Advertisement

‘The Pitt’ edges out ‘Severance’ for best drama Emmy in night filled with upsets

R. Scott Gemmill accepts an Emmy alongside "The Pitt's" cast and creators on stage.
“The Pitt” creator R. Scott Gemmill accepts the Emmy for drama series.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
0:00 0:00

This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.

Freshman drama “The Pitt,” HBO Max’s hour-by-hour look at a day shift inside a Pittsburgh emergency room, won best drama at the 77th Emmy Awards on Sunday night.

The medical drama entered the night as a dark horse contender, with many predicting Apple TV+‘s “Severance” would win the category. “The Pitt” also beat out “The Last of Us” (HBO), “The White Lotus” (HBO), “Andor” (Disney+), “The Diplomat” (Netflix) and “Slow Horses” (Apple TV+).

Series creator R. Scott Gemmill dedicated the win to healthcare and frontline workers and first responders.

Advertisement

‘The Studio’ and Tramell Tillman made Emmys history; Stephen Colbert won amid his show’s looming cancellation; and ‘Adolescence’ took home lots of prizes.

“Respect them, protect them, trust them,” he said in his acceptance speech.

The first season of the drama unfolded over 15 gripping episodes that tracked a grueling 15-hour shift in an emergency room to present a realistic portrayal of the challenges healthcare workers face. It brought star and executive producer Noah Wyle back into scrubs 15 years after the end of “ER,” NBC’s long-running medical drama in which he starred as Dr. John Carter, and reunited him with “ER” producers John Wells and Gemmill, its showrunner.

Noah Wyle won his first Emmy for lead actor in a drama for his performance as Dr. Michael ‘Robby’ Robinavitch in HBO Max’s ‘The Pitt.’

The series made headlines even before its premiere when the estate of Michael Crichton, creator of “ER,” sued Warner Bros., producer of “The Pitt,” arguing it was an unauthorized reboot of the NBC medical drama. In response, Warner Bros. said “The Pitt” is not a “derivative work” of “ER.” The case is still pending.

“The Pitt’s” debut season received 13 Emmy nominations, and ended the season with five total wins, including actor in a drama for Wyle and supporting actress in a drama for Katherine LaNasa.

Advertisement

“The Pitt” will return for a second season in January 2026.

The complete guide to home viewing

Get Screen Gab for everything about the TV shows and streaming movies everyone’s talking about.

Advertisement
Advertisement