Jimmy Kimmel pulled a fast one on viewers at home to open the 2020 Emmys.
The late-night host began his opening monologue for the ceremony as if nothing was amiss, making a joke to a cheering crowd. Or so it seemed.
“Hello and welcome to the pandemmmys,” Kimmel said, to laughs and cheers from stars like Ted Danson and Larry David. “Wow, it’s great to finally see people again. Thank you for risking everything to be here.”
After a few minutes of riffing as the “crowd” laughed along, Kimmel revealed that he was using archival footage from previous years when producers played a clip of Kimmel himself laughing along in the audience.
“Hey was that me? But wait, if I’m down there, how am I up here?” Kimmel said. “That would mean that’s no one in the audience. That would mean that I’m up here all alone. Just like prom night.”
The camera then panned out to show Kimmel alone on the stage of the Staples Center.
“Of course I’m here all alone, of course we don’t have an audience,” Kimmel said. “This isn’t a MAGA rally, this is the Emmys!”
Watch the opening monologue below.
“Welcome to the ‘Pand-Emmys!'”
“Television is there for you. The world may be terrible but TV has never been better.” – @jimmykimmel opens up the 2020 #Emmys. https://t.co/pntfV2hzyR pic.twitter.com/tzNftnoINS
— Good Morning America (@GMA) September 21, 2020
“I’m up here all alone – just like prom night” – @jimmykimmel on hosting the #Emmys with no audience this year. https://t.co/oefazRMYSe pic.twitter.com/xFLLxU7Pkm
— Good Morning America (@GMA) September 21, 2020
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