Game of Thrones named outstanding drama at 2018 Emmy Awards

Outstanding Drama Series

The Americans 
The Crown 
Game of Thrones 
The Handmaid's Tale 
Stranger Things 
This Is Us 
Westworld 

We're in the home stretch and the most notable thing at this stage is that the big drama nominees - Game of Thrones, with 22 nominations; Westworld, with 21; and The Handmaid's Tale, with 20 - haven't exactly stormed the trophy cabinet. Drama series is coming up, so let's see how this shakes out.

Will Ferrell walks on stage like a geriatric robot. He's moving so slowly that the 45 seconds allotted for whomever wins this award is probably going to be cut down to a solitary "thank you". He's exhausted from the "1000-yard" walk to the microphone, he says, and "these weren't the shoes to do it in". It's more odd than funny, but whatever; it's another win for Mrs Maisel, which is having a marvellous night. EP Daniel Palladino manages to snatch his full 45 seconds anyway, and then some. Here's hoping Ferrell makes it off stage before this ad break ends, though I wouldn't count on it.

Outstanding Comedy Series

Atlanta 
Barry 
Black-ish 
Curb Your Enthusiasm 
GLOW 
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel 
Silicon Valley 
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt 

In what must rank as the oddest presentation moment in the show, Ben Stiller, Patricia Arquette and Benicio del Toro share the stage and Benicio, seemingly channelling one of his many, many dead-eyed villain roles, says "We kill and we will kill again". Awkward seconds of silence stretch out between them until Arquette opens the envelope. Those two are in Escape From Dannemorra together, so maybe this is a tightly scripted promotional bit. But man, it's odd - and because of that, it's one of the more interesting moments in the whole show.

Eric Bana and Connie Britton present the Emmy for variety talk series. Among the nominees is Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. It would be a weird little quirk, really, if it won, because Bana got his start in the business on the Australian sketch comedy show Full Frontal. But that will have to remain an un-footnoted footnote because the award in fact goes to John Oliver for, like, the millionth time (well, ninth actually. But that's rather a lot.)

Outstanding Limited Series

The Alienist 
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story 
Genius: Picasso 
Godless 
Patrick Melrose 

Saturday Night Live wins, as it has done so many times before. Long-time producer Lorne Michaels gives a very short acceptance speech, probably because he's had so many opportunities before this to say whatever it is he might have wanted to say. He has received 82 individual nominations, making him the most-nominated person in Emmy history. The show tops the list too, with 252 nominations over its 43 years on air. It has produced so many stars and spin-offs over the years it really is a remarkable factory of funny business.