Triumph for BBC's short-form comedy

BBC Two’s new comedy series State Of The Union won three Emmy awards in Los Angeles last night.

The show was named outstanding short-form comedy or drama, while Rosamund Pike and Chris O’Dowd won the outstanding actress and actor awards in the same category.

The victory for the show, written by Nick Hornby and directed by Stephen Frears, came as something as a surprise given that it was not initially one of the nominees.

However, Better Call Saul Employee Training: Madrigal Electromotive Security was ruled ineligible after the shortlists were revealed because several episodes were were short of the two-minute minimum run time – making room for the BBC series.

Accepting the awards, O’Dowd said: ‘I’m so pleased we won. It’s better than the alternative.’

He plays Tom and Pike his wife Louise  in the ten, ten-minute episodes, which revolve around a couple’s meet-up in a pub before their weekly marital therapy session. The series is currently available on iPlayer and also on Sundance TV in the States, which is what made it eligible for an Emmy.

At last night’s ceremony at the Microsoft Theatre, Fleabag added to its awards haul, scooping two more Emmys for casting and picture editing.

Netflix’s quirky comedy Russian Doll won for cinematography, production design and contemporary costumes.

And Amazon Prime’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel won for cinematography, period costumes andhair styling. Two guest stars also won Emmys for their appearance in the show about a female comic in the 1960s: Luke Kirby for playing groundbreaking comedian Lenny Bruce and Jane Lynch as the fictional comic Sophie Lennon.

Yesterday was the second night of the Creative Arts Emmys, which primarily honours offscreen production talent.

On Saturday, Hannah Gadsby won an Emmy for writing her groundbreaking stand-up special Nanette – while other gongs went to James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and more.

The main Primetime Emmys will be announced on Sunday.

Published: 16 Sep 2019