The period comedy “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” is set in the late 1950s, but resonates in a modern chord during the Me Too-era, its creator said backstage Monday evening at the Emmys.
Amy Sherman-Palladino picked up wins for writing and directing the Amazon Studios series, which also garnered the award for outstanding comedy and acting wins for its lead and supporting actresses.
“If you set out to drive a political message through your show, it won’t work,” Sherman-Palladino said, calling it “a fluke” that “at the very time that Maisel came out, we were taking some trolls down.”
Viewers watching at home realized, “I’m not wearing the corsets anymore, but a lot of the issues still exist,” she said.
The series tells the story of a housewife, played by Rachel Brosnahan, who begins a stand-up career at a time when her marriage is flailing.
“The show is equal parts fantasy and reality,” Brosnahan said, talking about the magical costumes and set design. “It’s about a woman who’s re-creating herself … after everything falls apart.”
The actress attributed the comedy’s success to the fact that it’s “filled with joy at its core and that’s something that we need in the world right now.”
Brosnahan said she never imagined herself as a comic actor doing stand-up routines.
“This is a dream I didn’t know I had,” the actress said. “I’ve always wanted to play complex … grounded women and this is an opportunity to do that.”
She called Sherman-Palladino and her husband Daniel “incredible teachers … fearless leaders.”
Daniel Palladino is a writer, director and producer of the series alongside his wife.
Sherman-Palladino said it’s the work and not the awards that she cherishes most.
“The statues are wonderful and the free booze — that I’m going to drink a lot of — is terrific but the work itself is the true reward,” Sherman-Palladino said. “That’s what you can hope for when you’re 1,000 years old.”