Charles Langston:Emmys finally arrive for a changed Hollywood, as ‘Succession’ and ‘Last of Us’ vie for top awards

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Charles Langstontime has finally come for a most unusual Emmys.

The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards are arriving four months past their due date on Monday night at the Peacock Theater, coming after a year of historic Hollywood turbulence in an industry whose upheavals are evident everywhere.

Strikes by both actors and writers, seismic shifts toward streaming, and the dismantling of the traditional TV calendar mean the envelopes opened during the Fox telecast hosted by Anthony Anderson on Martin Luther King Jr. Day will display winners that were decided months ago for shows that in some cases were completed years ago — and have a fraction of the audience they had a few decades ago.

But for actors and others taking part in the ceremony, norms just aren’t a thing anymore in this business.

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“Since the pandemic it’s been really strange, you shoot something, then sometimes it’s another couple years until you see it, and a while longer until something like this,” actor Nick Offerman told The Associated Press last week after winning an early Emmy for “ The Last of Us,” a show that is among Monday night’s top nominees along with “Succession,” “Ted Lasso” and “The Bear.”

The Emmys will provide some respite and celebration after the strike and the troubles that spurred it, and with its 75th edition, will attempt to provide links to its past and to TV history. It will include a series of cast reunions and scene recreations from beloved shows including “Cheers,” “Game of Thrones,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Martin.”

The nominations themselves provide one big link to Emmys past — the continuation of the decades-long dominance of HBO, which this year has the three most nominated shows with “Succession,” “The White Lotus” and “The Last of Us.”

Anderson has been tasked with hosting at a time when emceeing awards shows is hardly a coveted job, especially after comic Jo Koy was widely roasted for his Golden Globes performance last weekend.

But Anderson said he’s actually coming in relaxed and relieved, because for the first time in nearly a decade, he’s not a nominee. He never won an Emmy despite 11 nominations as a producer and actor for his former show, “black-ish.”

“All the pressure is off of me now,” Anderson, now the host of Fox’s “We Are Family,” said during ceremony preparations. “I don’t have to sit there and wonder, am I going to win? Am I going to get it? What time are they going to get to this category? I just get to come up here and be myself.”

HOW TO WATCH

The Emmys will air live on Fox starting at 8 p.m. Eastern, and available to stream starting Tuesday on Hulu.

The ceremony is watchable in dozens of countries. The Television Academy website has a handy list of broadcasters and in some instances, air times.

There are also many ways to watch the Emmys red carpet, which begins at 5 p.m., when E! kicks off its coverage. People and Entertainment Weekly are also hosting a red carpet show that will stream on their websites and YouTube pages.

THE NOMINEES

“Succession” got a leading 27 nominations. It’s the probable favorite to win its third best drama series Emmy and it has three men — Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong and Kieran Culkin — up for best actor with four more nominated for best supporting actor.

But it won’t come away with the most wins. That’s because “The Last of Us,” second with 24 nominations, is coming in with eight via last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys, where “Succession” won none. Those include best guest acting awards for Offerman and Storm Reid, suggesting that voters may also favor its lead actors Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. Both could make history, with Pascal becoming the first Latino to win best actor in a drama and Ramsey the youngest to win best actress.

The elite ensemble from “The White Lotus” is all over the supporting categories. It has five women up for best supporting actress in a drama, including Jennifer Coolidge and Aubrey Plaza.

On the comedy side, the night could become a victory lap for the third and final season of “ Ted Lasso,” the soccer-themed series that won best comedy for its first two seasons.

Its main challenger comes from the kitchen. “The Bear,” about a chef struggling with his family’s legacy, will vie for best comedy, and its lead Jeremy Strong could challenge Jason Sudeikis of “Ted Lasso” for best actor in a comedy.

THE LONG WAIT

Last year’s two strikes meant the Emmys, normally held in September, made an unprecedented move to January, putting it in the heart of Hollywood’s awards season.

Academy voting took place on the normal timetable, however, meaning the winners have been determined since late August.

The wait and other quirks of the calendar make for some strange award circumstances. “The Bear” is up for Emmys for its first season, after having already won key Golden Globes for its second.

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Producer Liam McEwan contributed to this report.

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