Emmys 2023: Anthony Anderson’s opening a Mister Rogers spoof

Going into tonight’s 2023 Emmys, host Anthony Anderson really just had one mission: Not be Jo Koy. If that happened, he could win with his monologue. The bar was not set sky-high, so he just needed to find a way to come out and deliver some really exceptional entertainment.

So, at the end of the day, did he give us that? Well, that’s always going to be subjective, but we do think it helped that the actor had a longer amount of time to prepare — also, he’s not a traditional comedian. He wasn’t out to do something that was a traditional standup routine. Instead, the show opened up with a spoof of sorts for Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, one where he had a sitcom-y set behind him. He chose here to tribute a lot of the shows that he loved over the years, and also the long-lasting impact of TV.

This was the perfect sort of intro for a show all about television — because it only had to focus on TV, we do think it helped to create at least some sort of focus here. While we’re not exactly going to say that Anderson singing the theme song for The Facts of Life is altogether current, it does appeal to a lot of the nostalgia that existed for viewers out there. It had a timeless quality to it.

Also, some cameos! You had, after all, that appearance from Travis Barker on the drums as there was a version of “In the Air Tonight” as a tribute to Miami Vice.

Is Anthony the best singer in the world? Hardly, but we don’t think he was trying to be. Instead, he just wanted to take viewers through a time capsule — and he also commanded the stage. Also, he threatened to use his mother as a replacement for play-off music.

Related – Be sure to see all of the winners from tonight

What did you think about the 2023 Emmys opening from Anthony Anderson?

Be sure to share right now in the attached comments! Once you do just that, remember to also come back to get some other updates.