Just hours after John Oliver dropped the F-bomb, Amy For trying to trick him while honoring his dead puppy, the Emmy producers apologize as the show's early morning hosts.
“I apologize to John and his family for playing music — and to the puppy,” Jesse Collins told TheWrap in a second interview. “We broke up at his request and reconnected when he said he wanted to play outside.”
Collins, who was executive producer of the 76th annual gala along with Dion Harmon and Gina Rosanne Clay, added that producers were unaware that Oliver's puppy had died when he was 4 years old. I started playing music Don't receive the oily speeches with the same old saying: “We didn't know the puppy was dead.”
“John always gives us a funny moment,” Roseanne Clay told TheWrap, adding that Oliver shared a similar moment with Anthony Anderson’s mother during the 75th Annual Emmy Awards in January. “When he was talking about his puppy, which was so cute… we thought, ‘OK, you have something to hold in,’ and the music started playing. He said, ‘My puppy died,’ and we were like, ‘Oh my God,’ and we were so scared.”
Below, the trio of producers detail the show's biggest moments, including which “SNL” cast member was behind the Lorne Michaels roast and why they say he dropped the ball on the Johnnie Walker commercial.
TheWrap: How do you know what it is?
Roseanne Clay: Achi Otimo. We had so much fun. I felt like everyone loved the show.
Harmon: One of our metrics is also how the people who are on the show, our presenters, our artists, our presenters, everyone who's going to feel as good as we do, are going to feel.
How was Lorne Michaels' roast coordinated during the “SNL” tribute? What was the idea?
Collins: I think it was Seth Meyers' idea.
Roseanne Clay: Sim, we're done. The cast has a great turnout.
Harmon: They'll lead the charge that way.
During Hiroyuki Sanada's speech, two playoffs were played while he continued to receive his Japanese award. Why did you choose to pause the music?
Collins: Let's just say they were waiting for the end, or that's what usually happens when you try to play some qualifying music to start. But then when he started speaking in Japanese, we realized that he was continuing, and that was a very important moment that everyone needed to see, so we started playing the music.
Harmon: Translation was important, so we wanted to make sure that what he was saying would be heard.
Catherine O'Hara was shocked when she broke the cover of Best Comedy Series before bidding again, shocking everyone by announcing her win for “Hacks.” How will that last moment play out?
Collins: Let Catherine O'Hara be Catherine O'Hara.
Harmon: We're not producers who force people to say things, we're very collaborative. Once we hire someone, we put them on (with) editors and it's a collaborative process. So, from all the moments you've seen, the announcers help you in your childhood.
How did you find the surprise of chatting with “Hacks” instead of “The Bear”?
Collins: It was a big surprise. But that's what happens at shows. You never know where your crowd is going to be drawn. It was definitely a moment.
Jelly Roll's powerful performance during In Memoriam was such an exciting moment. How did you decide to cast him for this year's show?
Collins: We heard this album before it came out and in the beginning of the summer and we knew it was going to be a huge hit and a great soundtrack for In Memoriam. We were fortunate that everyone at ABC and the Television Academy agreed and Gilly was able to fit it into his schedule for the day, and it ended up being a great moment. We're very proud, Desso.
Then Jimmy Kimmel took the stage to honor Bob Newhart who ended up dreaming he was being roasted. How was this part of In Memoriam no show versus the articles?
Collins: Jimmy is one of the best two and he brings a certain energy to life for it. It only worked because I saw Jimmy Kimmel (e) that he was able to bring lightness to things that other people couldn't. And now we're so happy as Elle Vass.
This Johnnie Walker full-length ad seemed a bit odd, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach didn't recognize it until after that moment. What do you want?
Collins: Maybe I can get by with more food without a burger. It's been proven that it's been improved, because it hasn't tasted like a hamburger and a dose of face, it's actually not proven. Let's drop the ball on the burger side.
Now that everything is done, did you have another meeting or segment that you said was incorrect?
Collins: I'm sure. Minha's mind is all in a mess right now. I'm so happy that I did “SNL,” “The West Wing,” and “Happy Days.”
Are you all hoping to produce the next Emmy movie as well?
Collins: We love it. We love having another rebuttal. We're grateful for every opportunity we get. We'll be very excited to try again.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
