Winners, Beware the ‘Play-off Mama’
Emmy producers tease what to expect from this year’s telecast
It’s become a staple of televised awards shows: A flummoxed winner climbs onstage and slowly recites a laundry list of thank-yous, leaving the audience squirming in their seats. By the time the hapless honoree is thanking their agent, manager, publicist and accountant, the play-off music begins. As it gets louder, they don’t always get the hint.
Emmy Awards executive producers Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-clay have come up with a new solution to that age-old problem: Instead of play-off music, this year’s ceremony will feature a “play-off mama.” That’s Doris Bowman, the mother of host Anthony Anderson. “Mama Doris” is Anderson’s regular sidekick on his game shows, including ABC’S “To Tell the Truth” and Fox’s new “We Are Family.” On Emmy night, she has a new job: acceptance speech enforcer.
“The worst part of an award show is having to cut off people’s speeches,” Harmon says. “And so, Anthony’s mom is going to help us. She’ll pop her head around the side and tap her watch. You’ll know that you’ve got to wrap it up. She’s excited about it, and I think it’ll be an interesting twist that we haven’t seen on an award show like this.”
That’s just one of the many ideas that Collins, Harmon and Rouzan-clay are bringing to the landmark 75th Emmys, which take place Jan. 15. Jesse Collins Entertainment is no stranger to live events, having produced the Oscars, the Grammys, the BET Awards and the Super Bowl halftime show (which won Collins and Harmon an Emmy in 2022) in recent years. But the Emmys presented a new challenge: finding a way to honor 75 years of television while handing out 26 awards.
“And make it on time!” Collins adds. “We are definitely addressing history in a different way than it’s been done in the past. In three hours, I think we get some big moments and some big pieces of television history.”
The producers want to keep some of the elements a surprise, but they say they will absolutely include some of the things you’re expecting: cast reunions, as well as tributes to talent that recently died, including Norman Lear, Matthew Perry and Andre Braugher.
“I think they’ll be talking about the ones that they may see on the screen,” Rouzan-clay says of the reunions. “Those are going to be a big talking point, a big watercooler moment, if you will. … It was a grand task to figure out how to celebrate 75 years of television. If we can bring some nostalgia to that stage, then I think that we’ve done a good deed.”
The producers have eschewed pre-taped pieces to focus on live elements in the room. And that will start with a big production number by Anderson.
“I don’t want to say Anthony Anderson could have been Usher had he went down another path, but you’re going to find out in our open how much Anthony loves to sing,” Collins says. “How much theme songs from television shows shaped his childhood and helped raise him to be who he is today. That’s where we’re leaning to kick this thing off: big fun music and Anthony Anderson being the best version of himself to really set the party off.”
As for the producers, there’s no rest after the Emmys sign off at (hopefully) 11 p.m. ET on Sunday night. That evening, they’re on a flight to Atlanta to shoot a show for Netflix. And after that, Collins is an EP on both the Grammys and the Super Bowl halftime show featuring Usher. Says Collins: “It’s going to be a crazy night because we’re going to wrap and then we’ll do a toast — and then head to the airport!”
The worst part of an award show is having to cut off people’s speeches. And so, Anthony’s mom is going to help us.” --Dionne Harmon, Emmys executive producer