10 of the best Emmys monologue jokes by hosts through the years

The 2020 Emmys on ABC will be like no other in the show’s 71-year history on television.

The opening monologue, delivered by the show’s host, is traditionally the show’s high point — with the exception of last year, when the Emmys viewership low.

But as we’ve seen time and again, the monologue can either make or break the entire event. Sunday night’s host, historic, virtually produced broadcast with a monologue. No one knows what to expect or how it will go over — especially with an audience being patched into the telecast and no live laughter for Kimmel to gauge how he’s doing.

With that in mind, here’s a look at 10 of the best opening-monologue zingers from recent years.

“ ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ was canceled by Fox but picked up by NBC. ‘Last Man Standing’ was canceled by ABC and picked up by Fox, and ‘Roseanne’ was canceled by herself but picked up by white nationalists.”
— Co-hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che in a back-and-forth, 2018

“How is Netflix getting all of that money? It’s like $9 a month and everyone I know is sharing the same account.”
— Michael Che, 2018

“If you do win, don’t forget to thank everyone who helped you get up here. Namely, ‘Game of Thrones’ for not being eligible this year.”
— Stephen Colbert, 2017

“I assume he’s black because he’s so comfortable using the N-word.”
— Stephen Colbert, on nominee Bill Maher, the host of HBO’s “Real Time,” in 2017

“Everyone in LA knows: If you want to win, sit next to Marcia Clark.”
— Jimmy Kimmel, 2016

“Here in Hollywood, the only thing we love more than diversity is congratulating ourselves for our diversity.”
— Jimmy Kimmel, 2016

“Is it just me, or does Bernie Sanders always look like his flight is delayed?”
— Andy Samberg, 2015

“It’s been a year of goodbyes. We said goodbye to ‘Mad Men’ and ‘Parks and Recreation.’ And we also said goodbye to ‘True Detective,’ even though it’s still on the air.”
— Andy Samberg, 2015

“Otherwise, before you know it, you’re stuck paying Sheldon [Jim Parsons on ‘The Big Bang Theory’] for a million dollars an episode.”
— Seth Meyers, 2014, on why shows should kill off their lead characters early on

“She doesn’t play hard to get. She doesn’t demand your full attention. She’s the booty-call friend of entertainment. You don’t need to text ‘You up?’ — TV is always up!”
— Seth Meyers, 2014