The former ‘black-ish’ star’s opening monologue paid tribute to shows he watched growing up

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Anthony Anderson left no stone unturned during his opening monologue for the 75th annual Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday.

The show opened with a dose of fun when the black-ish alum opted for a musical moment, with host at a piano while a choir and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker backed him up.

The set onstage at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles was styled as “Mr. Anderson’s Neighborhood,” a nod to the decade-spanning childhood show Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. It was all part of Anderson’s aim for nostalgia.

“We’re going to commemorate the greatest shows of today while paying tribute to some of the iconic series that mean so much to us. Simply put, television has shaped the world and more importantly, it shaped me,” the host said.

Alongside the choir, Anderson reminisced about Hollywood and history, singing: “Ain’t we lucky we’ve got ’em, good times.” At one point, Anderson sang his way into a rendition of the Phil Collins classic, “In the Air Tonight,” with backing drums from Barker.

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Anthony Anderson and Travis Barker perform at the 2023 Emmy Awards
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The musical arrangement was met with applause from the star-studded crowd — but it may not last the entire night. Anderson also joked there would be no other music on the 2024 broadcast.

Instead of the usual awards show play-off songs, Anderson introduced his mother — Doris “Mama Doris” Bowman — the woman who would be responsible for wrapping up the celebrities time on stage.

“Tonight, my mama — she is going to be the Emmy’s play-off mama. Now, when you see my mama comin’ just thank Jesus and your family and wrap it up,” he joked. “I don’t want nobody to get disrespectful with my mama because my mama is from the West side of Chicago and she can throw them hands.”