Jane Lynch of “Glee” brought music and comedy to the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards. Highlights included her opening musical number, an appearance by Charlie Sheen, a sisterhood moment amongst nominees, and an award-packed night for “Modern Family.”
Lynch began with a taped segment, where Leonard Nimoy revealed that all TV shows exist in one apartment building. So naturally, Lynch danced off into it, encountering such TV stars as Kevin Nealon, Randy Jackson of “American Idol,” Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman from “Mythbusters,” and the cast of “Big Bang Theory” (who complained “I hate it when musical numbers come through our apartment”).
The lyrics poked fun at television tropes, such as high-school students who look 24. Lynch faced off with on-screen alter ego Sue Sylvester, throwing a Slushie on her.
A live dance number featured dancers in tuxedos and gold outfits, with Lynch proclaiming TV “a vast wonderland” and getting a standing ovation.
Lynch also introduced the “Emmytones, made up of Zachary Levi (“Chuck”), Cobie Smulders (“How I Met Your Mother”), Taraji P. Henson (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”), Kate Flannery (“The Office”), Wilmer Valderrama (“That 70s Show”), Joel McHale (“Community”). They introduced each show category with humorous songs.
One of the best acceptance speeches came from Ty Burrell, who won Best Lead in a Comedy Series for “Modern Family.” He spoke about how his dad would have been proud but surprised he would have to go to work each day in full makeup. He imagined his dad would say, “Couldn’t you just wear a little powder?”
Charlie Sheen presented Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, taking the opportunity to patch bridges with “Two and a Half Men”: “From the bottom of my heart, I wish you nothing but the best for this upcoming season. We spent eight wonderful years together, and I know you will continue to make great television.”
In a nod to his controversial turn as the host of the Golden Globes Ricky Gervais appeared in a heavily-edited taped piece, supposedly edited to remove anything inappropriate.
The nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series turned the moment into a surreal pageant. As each of them was nominated, starting with Amy Poehler of “Parks and Recreation,” they ran on stage to take each other’s hands and await the results. When Melissa McCarthy won for “Mike and Molly,” they hugged her and gave her a tiara and a bouquet of roses as well as her Emmy. McCarthy, who was overwhelmed about the win, proclaimed it her “first and best pageant ever.”
In addition to music, the show included more entertaining taped sequences, such as one introduced by Anderson Cooper about the “changing face of television.” In it, Lynch played a fictional New Jersey behind-the-scenes player who supposedly influenced the prevalence of New Jersey on television, with her pet project being the reality TV stars from “Jersey Shore,” who also gamely participated in the skit, giving a cut of their pay and crediting her for their success.
Along the way, “Modern Family” accumulated such a collection of awards that, coming back from one commercial break, Lynch said, “Welcome back to ‘The Modern Family’ Awards.” The producers, upon winning Outstanding Comedy Series, closed out the show with a witty speech where they acknowledged they’re being praised for helping to make viewers more tolerant (thanks to a gay couple on the show) and remarked that they were showing the world there was nothing wrong with “a committed relationship between an old man and a hot young woman.” Then, looking around the audience, they added, “I see that many of you agree.”
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