The 76th Emmy Awards held last night were generally uneventful, with only a few standout moments. One such moment occurred during John Oliver’s acceptance speech for Outstanding Scripted Variety Series for “Last Week Tonight,” when the wrap-it-up music played just as he began to speak about his deceased dog.
In a recent interview with Variety, the producers from Jesse Collins Entertainment admitted they were taken aback by the timing. Finding the right moment to cut off a speech is a delicate task, and they believed they were in a safe zone when Oliver started talking about his beloved pet.
Oliver reminisced about his dog, stating, “We had the most fantastic dog. She was at my wedding. She got us through a pandemic. She was with us through two pregnancies.” Just then, the infamous music began to play, prompting Oliver to joke, “Perfect choice of music! We had to say goodbye to her.” He then humorously directed a “Fuck you!” at the music directors before dedicating his award to all dogs. After his speech, he cheekily told the production team, “Play me off now!”
Dionne Harmon, president of Jesse Collins Entertainment, recounted her surprise as Oliver mentioned his dog had passed away, exclaiming, “He’s dead? No! Take the music back, give the dead dog some respect!”
Executive producer Jesse Collins recalled the moment he realized the situation: “I was like, ‘Oh, take the music down!’ You’re just trying to make a call. And then John Oliver’s dog pops up!” He commended Oliver for managing the moment gracefully, reflecting, “It was great TV!”