Game of trophies
A night of laughs, milestones and assured hosting by Andy Samberg.
“SO many shows and so little time” was the musical lament with which Andy Samberg began his Emmy hosting duties.
In the humorous intro number, Samberg was seen retreating to a TV Viewing Bunker to bingewatch TV for a full year to qualify himself to host the 67th annual Primetime Emmy Awards.
“I know everything there is to know about every single show,” he sang, and with that the Emmycast began. Was he indeed qualified? For sure. Currently the star of the comedy Brooklyn Nine- Nine, Samberg is an alumnus of
Saturday Night Live with its liveness. And live from the Microsoft Theater, he was smooth, saucy, purposefully goofy and assured – even if he just couldn’t resist a couple of not very funny Donald Trump wisecracks.
“The big story this year is diversity,” he declared in his monologue, noting this year boasted the most diverse group of nominees in Emmy history.
“So congratulations, Hollywood,” he crowed. “You did it! Racism is over.” Split- second pause. “Don’t fact- check that.”
The slyest remark about a would- be great series was delivered when Samberg reminded viewers they had said goodbye this season to beloved series including Mad Men and Parks
And Recreation, and also to True Detective ( the HBO drama suffering a critically lambasted second season) even though, as he observed, it’s “still on the air.”
Samberg crushed it as host from sign- on to finish.
The final piece of evidence: Moments after Hamm had voiced brief, moving thank- you’s for his long- deserved and much- belated win, Samberg, grinning, got the show back on its goofy track.
“I was pulling for Chandler,” he cracked, referring to rival nominee Kyle Chandler of Bloodline, adding, “I dig that dude.”
Even Chandler had to smile at Samberg’s infectious sass.
Here are some other things that happened at the 67th annual Primetime Emmy Awards:
Yellow fever
Heidi Klum led the yellow charge on the Emmy red carpet. She wore Atelier Versace that had some thinking Big Bird.
It was silk chiffon. It was asymmetrical and it was very, very busy with a riot of ruffles and petals and Swarovski crystals on a sheer skirt that showed off her legs.
Other stars who lent a splash of yellow included Mindy Kaling, Kiernan Shipka, Padma Lakshmi, Taylor Schilling and Dasha Polanco.
Shipka’s cutoff, embroidered ballgown top was Dior Haute Couture. Many in the fashion world raved on Twitter about the fitted top that plumed out at the waist, worn with black wool cigarette pants.
Others criticised the look as disjointed and not terribly appropriate for the lofty Emmys.
Vanessa Friedman, a fashion critic for The New York Times, disagreed with that on Twitter, saying the pants and Marie Antoinette top gave Taraji P. Henson a run for “red carpet gold.”
Henson went for an Alexander Wang gown in an edgy black design with chunky chain links at the shoulders.
Spoiler alert
The 2015 Emmy Awards is being critcised not for the television it celebrated but for all the shows it spoiled for fans.
A video montage during the show celebrated series that ended this year, but the footage gave away the ending to series such as
Mad Men, Sons Of Anarchy and True Blood.
Criticism began online soon after the video aired and Samberg quipped after a commercial break, “Welcome back to the Spoiler Awards.”
It was just one of many moments during the ceremony that toyed with viewers.