It is not often that we get to view Netflix as an underdog. Since the platform began to invest in original content, it has dominated cultural conversations worldwide and set the gold standard for subscription numbers. But tonight, with crucial wins for “The Crown” and “The Queen’s Gambit” in the Outstanding Drama Series and Limited Series categories at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, two of the rare doors to remain closed to Netflix have flung themselves wide, wide open.
READ MORE: See the Complete List of Winners at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards
Since 2013, Netflix has frequently fallen short in three major Emmy categories: Oustanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Drama Series, and Outstanding Limited Series. Several Netflix shows have even taken multiple swings at the Outstanding Drama category; “House of Cards,” “The Crown,” and “Stranger Things” have each secured nominations across numerous years, only to fall up short on the night itself. Meanwhile, “The Queen’s Gambit” is actually the fifth Netflix series to be nominated in the Oustanding Drama category, with “Godless,” “When They See Us,” “Unbelievable,” and “Unorthodox” each previously competing for the honors.
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And while this victory may be somewhat overshadowed by the topline dominance of HBO’s “Mare of Easttown” or the sheer number of awards taken home by AppleTV+ and “Ted Lasso,” it still represents another major milestone for the streaming platform. It took years for Netflix to have its film programming taken seriously; with wins in these categories, the executives at Netflix can add another cultural arena to the list of spaces it has dominated through an aggressive development process and a keen eye for talent. And Reed Hastings wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer.
See our full coverage of the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards here.
