The Emmys Pull Off A Good Show As 'Schitt's Creek' And 'Watchmen' Shine

In the pandemic era, the Emmy Awards are not the first major event that can't be a traditional shindig, but they're perhaps the most high-profile awards show so far to attempt quite this kind of socially distanced, mask-wearing, virtual ceremony. Host Jimmy Kimmel and everyone producing the broadcast had a pretty tough hill to climb in making it watchable.

And surprisingly enough, it was. It wasn't just watchable; it was ... pretty good.

The opening bit featured Kimmel apparently doing a typical Emmy monologue, but of course it was just a monologue that they mixed withidea as it became clear what they were doing. But it looked better by the time they'd taken it through to Kimmel saying that, of course, they were all together, there was an audience, and they'd be mostly showing people in remote locations.