Psst! 5 secrets about the 2024 Emmys I only learned by being there
Emmy turned 76 this year, but her wrinkles still aren’t showing thanks to the tireless efforts of the production crew that helped put on this year’s awards show. (See the complete winners list.) After watching the ceremony on television all my life, I actually got to attend it this year and bore witness to “Hacks” and “Shōgun” winning the night’s biggest prizes. While seated in the Orchestra section of the Peacock Theater, I uncovered these five secrets about the 2024 Emmys that you wouldn’t know unless you were actually there.
TV Theme Songs
All of those classic tunes you heard while watching the ceremony on your screens was just the icing on the cake. During the commercials, attendees were treated to dozens more TV theme songs as the event was taking a break. In fact, when the show was dark, I heard everything from “Goosebumps” and “Home Improvement” to “The X-Files” and “Little House on the Prairie,” the last of which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
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Emmy Menu
You may be wondering if the 7,000 or so attendees of the Emmy Awards are treated to free snacks and drinks. Well, that’s not the case at all. Bring your wallet! If you want to wet your whistle, cocktails start at $17.50 and the cheapest beer is $15.99. Hungry? Snacks range from a bag of chips at $3.75, to a single hot dog at $7.75, to a full charcuterie box at $15.50. I saw (and smelled) plenty of hot dogs in my section, and the $5.50 popcorn was also a big seller.
Bathroom Breaks
Every time the show went to a commercial, there was an onslaught of guests jumping out of their chairs and racing to the lobby bathrooms. Watching the spectacle, it felt like a competition where only the strongest would survive. So what happened if you weren’t quick enough to make it back during the break? Well, you had to stand in a holding area with other guests and wait for the next commercial, because ushers weren’t allowing anyone to walk in the aisles during filming.
In Memoriam Instructions
Prior to the In Memoriam segment taking place where Jelly Roll sang his appreciation to those we lost this year, attendees were instructed not to applaud for any of the deceased artisans. Many, many people ignored that message, as you could probably tell while watching at home. Near the end of the tribute, it felt like everyone around me was a rule-breaker, especially when photos of Phil Donahue, James Earl Jones and Bob Newhart were shown up on the big screen. Yes, I eventually started clapping, too.
Cameras Everywhere
Unless you’re there, it’s hard to appreciate just how many cameras are actually in the room. As you can see in the photo at the top of this page, there are camera operators everywhere, including on the stage itself as hosts Dan Levy and Eugene Levy are instructing viewers on how to pronounce their last name (it’s “Levy”). There were cameras in the air, cameras in the aisles, cameras in the front, cameras in the back … The 2024 Emmys felt absolutely seamless from my perspective in the Orchestra section. How did it all look on TV?
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