Turns out Stephen Colbert’s pitch at last year’s Emmys worked.
Mariska Hargitay, who will host this year’s Emmy Awards, revealed Tuesday that she’s working with writers from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as she prepares for the telecast.
“We’re at the beginning stages, and so we’re throwing out a lot of different ideas,” Hargitay told Deadline. “I’m working with an incredible team of writers—the writers from Colbert… We’ve been meeting a lot and discussing a lot and pitching a lot of ideas. We’re pitching so many ideas.”
LateNighter understands that the team writing this year’s Emmys includes a subset of Colbert’s former writing staff, rather than the entire Late Show writers’ room.
It’s a fitting landing spot for those Late Show writers, considering Colbert spent much of the show’s final year publicly campaigning to find his staff their next jobs.
That campaign included a particularly big stage: last year’s Emmys.
Taking the stage to present the night’s first award, Colbert received a standing ovation, then used the opportunity to make a pitch on behalf of the roughly 200 people who would lose their jobs when The Late Show ended its run.
“While I have your attention, is anyone hiring?” he asked. “Because I’ve got 200 very well-qualified candidates with me here tonight who will be available in June.”
Apparently, Emmy producers were listening.
Colbert continued advocating for his staff right up through The Late Show’s final months. While accepting the Writers Guild of America East’s Walter Bernstein Award in March, he devoted part of his speech to his writing staff, calling out each writer individually and offering prospective employers some decidedly unconventional selling points.
“If you liked any of these ideas, please employ these lovely folks,” Colbert told the room.
Now some of The Late Show’s writers are helping write this year’s Emmys—and they may have more to do that night than help Hargitay get laughs.
The Late Show is one of three nominees for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series at this year’s Emmys, where its former writing staff will compete against the teams from Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards air live Monday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock.
I will not be watching. The Emmys used to be great. Now, they are too preachy and full of themselves. 40 million people used to watch.
And the Emmys really don’t give a fuck if you watch their awards show, or not!
Obviously, the Emmy’s need LOTs of viewers given that hardly anybody watches anymore. Okay sweetheart? “Lighten up ‘Francis.'”
They’ll cancel the Emmys? And replace it with what? The Trumpies for Drumpf?
Eat shit, bitch hole!
I can’t think of a more deserving crew! They worked their butts off until the very end – and did an incredible job!
P TDS is alive and well. Nobody mentions politics except the looney who lives in his mother’s basement. BTW , Pease make sure to help her with the dishes.
Because you all think Drumpf is the greatest president, ever! This, despite what his tariffs and his attacking Iran have done to severely damaged the economy, that’ll take a generation or two to fix!
The only reason you losers love Drumpf is because he gives you permission to be your racist, hate fuelled selves!
Grow the fuck up, bitch!
Netflix and other streaming services are NOT “Television.”
They’re made for television and shown on television! Therefore, they ARE television!
Go get your pea sized brain fixed already, mKay?
No, they are shows produced BY and FOR streaming services. NOT ” Television.”
Shown on television!
You’re fucking welcome, dumbo!
I tried to get a table at the Olive Garden last night and I GOT FUCKED.
DEI the musical
I never understood the appeal of Stephen Colbert when he did his Comedy Central shtick or the late night thing. It wasn’t funny. I kept waiting for the punchline and none was forthcoming.
Half of the people in the photo are white men, dumbass.
If that’s ‘white’ then race does indeed no longer exist.
So what’s your point? That no minorities on the writing staff earned their job? You must either be a MAGAtard or a self-hating Hajji.
My point is you nonwhites are untalented and I’m glad you’re failing in front of everyone.
No one likes a bigot and an anti Semite!
The tell was you calling it DEI!
Grow the fuck up already, loser hole!
Almost all the comments on this article (Patricia, you’re cool~) need to be diagnosed and reported because ya’ll luv to kill the joy of seeing fellow Americans gaining a full-circle gig, thanks to Colbert’s endorsement.
I was mostly gonna check which late night show was gonna win (mostly show and writers), but now that the Late Show writers have their fingerprints for Mariska’s hosting gig, I cannot wait to see wut material they’ll deliver throughout the ceremony~
Congrats Late Show writers~ Hope this is just the beginning of bigger prospects ahead~