The Emmy Awards held last night were generally uneventful, with only a couple of standout moments, one being John Oliver’s acceptance speech. As he began to talk about his deceased dog while accepting the award for Outstanding Scripted Variety Series for “Last Week Tonight,” the production team played the wrap-it-up music.
In an interview with Variety, the producers of the 76th Emmy Awards expressed their surprise at the timing. The producers at Jesse Collins Entertainment believed they had selected the perfect moment to cue the music, but they quickly realized the situation was more sensitive than anticipated.
Oliver opened up about the bond he shared with his dog, saying, “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 as he shared these heartfelt sentiments, the music began to play. He humorously reacted with, “Perfect choice of music! We had to say goodbye to her.” Following that, he shouted, “Fuck you!” at the music directors. Once the music stopped, Oliver dedicated his award to all dogs and, upon concluding his speech, jokingly told the production team, “Play me off now!”
Dionne Harmon, president of Jesse Collins Entertainment, recounted her reaction to Oliver’s mention of his dog, saying they were stunned to realize he was referring to a deceased pet. Executive producer Jesse Collins shared his perspective during the moment, recalling, “I was like, ‘Oh, take the music down!’” He praised Oliver for managing the situation with grace, recognizing that it turned into a memorable television moment.