Lorne Michaels Didn’t Know His Cut-Out Would Appear In ‘Survivor’ Sketch & Other Tidbits From Emmys Producers
Jeff Probst presenting at Sunday's Emmys CBS
When did Nate Bargatze and the SNL team come up with that opening sketch? Was the Boys and Girls Club fundraiser a success? Were any reunions cut?
After Sunday’s telecast of the 77th annual Emmys, producers Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay answered several burning questions about the three-hour telecast on CBS. It’s a busy time for Jesse Collins Entertainment: Harmon, in particular, spent Saturday in Rome, where she oversaw production of the Grace for the World concert in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican. (The concert, the first of its kind at the Vatican, is streaming on Disney+.) The company also is set to produce the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show.
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Here, the producers recap Sunday’s ceremony that saw The Pitt take the top prize for Outstanding Drama while The Studio was crowned this season’s Best Comedy.
The Boys and Girls Club stunt. “I think it worked out well,” said Collins. “I mean, look, they came in expecting $100,000 and they ended with $350,000 so I think it was a win-win for the Boys and Girls Club.” Added Harmon, “I felt like most people spoke from the heart, and the people that had longer speeches still had longer speeches, and the people that had shorter ones made moments of it. I didn’t get the sense that somebody held something in.”
Erin Dane’s absence. Initially, the producers teased a small tribute to Grey’s Anatomy by having Dane and Jesse Williams present together, but Deadline learned Sunday that Dane was unable to attend the show. There was no Grey’s Anatomy set planned; the two were just going to take the stage together. “I don’t know the details of that,” said Collins. “I just was told that he wasn’t able to make it. And fortunately, Jesse Williams was able to present for us.”
Nate Bargatze’s rehearsal time. The producers said even though Bargatze had appearances planned in Denver on Friday and Saturday, “he gave us the time,” Collins said. “He came in early before the shows. He was here all day, longer than we thought he was actually going to be. And then he flew out and did his shows.”
The SNL-inspired skit at the top of the show. Bargatze — together with Mikey Day, Bowen Yang and James Austin Johnson — got Lorne Michaels’ blessing a month ago before they spun off the popular George Washington skit and and created a specially-tailored one for the Emmys. Written by Day and SNL scribe Streeter Seidell, the skit took the place of a monologue — which is why Bargatze didn’t have one.
(L-R) Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay The Collins Jackson Agency/Kawai Matthews
The decision to kick off the show with Steven Colbert presenting the first award. The late-night host received a standing ovation and chants of “Stephen, Stephen.” “We felt like it was a moment for him to walk out on that stage,” said Collins. “We were just glad he was willing to do it … we wanted to give Colbert an award [to present] with some weight to it.” That was also the impetus for putting the Outstanding Drama Actor category toward the end of the night. “Just playing with the order .. and it was a very competitive award,” said Collins of the nominees. The prize went to Noah Wyle.
Why Beyoncé and Jay Z were no-shows. The Cowboy Carter artist was nominated for Outstanding Variety Special for Beyoncé Bowl while her husband Jay-Z was nominated for his most recent Super Bowl halftime show with Kendrick Lamar. Both lost out to SNL50. “We figured it out when they weren’t in those seats that those guys weren’t really coming,” quipped Collins. To be fair, Beyoncé has never attended an Emmy telecast, despite 10 prior noms.
No reunion was left on the cutting-room floor. The producing team didn’t have to make any last-minute cuts to finish the show on time. “We led with The Golden Girls. That was a big one,” said Rouzan-Clay. Other reunions included Gilmore Girls, Everybody Loves Raymond and The Good Place. “As soon as we realized it was 40 years ago to the day, we knew we had to do Golden Girls,” continued Rouzan-Clay. “And I think Law & Order was actually the last one to come together.”
The cutouts of Lorne Michaels and John Oliver during the Survivor sequence. The SNL boss — and Oliver, for that matter — didn’t get a heads-up that their images would be used during a tribal council moment featuring Jeff Probst. Probst presented the award for Scripted Variety Series, and Last Week Tonight’s John Oliver and SNL‘s Lorne Michaels were the nominees. “We were like, let’s just roll it. We won’t ask. We’ll apologize later,” said Collins.
Whether they’re coming back for 78th annual Emmys. “They usually take meetings in the spring,” said Collins. “So that’s when we would go in and make our pitch.”
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