On Thursday, producers of some of this year’s Emmy-nominated television programs gathered at the Montage Beverly Hills hotel for a red carpet and reception. Among the attendees were Matt and Ross Duffer, creators of “Stranger Things“; Billy Eichner, creator and host of “Billy on the Street”; Steven Moffat, one of the creators and producers of “Sherlock“; and producers on HBO’s Emmy favorite “Veep.”
While popular political comedy “Veep” recently announced that its upcoming seventh season will be its last, producer David Mandel said that the decision came down to doing justice to the show’s story — despite the show’s increased relevance in today’s political landscape.
“We knew the end was near, give it one or two years. The wonderful thing about the show is that it was always about the story. There was a moment when we asked, ‘Can we stretch it?’ and the answer is no.”
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Mandel continued, “No one wants to see it stretched out — and yes, it has gotten harder in these political times — but story comes first at the end of the day.”
The Duffer brothers, however, are just beginning their Emmy journey with their Netflix hit. The co-creators said that they did not expect “Stranger Things” to be nominated for Emmy Awards and that the recognition felt “surreal.” The show has been nominated for 19 awards, including best drama series.
“There are a lot of superhero stories, but we wanted to make something about ordinary people who encounter something extraordinary,” Matt said. “That’s our favorite kind of story, and maybe that’s why it resonated with people.”
When asked about the fan support for the character Barb and the “Justice for Barb” movement, Ross said, “I’m glad people are sticking up for Barb. Shannon Purser, who played Barb, only had 25 lines but she really connected with her and we saw a lot of ourselves in Barb.”
Moffat echoed the Duffer’s surreal sentiments when asked about the popularity of “Sherlock.” Moffat shared that while working on the episode “The Lying Detective,” for which the show was nominated, actor Toby Jones would stay in character at all times while on set.
“It was alarming working with Toby, and when you’re playing a deeply disturbing serial killer that’s not someone you want to hang with,” Moffat said. “He’d come storming off the set, scrunch himself up in a corner, and keep hold of the monstrosity.”
Moffat added that although it may be awhile before any new episodes are released, “Sherlock” is by no means finished. “We just called the episode ‘The Final Problem’ for s—s and giggles. We don’t know yet, and I’ve been busy working on other shows. Our show gallops along like a glacier, but expect another ice age in the future.”
The 69th Primetime Emmy Awards, hosted by Stephen Colbert, is on CBS Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.