There were a lot of expected and surprise winners Monday at the 2nd annual Gotham TV Awards in New York held at Cipriani Wall Street.
She wasn’t at the glittering black tie affair, but Kathy Bates won Best Lead Performance for her CBS series, “Matlock.” Bates is on her way to an Emmy Award now. It’s quite an achievement for Bates and for “Matlock” a semi-reboot of a tired old show that gained new life.
Netflix’s drama, “Adolescence,” won Breakthrough Limited Series. HBO Max’s “The Pitt” took home Breakthrough Drama Series
Seth Rogen’s Apple TV series, “The Studio,” won Breakthrough Comedy Series. “Social Studies” won Breakthrough Nonfiction Series.
“Pee-Wee as Himself” Wins Original Film, Streaming or Broadcast.
Outstanding Performances were awarded also to Owen Cooper (Adolescence), Stephen Graham (Adolescence), Poorna Jagannathan (Deli Boys), Aaron Pierre (Rebel Ridge), Jenny Slate (Dying for Sex), Julio Torres (Fantasmas), and Ben Whishaw (Black Doves).
There were emotional tributes throughout the night. Sheryl Lee Ralph won the Sidney Poitier Prize, and it was given by Poitier’s gracious daughter, Pamela. Now an Emmy winner on “Abbott Elementary,” Ralph recalled getting her first acting job in a movie Poitier directed when she was just 19. That cemented their friendship.
It would take 8 years before she broke through in Broadway’s “Dreamgirls” in 1985. Even with that exceptional credit, Sheryl Lee has spent the last 40 years surviving in Hollywood, working every year in different TV shows. Before “Abbott” her longest run was in “Moesha.”
She’s seen it all, and still persisted. “They call me Betty White Black,” she joked through tears.
There were also tributes to Elisabeth Moss and “The Handmaid’s Tale,” prolific writer and producer David E. Kelley, one for the “Squid Gamer,” and a hilarious moment honoring Amy Sherman Palladino and husband Dan Palladino, creators of “Gilmore Girls,” “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and the Amazon drama, “Etoile.” They’d prepared no acceptance speech, which resulted in off the cuff, brief hilarity.
Later, I talked to them, as well as actor Luke Kirby, who stars in “Etoile.” (Rachel Brosnahan and Kelly Bishop were there to support them.) The Palladinos are hoping for a second season renewal on “Etoile,” the classiest show on Amazon Prime. “We love doing it,” Amy said. “Etoile” is a lot like HBO’s “The Gilded Age,” which didn’t catch on until its second season. It would be a shame not see it return.
Finally, Parker Posey took the stage to accept her Lifetime Achievement Award. Her resume of off beat comic performances culminated this year in “The White Lotus,” where her character of wealthy suburban housewife Victor became the touchstone of the series. She was introduced by real life couple Sam Rockwell and Leslie Bibb, her co-stars on the HBO show, who did a fine job mimicking Posey’s catchphrases like “Piper, no!” with a southern drawl.
Posey’s unique take on the night is below.
