On Monday evening, the most
prominent figures in television, including Anthony Anderson's mom, Doris,
gathered at Los Angeles' Peacock Theater for the 2023 Emmy Awards. However,
with numerous A-listers present, the cameras couldn't capture every moment for
viewers at home. Here are some highlights:
 |
| The cast of Grey's Anatomy at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, CA, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024 |
— It seems that the top-tier talent was shielded behind velvet curtains from the countless individuals (cough, cough, writers and executives) attempting to grab a drink in the Peacock lobby. There were a few exceptions. F. Murray Abraham, a nominee for White Lotus — not canceled for everyone — graciously paused for multiple selfies before entering the theater.
— Since our last Emmy ceremony in
this venue (RIP Microsoft Theater!), they've introduced those no-checkout snack
stations where they just seem to know what you take, similar to airport bodegas
or those dystopian Amazon Fresh supermarkets. Mark Mylod, director of
Succession (and later an Emmy winner), takes a moment to comprehend the
concept, cautiously looking around before exiting, resembling an amateur thief.
— Whether due to being the most
popular attendees or, more likely, the most flamboyantly dressed, the
contestants from RuPaul’s Drag Race create a bottleneck on the left Orchestra
pathway with fan screams and requests for selfies. Being true to any Drag
Queen’s nature, they happily oblige! (However, Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons
really need to find their seats...)
— Ten minutes before the show starts, we witness the first appearance of Mama Doris. She offers winners advice on ascending the stage and emphasizes the importance of brevity in acceptance speeches, all within the 45-second limit. "Go over, and you'll have to deal with me!" (Early winner Jennifer Coolidge learned this the hard way.)
— Thirteen minutes into the
telecast and already three standing ovations — is this a European film
festival? Not that we're comparing, but Christina Applegate's was slightly slow
to start, Carol Burnett's was immediate, and Quinta Brunson's garnered perhaps
70 percent of the room.
— Perhaps owing to the
overwhelmingly white audience, the Martin reunion falls a bit flat with the
room. The jokes didn't quite land, except for Tichina Arnold's. She has the
ability to deliver even the most mediocre lines with absolute brilliance.
— Since the Coolidge interruption, Mama Doris becomes noticeably absent, especially during longer speeches. There's a sense of unease in the room as the Queen of funny speeches, remember the 2022 Emmys!? seems to be restrained. John Oliver only brings her back when he challenges her by listing off Liverpool FC’s starting 11. She appears a bit less enthusiastic in beckoning him off.
— The number of standing ovations
at this point, not even an HOUR into the telecast, is maddening. However, Marla
Gibbs receives the largest and longest one since Burnett. Perhaps let's reserve
these for our nonagenarian icons... or Niecy Nash-Betts, the only person who
gets the room to leap to their feet AFTER her speech.
— People went wild when Katherine
Heigl came out. Legit "you get a car!" response from at least 10
women.
— The Bear creator Christopher Storer is a no-show as his FX "comedy" continues to rack up awards, with him personally winning two — and counting. The upside: it bought some time for the show’s producers, who have evidently reconsidered the Mama Doris plan. According to Bear star Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Storer is at home with Covid.
— Instead of paying attention to
whatever newly minted Emmy winner Trevor Noah was saying, many audience members
were trying to decipher what Roy Wood Jr. was mouthing from the stage behind
him. According to Twitter (sorry, X), he was apparently saying, "Please
hire a host." (For context, the former correspondent removed himself from
consideration to replace Noah after the very public casting search dragged on
and on and on).
— In a night filled with too many
standing ovations, perhaps nobody leaped to their feet faster than the gay men
of RuPaul’s Drag Race when Taraji P. Henson and Joan Collins took the stage.
Carson Kressley and Ross Mathews almost catapulted themselves into the rafters
before the two women were even visible.
— And that's a wrap. Everyone began
pouring out, headed to the numerous parties, as Martin Luther King Jr.'s
"I Have A Dream" speech played from the stage.
