The 10 Best and Worst Emmy Stunts 

Poor Joel McHale, landing in one of the best Emmy stunts (the Fallon musical number) and winding up in one of the absolute worst. Actually, poor everyone involved in this mess for that matter. Zachary Levi, Cobie Smulders, Taraji P. Henson, Kate Flannery, Wilmer Valderrama, and of course, McHale all somehow got talked into this awkward musical introduction bit. It wasn't cute or funny the first time and it only got more uncomfortable as the night went on. 

With all due respect to Fallon and co., Conan oversaw was the Best. Emmy. Opener. Ever. When O'Brien hosted the 2006 Emmys, he kicked things off with a riotous opening bit in which he found himself in a variety of the nominated shows from 'The Office' to '24' to 'House' to 'South Park' to, despite a baffling lack of nods, 'Lost'. The pièce de résistance, however, was the two-time host winding up on 'To Catch a Predator.' 

Remember that time the Emmys put Kate Gosselin in their broadcast and never lived it down? Apparently they didn't learn their lesson because one year later, they let other flash-in-the-pan reality stars on when the 'Jersey Shore' cast fist bumped their way onto the most prestigious night of television. 

When the names of the hilarious women (Tina Fey, Martha Plimpton, Melissa McCarthy, Amy Poehler, Edie Falco, and Laura Linney) nominated in the Best Actress in a Comedy category were called, they all "spontaneously" took the stage. Playing it up like it were a pageant, the women all held hands and celebrated as McCarthy was crowned the winner. In the end though, because of this ode to funny women, they all were. 

As you know, we love when funny ladies (like the lovely and talented Megan Mullally) take the stage. What we don't love is when Donald Trump also comes on stage to join one of them to sing the 'Green Acres' theme. Trump's singing voice is painful enough, but watching the tycoon play poor is the real insult. Watching it now during a recession, it's somehow even less funny than when it originally aired back in 2006. 

Who says you actually have to win the Emmy to take one home? When Steve Carell lost back in 2007 to Ricky Gervais in the Best Actor in a Comedy category race, his old 'Daily Show' pals Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert gave him the Emmy he so richly deserved anyway. "I did it!" Carell screamed as the three hilariously celebrated his "win" on stage. In an equally funny follow-up stunt, Gervais "took back" his award at the 2008 ceremony. 

When Ryan Seacrest bombed as the host of the 2007 Emmys, the awards show opted to let him do it again, only this time with back up. In 2008, the Emmys inexplicably opted to have FIVE Emmy hosts, which included Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, Tom Bergeron, Jeff Probst, and of course, Seacrest. (What, no Dunkleman?) The stars (pictured here with who would have made more sense as a host, Jimmy Kimmel) can carry their respective reality shows, but they certainly couldn't carry an entire Emmy broadcast tog

Hosting the Emmys for the first time is no small task, but Ellen DeGeneres had to do it at a time when the nation was still reeling. Just weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, DeGeneres took to the stage to host the best Emmys she could under tough circumstances. From her fun and breezy opening monologue to her inspired riff on Bjork's famous swan outfit, DeGeneres helped a nation laugh again, even if only for a few hours. 

Handling death and grief during a self-congratulatory awards show is a tricky maneuver. So why the Emmys opted to have live musical performances from the likes of Jewel (pictured) and Sarah McLachlan (who seems hell bent on always making us cry when we watch TV) and take the focus away from the people we were supposed to be reflecting on is beyond us. Here's one stunt they should — sorry! — put to rest.