2024 Emmys: Thank You For Doing The One Thing Awards Shows Should Do
From a timing perspective, the Emmy Awards were weird this year. After the ceremony was bumped from its normal September time slot due to the joint WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes that helped define the entertainment industry in 2023, it ultimately aired at the beginning of 2024, right after the Golden Globes took place. This did create a somewhat disjointed situation in that the nominees were from the back half of 2022 and the first half of 2023, meaning that, for example, Season 1 of "The Bear" cleaned up in the comedy categories — not the even better second season. With all of that said, though, the fact that fans and nominees alike had to wait even longer to celebrate television's recent accomplishments might have elevated the overall mood because this year's Emmys ceremony was nothing if not joyous and buoyant.
Host Anthony Anderson's monologue kicked off the proceedings by paying homage to classic television — and whether or not that monologue was totally successful is another point altogether, but the fact of the matter is that it set a tone and a precedent that only improved as the show went on. The ceremony celebrated both the Emmys' 75th anniversary and great television all at once, and most importantly, it didn't roast the medium at all. Too many awards shows have become a time to attack the very concept of entertainment, and thankfully, the Emmys avoided that route and just honored television's best moments.
Unlike the Golden Globes, the Emmys proved that they really love television
Once Anthony Anderson was finished monologuing, the show started off on an extremely high note thanks to the mere presence of Emmy winner Christina Applegate. The actress, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, has been open about the fact that filming the third and final season of her Netflix comedy "Dead to Me" was extremely challenging — and it seems likely that her acting career has, tragically, concluded due to complications from her illness.
Applegate's entrance onto the Emmys stage prompted a standing ovation (still a comedienne, Applegate quipped, "Oh my God. You're totally shaming me with disability by standing up") and set the tone for the evening, which was that television's history and present are something we should celebrate.
This stands in stark contrast to the Golden Globes, which saw host Jo Koy complaining that movies are too long and that he was underprepared to serve as the ceremony's host. Conversely, the Emmys brought out legends like Dame Joan Collins, Marla Gibbs, and even comedy icon Carol Burnett, who presented a historic award to an overwhelmed, tearful Quinta Brunson (Brunson is the first Black actress to win in the comedy categories for lead actress in over four decades). Beyond that, the Emmys reunited casts of popular shows — which provided a perfect opportunity for the Academy to honor the medium.
From Martin to Ally McBeal to Grey's Anatomy, the cast reunions at the 2024 Emmys were full of joy
Perhaps the highlight of the Emmys telecast — aside from big wins for beloved recent hits like "Beef," "The Bear," and the stunning final season of "Succession" — was the fact that it reunited several beloved casts from television classics. The cast of "Martin" gathered onstage in a recreation of its set, as did Lorraine Bracco and Michael Imperioli, who appeared onstage in Dr. Melfi's (Bracco) "office."
After years of rumors of drama and strife, original "Grey's Anatomy" cast members Katherine Heigl, Ellen Pompeo, and Justin Chambers joined Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. (who are still on the series) on a hospital set. Cast members from "Ally McBeal," including star Calista Flockhart, paid homage to one of the series' silly dance numbers in a bathroom set after a voiceover from Flockhart herself, and Amy Poehler and Tina Fey crafted a version of "Weekend Update" to present a category. This is to say nothing of the casts of "Cheers," "All in the Family," and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," who also appeared to present.
These moments were heartfelt, funny, and a perfect addition to this major ceremony that was delayed for so long (though it must be said that it was delayed for an extremely good reason). The Emmys made the decision to show real, genuine love to television, and audiences and those honored were better for it — and more awards shows should follow suit. The Oscars are coming up this spring — let's hope they choose to really celebrate their eventual nominees rather than roast them for the sake of cheap jokes.