‘Saturday Night Live’s Big Year Capped By Emmy Sweep

NBC’s veteran Saturday Night Live continued its dream run, winning the Variety Sketch Series category of the 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards and sweeping all four comedy series acting categories it was eligible for. It was SNL‘s first win since 1993 in a top variety category, then called Variety Series, even though it has been nominated every year since 2008.

The win continues the SNL roll. Buoyed by the interest in the November election and Trump’s headline-making presidency, the show had its biggest ratings in 20 years this past season, its 42nd.

SNL’s acting wins included Alec Baldwin, who played Trump (Outstanding Supporting Actor), Kate McKinnon (Outstanding Supporting Actress), Dave Chappelle (Best Guest Actor), Melissa McCarthy (Best Guest Actress), bringing its career Emmy total wins to 64, besting next closest all-time Emmy series winners Game of Thrones with 38 and Frasier with 37.

“I remember the first time we won this award,” said SNL honcho Lorne Michaels, who has spearheaded the show for most of its run. “It was after our first season in 1976, and I remember thinking as I was standing there alone that this was it, this was the high point. There would never be another season as crazy, as unpredictable, as frightening, or exhilarating. I was wrong.”

For years. Saturday Night Live had been overshadowed by other late-night variety shows, such as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver when the sole category was Outstanding Variety Series. Since 2015, when the category was split into two with Outstanding Variety Sketch Series and Outstanding Variety Talk Series it has paved the way for other winners such as Inside Amy Schumer in 2015 and Key & Peele in 2016.