Remember when the first season of “Arrested Development” bested the final season of “Sex and the City” at the Emmys? Or that iconic moment when “Moonlight” snatched the Best Picture Oscar from “La La Land” after a historic misfire? Awards ceremonies are no strangers to stunning upsets, and this year, FX’s “The Bear” found itself among the ranks of the most stunning moments, losing the Emmy for Best Comedy Series to HBO/Max’s “Hacks.”
Despite losing in the top category, “The Bear” broke the all-time comedy series record by winning 11 awards, a huge feat that doesn’t make its three losses — each to “Hacks” — in best comedy actress, writing, and of course the top prize, any more upsetting.
I never would have imagined that a show that won five Emmys for acting — the same number as “The Crown,” which won best drama series in 2020 — would eventually lose the big prize.
After months of debate over whether “The Bear” qualifies for the comedy category — an issue that show hosts Amy Dunne and Eugene Levy couldn't resist joking about — this loss raises the question: Is it time for “The Bear” to move into the drama categories?
Don't call it an identity crisis; let's look at it for what it is. Let's address the basic question: Would “The Bear” have had a better chance if it had competed in the drama categories, perhaps competing with its network counterpart, “Shogun”?
At its core, “The Bear” is a 30-minute show, a format traditionally associated with sitcoms and snacks. But its bold exploration of anxiety, grief, and trauma often pushes it into the realm of intense drama. And let’s not forget that it’s also in English. So, can it prove its worth as a drama? Given the depth of the narrative, I’d say yes.
Take “Shōgun,” for example, a charming, visually stunning narrative set in feudal Japan. It’s a strong show, no doubt, but as we’ve seen with non-English language series like “Squid Game,” Netflix’s most-watched series of all time, even international blockbusters can struggle to win major awards. “Squid Game” couldn’t even beat out the third (and weakest) season of HBO’s “Succession” at the 2022 Emmys, where the show earned just four of its 25 nominations. Hollywood’s reluctance to fully embrace non-English programming remains a drag, but it seems to have lessened this year. But let’s be honest, the field hasn’t exactly thrilled most industry members and voters alike. The Hollywood strikes made it easier for “Shōgun” to pivot from limited to drama. Still, in that sense, “The Bear,” with its global themes and English-language format, would have been a more viable contender.
The distinction between comedy and drama at the Emmy Awards has become increasingly blurred. In 2015, the Television Academy implemented a rule that automatically classified any show under 30 minutes as a comedy, while longer shows were classified as drama. However, in 2021, this strict classification system was abandoned, allowing shows to choose their categories regardless of their length.
This shift has opened the door to a broader conversation about what defines “comedy” in today’s TV landscape. Shows like “The Bear” and previous nominees like “Barry” and “Orange Is the New Black” straddle the line between the two genres, blending humor with darker, more dramatic narratives.
The question, then, isn’t whether “The Bear” deserves to compete in drama — it’s whether the lines between the two categories still make sense. For now, Emmy voters seem to have decided that, at least for this year, “The Bear” doesn’t fit their definition of comedy well enough to beat out a traditional show like “Hacks.” With just three wins, “Hacks” has the fewest wins among comedies since the fifth season of “Modern Family” in 2014, its fifth win in a row. Comedy, I guess, is funny again.
With the 2025 Emmy Awards just around the corner, there's a lot of speculation about where The Bear will fit in, especially with the mixed reviews of the already-aired third season. Will the show continue to play a comedic role, or will it finally embrace its darker, more dramatic identity?
While the loss in the first category may have stolen the headlines, the night was not without its highlights.
Veteran Puerto Rican actress Lisa Colón-Zayas made history as the first Latina to win Best Supporting Comedy Actress for her poignant portrayal of Tina Marrero in “The Bear.” She joins a small but growing group of Latina nominees in the category, following Sofia Vergara (“Modern Family”) and Rosie Perez (“The Air Hostess”). Given her season three, this may just be her first foray into the theater.
Her win was met with enthusiastic support from the Latino community. While introducing Chris Abrego, the Television Academy’s first Latino president, actor, producer and comedian John Leguizamo took the opportunity to shout out all the Latino nominees in the room, including Selena Gomez, Nava Mao and Essa Lopez. Leguizamo also used his platform to address the issue of Latino underrepresentation in Hollywood, saying, “Everyone played their part, except us.” For those advocating for greater Latino visibility, it was one of the most powerful moments of the evening.
“Shogun”
Courtesy of Katie Yu/FX
On the drama front, Shogun made history at the Emmy Awards, winning 18 awards, cementing its place as the most-awarded series in Emmy history. Hiroyuki Sanada became the second Asian actor to win Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama for his portrayal of Lord Yoshi Toranaga, as well as the first to win two awards, including Outstanding Drama Series as a producer, in the same year. His co-star Anna Sawai became the first Asian actress to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama for her heartbreaking portrayal of Toda Mariko.
Twenty-three years after James Earl Jones made history as the first black actor to win a supporting actor (limited) award for his role in “Heat Wave,” Lamorne Morris became the fifth actor to win the award for his performance as North Dakota deputy Whitley Farr in “Fargo.”
Meanwhile, Richard Gad earned his three nominations in the limited series categories for “Baby Reindeer,” winning for producing, writing and acting — marking the first time someone has won an Emmy for acting for a show they wrote in that category.
FX Networks was the biggest winner of the ceremony, taking home more awards than any other network for the first time in history. Notably, this is the first time in more than 15 years that neither HBO nor Netflix topped the list of top studios.
As an awards analyst, I’m always looking for patterns—some overarching narrative that ties the evening’s winners together. Usually, there’s a clear story told by the collective choices of Television Academy voters. But this year? The message is less clear. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this year’s ceremony is that, despite expectations, the Emmys can still surprise.
Isn't that what makes award shows fun in the first place?
