Emmys 2024 Off-Screen: A Look Inside One of Hollywood’s Glitziest Nights

The 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards (the actual 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards and not the 2023 ceremony that took place at the top of this year) for many was a desperate grasp at normalcy in a year that’s been marred by strikes, industry contraction, and the continued professional threat A.I. poses to performers and creatives alike.

While work keeps most of Hollywood separated, the Emmys provide an opportunity for everyone to come together, celebrate one another, and maybe have a drink or two. With a festive atmosphere pervading the L.A. Live’s Peacock Theater, anything’s possible on magic nights like these and IndieWire reporter Marcus Jones is on the ground to capture all the juicy details about what’s happening behind the scenes.

Winners Shalt Not Take the Lord’s Name in Vain

Emmy winners were only slightly devil-may-care with their language during their acceptance speeches this year, but the ABC censors had their hands right over that button the entire show. Even Jeremy Allen White’s very innocuous “Jesus Christ” in the middle of his speech got bleeped. When John Oliver shouted a “Fuck you!” after almost being played off while paying homage to his late dog, both the response and the cut-off seemed warranted. But when Richard Gadd got bleeped for his use of “Jesus Christ,” one started to wonder if the Catholic Church wasn’t somehow involved in the broadcast.

Kathy Bates Gets Turned Away By E! On the Red Carpet

They’ll be regretting this when she’s nominated next year for the CBS reboot of “Matlock.” As Academy Award and Emmy winner Kathy Bates made the rounds on the red carpet prior to the main show, she was a bit taken aback to have E! Network deny her an interview right to her face (or rather, to her rep but with Bates standing right there, seeing and hearing it all). Choosing not to take it too personally, she carried on. Bates was interviewed earlier in the evening by People and Entertainment Weekly, where she clarified statements she made earlier in the week about her possible retirement.

“What I meant was, I had one foot out the door until I read the script for ‘Matlock,'” Bates said. “And then I read ‘Matlock’ and I said ‘Ooooooookay, close the door. We’re gonna do some more.’ I want it to run for years. It’s that great.”

No Clapping During In Memoriam…We Mean It!

During the commercial break ahead of the In Memoriam section, the announcer instructed the audience to hold their applause until the very end. Even so, by the time the montage reached Donald Sutherland and James Earl Jones, the crowd was already clapping.