Hulu’s Handmaid lands Primetime Emmy first

Elisabeth Moss was named best lead actress for The Handmaid’s Tale

US-based Hulu has become the first streaming service to win the top Primetime Emmy for drama with its hit series The Handmaid’s Tale.

The show was the big winner at last night’s awards, hosted by comedian Stephen Colbert, with HBO’s Big Little Lies also enjoying success.

The Handmaid’s Tale beat off competition from AMC’s Better Call Saul and Netflix’s House of Cards and Stranger Things for the outstanding drama series award, as well as NBC’s hit This is Us.

The story was adapted for television by showrunner Bruce Miller, with MGM Television producing and distributing worldwide. It has been picked up around the world, including by Channel 4 in the UK.

Star Elisabeth Moss won best lead actress, Ann Dowd took best supporting actress and showrunner Bruce Miller claimed best writing for a drama series. Reed Morano also took the best directing prize to take Hulu’s haul to five.

It means Hulu, which had 18 nominations, has beaten its bigger competitors Netflix and Amazon to the Emmy’s top drama prize.

HBO’s Big Little Lies took home eight awards including a best actress in a limited series for Nicole Kidman. It also won the outstanding limited series prize.

The cable network also claimed the outstanding comedy gong for political series Veep, while outstanding lead actor in a drama series went to This Is Us star Sterling K Brown. John Oliver’s political satire Last Week Tonight, from comedy specialist prodco Avalon, won the best variety talkshow and best writing prizes.

Netflix show The Crown also had success with John Lithgow taking the outstanding supporting actor for a drama series award.

Black Mirror, which Netflix took from Channel 4 in the UK, won outstanding TV movie and outstanding writing for a limited series, movie or special for its San Junipero episode, produced by Endemol Shine’s UK prodco House of Tomorrow.

For more on Hulu and its growing challenge to Amazon and Netflix see C21 Pro’s Digital Buyers Report article here.