'Succession,' 'The Bear,' 'Beef' big winners at this year's Emmy Awards

“Succession,” HBO's takedown of Murdoch-like big media that was pretty much a lock to win best drama going into the 75th annual Primetime Emmys, indeed locked it away Monday night. The win was the show's third in four years and spoiled the party for a particularly strong drama field that included “The Last of Us,” “The Crown,” “Better Call Saul” and “The White Lotus.” Overall, “Succession” won six Emmys.

Meanwhile, “The Bear” — FX's fast-talking, sharp-elbowed, mordantly caustic drama about a chef trying to revive his dead brother's restaurant — won for best comedy. The show also won six trophies.

As expected, Netflix's “Beef” had a big night too, winning for best limited series, while leads Steven Yeun and Ali Wong also took home Emmys. The series won a total of five Emmys.

In fact, Monday started off strong for “The Bear,” with Ayo Edebiri beating out a strong field in the supporting actress category for a comedy, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach winning best supporting actor. Jeremy Allen White later won for best actor in a comedy.

Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”) also won for best actress in a comedy. She became the first Black woman to win the award in more than 40 years and the first from a network show to win it in more than a decade.

For best actor in a drama Kieran Culkin won for “Succession” — a genuine surprise because his co-stars Jeremy Strong and Brian Cox were favored. Then, a few minutes later, Sarah Snook won for best actress in a drama.

The 75th was indeed a strange broadcast, even if Monday's production team worked hard to tell viewers that this wasn't just any ol' Emmys, but a historic telecast with symbolic heft. It aired on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday (a first) and opposite an NFL playoff game. Fox and the Academy needed attention, and so the hype began early, and didn't let up.

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Energetically hosted by Anthony Anderson (“black-ish”), the show started off with a tribute to various TV classics in this 75th anniversary-themed night, including “Mister Rogers' Neighborhood,” “Good Times,” “The Facts of Life'' and “Miami Vice,” then a few minutes later another “linear TV” star (“Married … with Children'') and nominee Christina Applegate (Netflix's “Dead to Me”) took the stage, and promptly got a standing ovation. (She has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.) But just about everyone else who mounted the stage at the Peacock Theater the rest of the night got a standing "O" too. Yes, this was absolutely going to be that kind of night — nice, civil and long. Oh, so long.

Tributes piled upon tributes, stars tripped over stars. Carol Burnett arrived to announce a winner, and “The Jeffersons” star Marla Gibbs appeared onstage a bit later, then Joan Collins not long after that. Martin Lawrence was there to announce the lead actor in a comedy series. Shoutouts to “Cheers,” “The Sopranos,” “Martin,” “Taxi,” “Mad Men” and “Grey's Anatomy” came in quick succession while Arsenio Hall hailed Johnny Carson, David Letterman and Jay Leno in his brief cameo. Then more tributes: “I Love Lucy,” “Ally McBeal,” “American Horror Story,” “Dynasty,” “Empire” and what was overlooked was then included in a 60-second clip reel.

Yes, that kind of evening too — oh, so very long.

Meanwhile, “All in the Family's” Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers were there too for an indispensable Norman Lear tribute.

A few funny moments (by “Community" stars Joel McHale and Ken Jeong, a “Weekend Update" by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler) and speeches (winners Jennifer Coolidge, Niecy Nash) leavened the evening. But what couldn't be overlooked, through no real fault of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, was that the 75th was actually four months late. It was so late that Trevor Noah won for something (“The Daily Show '') that he no longer even hosts.

Two major strikes delayed this celebration, which couldn't help but be muted and cautionary, at least to anyone who bothered to look beyond that faux-exuberant surface. Hollywood, or at least TV, is not exactly in an exuberant mood these days, with layoffs, production cutbacks and a future clouded by fast-evolving new technology (did anyone make a joke about “artificial intelligence” last night? Thankfully, no).