At 2009 Emmys, Harris Tops the Tonys; MacFarlane Offends Again

The 61^st Annual Emmy Awards, which broadcast on September 20, were a cut above Emmy outings in years past. Neil Patrick Harris was much hyped as this year's host, with particular attention given to his great performance at the Tony Awards, so living up to expectations was probably no easy feat for the actor. However, Harris managed to exceed expectations and perhaps even outshine his turn at the Tony Awards earlier this year. He kept his part in the program fast-paced and funny, leaving plenty of time for the people most viewers tuned in to see - the nominees and presenters. When he lost to Jon Cryer in the Supporting Actor in a Comedy category, his feigned bitterness was just as fun to watch as when he gleefully said he was pleased to see people laughing at a joke he had written.

The entire production was stream-lined this year, with only a few brief segments that weren't solely about the actors and actresses being honored. The stage sets were inspired, with giant, mobile LED screens, which showed the names and/or faces of presenters, as well as the montages and the nominees for each category, in a fresh new way. The split-screen shots leading into commercial segments was a nice touch, though mostly under-utilized, until near the end of the show, when Harris mimed chugging champagne while someone pretended to try to stop him.

Many people were taken aback by a Family Guy clip where Stewie beats up dog Brian because Brian said he would vote for How I Met Your Mother (though certainly anyone who has seen Family Guy should not be shocked). On the other hand, many fans of HIMYM (and of Neil Patrick Harris) in particular probably recognized and enjoyed Stewie's use of familiar in-jokes from Harris' character Barney Stinson, such as remarks about "the Bro Code" and telling Brian to "Suit up."

It was nice to see the rest of the cast of HIMYM also make it to the stage, with Alyson Hannigan's line that they were supporting "Neil's Day Job" coming across no less sweet for being scripted.