The genre-bending series took home 14 awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series, and in the process set a new record for the most Emmys won by a comedy in a single season. Apple TV+’s Widow’s Bay turned the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards into its biggest night yet. Created by Katie Dippold, the show has carved out a rather unusual space for itself by mixing small-town politics with dark humour and supernatural horror.
Matthew Rhys won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for playing Mayor Tom Loftis, while Kate O’Flynn and Stephen Root were honoured in the supporting acting categories. Creator Katie Dippold won Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, while Hiro Murai was named Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series. Widow’s Bay dominated the major comedy categories at the Emmys, taking home Outstanding Comedy Series along with acting wins for its cast. The series also picked up awards for both writing and direction. The Atlanta director also made Emmy history with the win, becoming the first Asian director to take the award in the category.
Created by Katie Dippold, who has worked across both comedy and horror, Widow’s Bay is an unusual mix of the two genres. The series, which is considered a sleeper hit as word of mouth spread across about how good the show was, is set in a remote New England island community where life takes a dark turn when the residents are forced to confront a centuries-old curse. One moment, the story is dealing with the everyday chaos of running a small town, and the next, the characters are facing something genuinely terrifying.
(Read HT review of Widow’s Bay: Hilarious yet horrific in the same breath, Apple TV series is one of the year’s best shows ) Matthew Rhys had a night of his own at the Emmys. After winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Widow’s Bay, he picked up another trophy for Netflix’s psychological thriller The Beast in Me, winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series. With the two wins, Matthew became the first actor to take home lead acting Emmys in two different categories on the same night.
