After months of delay due to last year’s strikes, theEmmy Awardsfinally aired on Fox on Monday night. Hosted by Anthony Anderson at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, the event’s 75th ceremony used the star-studded occasion to honor historic television shows of the past, such asThe Sopranos,Cheers,The Twilight Zone, andAlly McBeal, to name a few. Old sets were recreated onstage, and familiar casts were reunited in some of the most delightful and memorable moments of the night. In a show that managed to entertain its attending audience as well as viewers at home, the Emmys were nothing short of a dazzling trip down memory lane for lovers of great television.
Christina Applegate received a standing ovationthe moment she walked onstage to deliver the evening’s first award, which brought her to tears. Elton John finally received an EGOT but, unfortunately, didn’t attend the ceremony to accept his award in person. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hilariously did an Emmy Edition of Weekend Update, which evoked plenty of nostalgia for the yesteryears ofSaturday Night Live. All in all, the ceremony was filled with a myriad of memorable and noteworthy moments throughout the night.
Anthony Anderson’s “Play-Off Mama”
One of the most adorable bits of the evening included Anderson’s mother, Doris Bowman. During his opening monologue, Anderson explained this year’s ceremony wouldn’t include the dreaded “play-off music” so many winners hear just before their acceptance speeches are cut off. Instead, this year’s event would include a “play-off mama,” specifically his own mother. “If you see my mama, just thank Jesus and your family and wrap it up,” the host playfully noted. Delightfully enough, his mother played the part well.
When Jennifer Coolidge won Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role inThe White Lotus, Bowman held up a sign with a red X covering a clock before kindly telling the actress, “Baby. Baby. Time.” AfterLast Week Tonight With Jon Oliverwon for Best Scripted Variety Series, Jon Oliver purposefully extended his speech so Bowman could scoot him offstage. Finally, after the cast ofThe Bearaccepted their awardfor Best Comedy Series, Bowman was seen with a new sign that read, “Wrap it up now. Love, Mama.” All in good fun, Anderson’s mother was charmingly stringent.
Recreated Sets and Reunited Casts
By far, the most entertaining thread tying the evening together was the number of cast reunions and recreated sets of some of television’s most notable shows. Martin Lawrence and his fellowMartincostars, Tisha Campbell, Carl Anthony Payne II, and Tichina Arnold, reunited in a replica of the show’s iconic living room. Having never received an Emmy during its run from 1992 to 1997, the cast playfully pointed out they should have won one because of all the other accolades the show has received since it aired.
The entirecast ofCheers, including Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, Rhea Perlman, John Ratzenberger, and George Wendt, made an appearance in a recreation of the most recognizable bar in television history. Finally, coming together in what Ratzenberger described as “a long overdue class reunion,” their presence together garnered resounding applause from the audience.
Ellen Pompeo and some of her original costars, Chandra Wilson, Justin Chambers, Katherine Heigl, and James Pickens, fromGrey’s Anatomy, came together in a rendering of a hospital room. Currently, still on television, the series is the longest-running prime-time medical drama in television history, with over 400 episodes to date.
Calista Flockhart made an amusing appearance in a recreation of theAlly McBealbathroom as she talked to herself in character. Shortly after, her costars, Greg Germann, Peter MacNicol, and Gil Bellows, emerged from the bathroom stall and began to dance as Flockhart joined in to recreate one of the show’s hilarious fantasy dance sequences.
Pedro Pascal Hilariously Took a Jab at Kieran Culkin
In a callback to the Golden Globes last week, Pedro Pascal hilariously took a jab at Kieran Culkin for telling Pascal to “suck it” during his acceptance speech. Both were nominated for Best Male Actor in a Drama TV Series at the Globes, butCulkin took home the awardfor his role inSuccession. While presenting at the Emmys, Pascal used the opportunity to respond to ongoing questions about his arm, which is notably in a sling.
After clarifying his shoulder is the issue, he confessed Culkin actually beat him up. However, he used more colorful language that had to be censored on live television. Playing along with the bit, Culkin stared sternly at Pascal before breaking into laughter when Pascal immediately pivoted to announce the nominees for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, which ultimately went to Culkin’sSuccessioncostar Matthew Macfadyen.
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Niecy Nash-Betts Gave an Empowering Acceptance Speech
One of the best and mostinspiring acceptance speechesof the night was given by Niecy Nash-Betts after she won Best Supporting Actress for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her role inDahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. She promptly received a standing ovation before she took the stage and announced, “I’m a winner, baby!” She then rightfully thanked herself for believing in herself when others did not. She finished her speech by accepting the award on “behalf of every Black and Brown woman who has gone unheard and overpoliced.” The audience remained standing and continued to clap as she joyously exited the stage.
After a memorable and dazzling night, Anthony Anderson bid farewell to the audience and paid tribute to the late Martin Luther King Jr. with one of Dr. King’s most prolific televised speeches. Fitting of the day, viewers were left with a thunderous voice pontificating the words, “Free at least. Free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last.”
