A relatively subdued Jimmy Kimmel opened Sunday’s Emmys broadcast by lampooning the show’s virtual format in front of an audience composited from old Emmys footage.
“Hello and welcome to the pandemmys,” Kimmel said at the top of the ABC broadcast. “Wow, it’s great to finally see people again. Thank you for risking everything to be here. Thank me for risking everything to be here. You know what they say you can’t have a virus without a host.”
The opening segment also featured a bit with “Ozark” star Jason Batemen as the only real person amid a crowd of MLB-inspired cardboard cutouts, and another with “Morning Show” star and Emmys presenter Jennifer Aniston as a humorous way of explaining the night’s unique at-home format.