Sunday Best: Emmy Winners 2026

  

Perhaps I am getting older or more mature or perhaps my tastes are changing, but I don't have the same excitement that I used to for award shows.  I used to look forward to the Golden Globes, the Emmys, and most especially the Oscars.  But now they seem like an afterthought.  I still consume a great deal of media (perhaps too much).  But my desire to see the industry award itself is waning.

My biggest takeaway from watching the Emmys didn't have to do with any of the actual awards.  I didn't think that Marishka Hartigay was a terrible host, but she wasn't very good either.  And as with the proliferation of streaming networks, most of the shows that were nominated were ones that I did not watch.

BIG WINNERS: Widow's Bay

This is a show I do not watch, but it cleaned up that night.  It won a total of 13 wins.  The lead actor Matthew Rhys not only won for this show but for a limited series that night as well.  While I can't speak to how good the show is, I was happy to see Stephen Root win an Emmy.  I'm old enough to remember when he was doing guest spots on the original Night Court and he has been working regularly in television since.  I especially like how he referenced Harrison Ford.  It also like Katie Dipold (the showrunner) is now out of Hollywood jail after writing the 2016 Ghostbusters movie

MICHAEL J. FOX'S SPEECH

As a child of the 1980's I was very moved by seeing Michael J. Fox accept his award.  I loved how he began his speech by acknoledging the award's namesake Bob Hope and ending his speech thanking him.  

TOM PELPHREY'S SPEECH

I do not know this actor, but I was moved by how he began by thanking God for his life and his sobriety.  His speech had the tone of true gratitude, especially when he turned his attention to his family saying they were the crown jewel of his life.  I especially loved how he spoke to his unborn child growing inside of his wife.  It was a very pro-life moment.

HUMOR?

I always wonder who writes the jokes for these shows and how they almost always come to the unfunniest punchlines.  The only standout was John Mulaney who probably wrote his own material.

IN MEMORIAM

I don't know how these awards shows keep screwing up the In Memoriam part of the evening.  Sometimes they leave off names they shouldn't.  Sometimes they choose the wrong song/singer.  But this time, it was the fact that Chuck Norris was left off of the list.  Not only was he a cultural icon, but his show Walker, Texas Ranger was a huge hit that ran for several years on CBS.  

Thoughts?