So, yesterday, your intrepid EW.com staffers thought we might prepare for the Sept. 16 Emmy telecast by publishing a photo gallery of the most memorable moments of Emmy ceremonies past — only, we could hardly think of any. This was especially embarrassing for me, since I’m usually the one who writes the Emmys Most Memorable Moments gallery every year as soon as the ceremony is over, and even I had a hard time coming up with unforgettable moments from the Emmy podium from recent years.
To be sure, the Emmys don’t often lend themselves to memorable moments the way other awards shows do. Missing are the grandeur of the Oscars, the music and outrageous costumes of the Grammys, or the drunken shenanigans of the Golden Globes. Still, I was able to come up with a handful off the top of my head:
• Ellen DeGeneres hosting in 2001 (pictured). In the wake of Sept. 11 and the invasion of Afghanistan, the ceremony was pushed back twice, and no one seemed to be in the mode for an evening of celebrity self-congratulation. Yet Ellen saved the day with dignity and wry humor, as with her quip, "What would upset the Taliban more than a gay woman wearing a suit in front of a room full of Jews?"
• Conan O’Brien’s opening segment (2006). From the brilliant montage (including a South Park/Trapped in the Closet parody) to his "We Got Trouble" musical number bewailing the dire straits of the TV industry, to his putting Bob Newhart in a glass booth timed to run out of air and suffocate the comedy icon if the show ran longer than three hours (it didn’t — whew), Conan’s opener last year may have been the funniest 15 minutes of any awards show ever.
• Emmy Idol (2005). Donald Trump and Megan Mullally singing the theme to Green Acres, or William Shatner declaiming the theme to Star Trek while Frederica von Stade served as a human theremin — that was memorable all right, but not in a good way.
• Wanda Sykes pestering an unamused Bill Cosby (2003). The Jell-o pitchman never even took off his sunglasses while Sykes ribbed him in his orchestra seat, but you could tell he was staring daggers at her. Made me laugh, that’s for sure. Why can’t she be the host sometime?
Which Emmy moments do you remember? No fair going back and looking at our Emmy Best and Worst galleries to jog your memory.
I guess Googling for anything isn’t fair? I’m not sure if it was the Emmys or People’s Choice, but Kirstie Alley thanking Parker Stevenson for giving her the Big O was memorable.
Arrested Development winning the best comedy series Emmy was pretty memorable for me. That’s all I can think of.
Everytime I think of one I remember, oh yeah, that was the Golden Globes (Ving Rhames giving his award to Jack Lemmon; Christine Lahti in the bathroom; any Hugh Laurie acceptance speech). They really need booze at the Emmys. Lots and lots of booze.
I haven’t been REALLY excited about the Emmys since the 80s. And that was so long ago I can’t recall a specific instance. I do remember being happy that Michael J. Fox won for “Family Ties” because I had the usual teenage crush on him.
wait! The emmys are supposed to be memorable? Since when?
i thought when they had real people present the reality award was cool, the 2 up there were stoked and the girl chatted w/ brad and jen. it was a “real” moment
Didn’t Hannah Montana wear that dress?
Christine Lahti announcing to the public that she was stuck in the ladies room.
Any time Hugh Laurie opens his mouth. That, and Christine Lahti in the ladies’ room was unscripted hilarity!
Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t the Christine Lahti-in-the-bathroom moment happen at the Golden Globes, not the Emmy’s?
Well, Laurie is a talented comedian. The Emmy’s should reunite him with Stephen Fry who has made apperances on Bones. I guarentee that every person in that auditorium would be busting a gut with laughter.
When Adrian Brody french-kissed Halle Berry…
Who can forget the old mother from Everybody Loves Raymond winning another Emmy? Or Candace Bergen winning another Emmy? Unforgettable.
Last year, Stephen Colbert had lost to Barry Manilow for Best Variety Performer. Or something. When presenting a Reality award, addressed the audience as “Godless Sodomites”.
I only remember last year. It’s the Emmys.
The Emmy’s used to be a great yearly platform for Garry Shandling’s self effacing humor. Um… that’s not terribly specific.