The most unusual Emmys in the award show’s history kicked off with host Jimmy Kimmel and… a packed house?
I’ll admit that I initially fell for the bit, which used footage from previous ceremonies to make it seem like the Staples Center was full of this year’s nominees. “Hello, and welcome to the Pand-Emmys. It’s great to finally see people again,” Kimmel cracked as the camera cut to the crowd. “Thank you for risking everything to be here, thank me for risking everything to be here. You know what they say, you can’t have a virus without a host.”
Of course, the rich and famous weren’t actually there (for once, the celebs are like us, the not-rich and not-famous: they’re watching at home). With one exception: Jason Bateman. When the Ozark star, who was mixed among the cardboard stand-ins for Sandra Oh and Billy Porter, was called out by Kimmel, he left behind a cutout of himself as a teen; when asked when the photo was taken, he replied, “I don’t know. I don’t age.”
Earlier in the monologue, Kimmel admitted that it might seem “frivolous and unnecessary” to hold an awards show right now, but “we need fun. My god, do we need fun.” Here’s to a fun night.
For the complete list of winners, click here.