Does anyone remember when the first season of “Arrested Development” beat the final season of “Sex and the City” at the Emmys? Or the iconic moment when “Moonlight” won the Oscar for best picture over “La La Land” after a historical mix-up? Awards shows are no strangers to stunning upsets, and this year FX’s “The Bear” joins the ranks of notable jaw-dropping moments, losing the Emmy for outstanding comedy series to HBO/Max’s “Hacks.”
Despite losing in the top category, “The Bear” shattered the all-time comedy series record with eleven wins, a monumental feat that includes just three losses – each to “Hacks” – in lead comedy actress, writing and of course, the big prize , feel all the more shocking.
I never could have imagined a show that won five acting Emmys — the most in history with “The Crown,” which won drama series in 2020 — and ultimately lost the big one.
After months of debate over whether “The Bear” even qualifies as a comedy — an issue that Emmy hosts Dan and Eugene Levy couldn’t resist joking about — this loss begs the question: Is it time for “The Bear” to switch to comedy? drama categories?
Don’t call it an identity crisis; let’s just look at it for what it is. Let’s answer the basic question: Would “The Bear” have had a better chance if it had competed in the drama categories, potentially competing against its network counterpart “Shōgun?”
At its core, “The Bear” is a 30-minute show, a format traditionally associated with sitcoms and light fare. But its raw exploration of fear, grief and trauma often brings it closer to the realm of intense drama. And let’s not forget that it is also in English. So could it hold its own on the dramatic front? Given the depth of the storytelling, I’d say yes.
Take “Shōgun,” a compelling, visually stunning story set in feudal Japan. It’s undoubtedly a powerhouse, but as we’ve seen with non-English-language series like “Squid Game,” the most-watched Netflix series of all time, even groundbreaking international hits can struggle to land top prizes. “Squid Game” couldn’t top the third (and weakest) season of HBO’s “Succession” at the 2022 Emmys, where the show received just four of 25 nominations. Hollywood’s hesitation to fully embrace non-English programming remains a barrier, but that appears to have subsided this year. But let’s be honest: the field it defeated didn’t exactly excite most industry members and voters. The Hollywood strikes made it easier for “Shōgun” to transition from limited to drama. Nevertheless, “The Bear,” with its universal themes and English-language format, could have been a more viable contender in that sense.
The distinction between comedy and drama at the Emmys has become increasingly blurred. In 2015, the Television Academy implemented a rule that automatically classified any show shorter than 30 minutes as comedy, while longer shows were classified as drama. However, in 2021, this rigid ranking system was abandoned, allowing shows to choose their categories regardless of runtime.
This shift has opened up a broader discussion about what defines a “comedy” in today’s TV landscape. Shows like ‘The Bear’ and previous nominees like ‘Barry’ and ‘Orange is the New Black’ toe the line between the two genres, combining humor with darker, more dramatic stories.
So the question isn’t just about whether “The Bear” should compete in the drama stakes — it’s about whether the lines between the two categories still make sense. For now, Emmy voters seem to have decided, at least for this year, that “The Bear” doesn’t fit their definition of comedy enough to beat out a more traditionally structured show like “Hacks.” With just three wins, “Hacks” has the lowest number of winners for a comedy winner since Season 5 of “Modern Family” in 2014, its fifth straight win. I think comedy is funny again now.
As we watch the 2025 Emmys, speculation is rife about where “The Bear” will fit in, especially with mixed reviews already emerging for the already-aired third season. Will it continue to dabble in comedy, or should it finally embrace its darker, more dramatic identity?
While the loss in the top category may have stolen the headlines, the evening was not without significant milestones.
Veteran Puerto Rican actor Liza Colón-Zayas made history as the first Latina to win supporting comedy actress for her moving portrayal of Tina Marrero in “The Bear.” She joined a small but growing group of Latina nominees in this category, following Sofia Vergara for “Modern Family” and Rosie Perez for “The Flight Attendant.” And considering what she accomplishes in Season 3, this may only be her first trip to the stage.
Her victory received enthusiastic support from the Latino community. During the presentation of Cris Abrego, the first Latino president of the Television Academy, actor, producer and comedian John Leguizamo took the opportunity to shout out all the Latino nominees in the room, including Selena Gomez, Nava Mau and Issa López. Leguizamo also used his platform to address the long-standing problem of Latino underrepresentation in Hollywood, joking, “Everyone was playing us but 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 side, “Shōgun” made Emmy history with 18 wins, cementing its status as the most awarded series in Emmy history. Hiroyuki Sanada became only the second Asian actor to win Lead Drama Actor for his portrayal of Lord Yoshii Toranaga, in addition to being the first to win two statuettes in the same year, including Outstanding Drama Series Producer. His co-star Anna Sawai became the first Asian performer to win a leading actress award for her heartbreaking role as 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 to take home the award for his performance as North Dakota Deputy Whitley Farr . on “Fargo.”
Meanwhile, in the limited series categories, Richard Gadd picked up his three nominations for “Baby Reindeer,” winning for producing, writing and acting — marking the first time someone won an acting Emmy for a show they put in the category wrote.
FX Networks emerged as the biggest winner of the night, taking in more statues than any other network for the first time in history. Notably, it marks the first time in more than 15 years that neither HBO nor Netflix topped the studio leaderboard.
As a price analyst, I always look for patterns – an overarching story that connects the evening’s winners. Mostly, a simple story is told through the collective choices of the Television Academy voters. But this year? The message is less overt. Perhaps the biggest lesson from this year’s ceremony is that, despite the predictions, the Emmys can still surprise us.
And isn’t that what makes award shows so fun in the first place?