifth consecutive year, despite stiff competition in the form of Veep, Louie, Silicon Valley and Orange is the New Black (not really a comedy, but then again, with its miniseries format, True Detective was hardly a fair contender for Best Drama Series either).
Julianna Margulies was honored for her lead role on drama The Good Wife, while Julia Louis-Dreyfus took the accolade for Best Actress In A Comedy for Veep. Other big winners included Sherlock: His Last Vow, which won seven Emmys despite losing Best TV Movie to The Normal Heart. Meanwhile, Fargo won Best Miniseries and a handful of acting accolades.
Check out the full list of winners on the next page:
