Late-night television has faced significant challenges this year, yet recent Emmy wins for iconic shows like SNL, The Daily Show, and The Late Show signal a resilient future for the genre.
Late-Night Television’s Resilience Amidst Challenges
In a year marked by the cancellation of one of late-night’s most iconic franchises, The Late Show, the TV Academy members have shown their support through a series of Emmy wins.
Emmy Wins for SNL and The Daily Show
A significant number of Emmy awards went to Saturday Night Live (SNL) and its 50th anniversary special, alongside three wins for The Daily Show. This includes an unexpected win for Stephen Colbert’s canceled CBS show and a surprise victory for Jimmy Kimmel at the Creative Arts Emmys, providing a much-needed boost for a segment of television that has faced numerous challenges.
SNL and SNL50: The Anniversary Special garnered 11 wins in various categories, including writing, directing, and production design, among others. This achievement came after the long-running NBC show received its highest number of Emmy nominations to date, thanks to its regular Season 50 and the star-studded anniversary special.
It was a momentous night for SNL, as Deadline reported that Lorne Michaels’ cast shake-up ahead of Season 51 is now complete, with major stars like Michael Che and Bowen Yang confirmed to return.
The Daily Show’s Record Tying Wins
The Daily Show also celebrated a successful evening with three wins, including two for Desi Lydic and one for Jordan Klepper. This ties the show’s record for the most Emmy wins in a single year, a feat last achieved in 2015. The show, hosted on Mondays by Jon Stewart, has the potential to break this record next Sunday if it can defeat The Late Show for the Outstanding Talk Series award, which it has won for the past two years.
Lydic received the awards for Outstanding Performer in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series and Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series for her digital spinoff, Foxsplains.
Jordan Klepper also took home an award for Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program for his special, The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: MAGA: The Next Generation, beating out competitors from HBO and Netflix.
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The Late Show’s First Emmy Win
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert won its first Emmy just two months after its cancellation, with director Jim Hoskinson receiving the award for Outstanding Directing for Variety Series, a category typically dominated by SNL.
Jimmy Kimmel also made headlines, winning Outstanding Host for a Game Show for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, although his late-night show is nominated at the upcoming Primetime Emmys.
After their wins, Kimmel and Lydic shared their thoughts on the future of late-night television. Lydic expressed hope for the genre, emphasizing the need for laughter in challenging times, while Kimmel reflected on the evolving landscape of late-night, noting that each day brings new adventures.
Despite not being a late-night host since the conclusion of his Conan series in 2021, O’Brien celebrated his own win for Outstanding Nonfiction Series or Special for his HBO Max travelogue.
All eyes are now on the upcoming Primetime Emmys, where The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is favored to win the Outstanding Talk Series award.
