Emmy Awards 2010: 14 Memorable Moments

The 2010 Emmy Awards began with host Jimmy Fallon’s inspired riff on the previous season’s breakout hit, in which Glee cast members joined FOFs (Friends of Fallon) including Tina Fey, Jon Hamm, Joel McHale, Jorge Garcia — even Kate Gosselin (remember her?) — onstage to sing and fist-pump to Bruce Springsteen’s ”Born To Run.”

BEST PRESENTER
Ricky Gervais
”The Office is in syndication,” the always-funny Ricky Gervais said while passing out beers (in a nod to the drinking that goes on during the Golden Globes, which he hosted this year) during his presentation of the Emmy for Directing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Special. ”So those are on me.”

BEST CHEMISTRY
Jon Hamm and Betty White
Mad Men star Jon Hamm had the best gig of the evening, as he got to boogie with his new dance instructor Betty White during the show’s lavish opening, and then present the Emmy for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series alongside her, too, being bawdy and sweetly over-sexualized the entire time.

STRANGEST MOMENT
Jack Kevorkian appears
In a moment of Only On an Awards Show wackiness, Al Pacino — on stage accepting his award for Best Actor in a TV Movie for his work in HBO’s You Don’t Know Jack — called out to the man he portrayed, infamous suicide assister Jack Kevorkian, who was in the audience. ”There you are, Jack!” Pacino said to Kevorkian, who stood up, during a rambly speech. ”You’re all right, Jack.”

MOST SATISFYING WIN
Modern Family for Best Comedy Series
”We are so grateful, we are so thrilled that families are sitting down together to watch a television show,” Modern Family co-creator Steven Levitan said during his acceptance speech, ”and we just wanted to say we’re so happy that you’ve let us into your families.”

BEST CHEEKY JAB AT JIMMY FALLON
Neil Patrick Harris
”I would like to thank the Academy for allowing a gay man to host the Emmys two years in a row,” said last year?s host Neil Patrick Harris, who appeared on stage to present the Emmy for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. ”Congratulations, Jimmy, you?re doing a great job.” (Fallon, as you might imagine, is not gay.)

BEST TOUCH
John Hodgman’s ”color commentary”
Announcer and Daily Show correspondent John Hodgman offered tidbits while winners walked to the stage. ”Eric Stonestreet hails from Kansas, and reports said while growing up he wanted to be a disc jockey, a marine, a prison administrator, and a clown,” Hodgman said as Featured Actor in a Comedy Series winner Eric Stonestreet approached the stage. ”Apparently that is all one job in Kansas.”

BEST ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
Glee‘s Jane Lynch
”I want to thank my parents on the South Side of Chicago for raising us to the sounds of musical theater and being so unintentionally hilarious,” Lynch said, as she opened her heartfelt speech. Later she added: ”I want to thank my Lord and creator, Ryan Murphy, for creating this role of a lifetime!” Her shout-out to her wife was the gravy on the whole thing.

BEST USE OF GEORGE CLOONEY
Modern Family skit
Sure, George Clooney gave a great, heartfelt speech while accepting his humanitarian award, but he stole the show when he appeared in the Modern Family comedy sketch, which featured him as the love interest of first Julie Bowen, then Sofia Vergara, and finally, and most hilariously, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet.

BEST JIMMY FALLON MOMENT
Dead shows tribute
During a tribute to three groundbreaking shows television lost this year, host Jimmy Fallon channeled Elton John, who memorialized 24; one of the Boyz II Men guys, who eulogized Law & Order; and, most uproariously, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, who sang a parody version of ”Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” to celebrate Lost‘s six seasons.

WORST SNUB OF AN EMMY WINNER
Mad Men‘s Matt Weiner
Just as he was getting into his acceptance speech after his co-writer Erin Levy said a few words, the orchestra cut off the Emmy-winning writer Matt Weiner and abruptly sent the show back over to a baffled Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni, who presented the next award.

BEST BATON PASSING
Amazing Race to Top Chef
After winning the Emmy for Reality Series for seven years straight, the Amazing Race was finally — and rather refreshingly — bested, as Top Chef took home the honor for the first time.

BEST SCENE STEALER
Temple Grandin
Temple Grandin, the autistic subject of the HBO movie Temple Grandin that took home the Emmy for Made for TV Movie, appeared on stage with the producers and stars while they were accepting the award. In a sweet, unscripted moment, Grandin was so moved by the win that she spontaneously hugged accepting executive producer Emily Gerson Saines, promptly melting the hearts of Americans everywhere.

BEST CONAN JOKE
Jimmy Fallon with guitar
”NBC asking the host of Late Night to come to Los Angeles to host a different show,” host Jimmy Fallon talk-sang, while strumming his guitar at the top of the show. ”What could possibly go wrong?” And the camera cut to Conan O’Brien, who gamely grinned.