On X, there was delight from some users, in part because of who it beat. Hacks is a genuinely funny comedy that undoubtedly fits its Emmy category, giving some viewers the feeling that all has been made right in the TV world. “I believe three hours of collective live tweeting that The Bear is not a comedy actually metaphysically changed the name inside the Outstanding Comedy envelope to Hacks,” one person commented on X, while another added simply: “The Emmys said The Bear is not a comedy.”
Leaving The Bear controversy aside, there was a lot of goodwill towards the win for Hacks. “Hacks was next-level brilliant (and genuinely hilarious) this season. I’m thrilled it won tonight,” another Emmy viewer wrote on X. “Hacks wins, there is justice for comedy after all,” another commented.
A win that feels fitting
That the underdog was seen to have won out – also triumphing over other much-loved comedies such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, Abbot Elementary and Only Murders In The Building – was in keeping with the show’s premise. The series, created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W Downs and Jen Statsky, centres around bringing together an odd-couple, down-on-their-luck duo that span – or struggle to span – the generational gap in Hollywood.
Jean Smart plays Deborah Vance, an older stand-up comedian (with a strongly perfumed air of Joan Rivers), who finds herself out in the hinterlands of her career because of her ageist industry. Her agent pairs her up with Ava Daniels, played by Hannah Einbinder, a young, ambitious writer who is sacked from her regular TV gig for tweeting something obscene, and who is sent to live in Las Vegas with Deborah to help revive her career and make her relevant again for a modern audience.
These are two women who have been sidelined by their industries, and they are mad about it – that’s what makes it such a great comedy. Neither is likeable. Deborah is without doubt an abusive boss, both verbally and physically, throwing giant crystals at Ava’s head in just one of her violent confrontations. Meanwhile Ava is grossly entitled, whining about how tough her life is, while simultaneously treating others around her terribly, trampling over anyone if she thinks it might get her ahead.
