Anthony Anderson Pays Tribute To Classic TV In Emmy’s Opening Musical Number

Greg Evans
·1 min read
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Anthony Anderson paid tribute to classic TV shows Good Times, Facts of Life, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and Miami Vice in the opening musical number on tonight’s Emmys, with the Black-ish star belting out some earworm theme songs from behind his piano.

“No Good Times, no Black-ish,” Anderson said introducing the former’s memorable “ain’t we lucky we got ’em” theme song, the show’s famous “Black Jesus” portrait hanging in the background.

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For Miami Vice‘s “In The Air Tonight,” Anderson was joined by blink-182’s Travis Barker on drums.

Anderson made his entrance spoofing Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (re-titled Mr. Anderson’s Neighborhood), changing out of a fur (seemingly) coat for a tux jacket.

Following the brief opening musical number — just snippets from the three theme songs — Anderson, an 11-time Emmy nominee for the ABC sitcom making his Emmy hosting debut, laid down some ground rules (his mother Doris Bowman will usher off anyone who goes too long in their speeches) before welcoming the evening’s first presenter: Christina Applegate. The tearful Married, With Children star, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2021, was greeted with a huge response from the audience.

“Oh my God, you’re totally shaming me with disability by standing up, but it’s OK,” Applegate joked. “Body not by Ozempic.”

“Ok, let’s go,” Applegate continued, presenting the Supporting Actress award to The Bear‘s Ayo Edebiri.

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