Emmys 2019 opening: Bryan Cranston, Anthony Anderson, & power of TV

We were hoping for some great things when it comes to the 2019 Emmys, and of course, we were hoping for a great opening. So how did we begin? A surprise announcement of the host: Homer Simpson. Given that this was Fox, it made sense for them to bring on board an iconic mascot … only for a piano to then fall on him.

Following that, Anthony Anderson jumped up on stage and he decided to host the show. From there, he went backstage and in an effort to ensure that the show went off without a hitch. He went backstage, snatched some trophies for himself, and then told some jokes about Game of Thrones and Starbucks. He forced Bryan Cranston out on stage to deliver a bit that he claimed that he was going to do a little bit later.  Cranston’s “bit” was a speech about the power of television, which led to him playing a montage of some of the biggest moments of the entire year in television.

The entire idea of this opening was a way in which to play off of the fact that the show didn’t have a host … almost like it was a revolutionary thing that had been never been done before. That may have been the hardest part of the entire opening, mostly because it was almost too self-aware for its own good. With that being said, we would be more than fine if Bryan Cranston chose to come out and give a speech about television at any possible moment. He’s just that great at it!

Was this a moving opening? Maybe if you loved looking back at some of the best memories of the past year. The problem is that we don’t think it offered that much new given that 1) Homer has been on the air for decades, 2) The show-without-a-host bit has been done before, and 3) Cranston and Anderson are known for their awards-show bit.

The segment that followed the opening, featuring Ben Stiller going through the history of television with an always-hilarious Bob Newhart, was a little bit more successful. This was introducing the first award — Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

Related News – Be sure to get some more news when it comes to the Emmys right now!

What did you think about the 2019 Emmys opening? Be sure to share in the comments, and also stick around for more coverage throughout the night. (Photo: Emmys.)