Going into tonight's 2018 Primetime Emmy Awards, there was a lot of anticipation from fans of Amazon's acclaimed comedy The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which has gained almost universal praise from critics and viewers. Because the show had done quite well on the awards circuit after Season 1's release, the odds were in its favor to win big during TV's biggest night of the year. And guess what? The comedy's night was just as marvelous as its name would imply, winning in five of the six categories it was nominated in, included the big one for Outstanding Comedy Series.
Streaming series have been making a big rise in recent years, and it was high time for Amazon to strike gold with one of its original series. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel definitely did just that during the Primetime Emmys telecast, capitalizing on a handful of awards earned previously during the Creative Arts Emmys. And things started out quite well, with Family Guy voice actress Alex Borstein taking home the gold for Outstanding Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Midge's eventual manager Susie Meyerson. She had quite the excellent speech, as well, in which she copped to going braless, which was the kind of admission her fans probably weren't shocked to hear.
Then it was time for creator Amy Sherman-Palladino to have her own time to shine. The Gilmore Girls co-creator had previously won the Creative Emmy for Outstanding Music Supervision for the Mrs. Maisel pilot, and she went on to land the top spots in both Outstanding Directing and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. As one of TV's wordiest writers, her speech was also a winner, believe it or not. And as it should be, only Sherman-Palladino is capable of ending her own speech with pizazz.
It wasn't long after that pair of wins before The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel landed its fourth win of the night -- only Tony Shalhoub didn't win his category for Outstanding Supporting Actor in A Comedy Series, which went to Barry's Henry Winkler. In the positively stacked category for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, Rachel Brosnahan managed to come out on top for her layered and lively performance, and she couldn't have looked more gracious for the honor.
Then, it all came down to the last Comedy-centric category of the night, which Will Ferrell took eons to get to, going through a shtick where he acted as if the Emmy stage were over 1,000 yards long. That kind of act wouldn't have flown in Midge's time, but her comedy certainly flies in 2018, with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel winning Amazon its first Outstanding Comedy accolades. Party like it's 1958!
For those who still haven't started the binge-watching process, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel focuses on Miriam "Midge" Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan), a young Jewish housewife with two small children who appears to be living the ideal life in 1958 New York. Her husband, Joel, is a hack comedian who ends up leaving her. But instead of throwing in the towel, Midge returns to the same club Joel performed at and wows the crowd with an off-the-cuff rant, and realizes she has a true gift for stand-up comedy. The series follows Midge's continued attempts to expand on her act, with her new manager Susie by her side, while also dealing with her parents dashed expectations of her future as she tries to piece together her life as a working mom in a very difficult field. So you know...rather unlike any other show on TV right now.
Fans wanting more from Midge and her comedy are winners, in that Amazon has already ordered up Season 3, even though Season 2 still doesn't have a premiere date locked down. You can currently stream the entirety of Season 1 on Amazon. And if you need more to watch while waiting for the second batch of episodes, head to our fall TV premiere schedule.
