2010 Emmys: Shockingly Good

"Who took the Emmy awards away and replaced them with this? I have no idea, but we'll keep it," writes James Poniewozik in Time, echoing the sentiments of reviewers everywhere:

• The broadcast "was a night of refreshing twists and unexpected surprises," Poniewozik continues, "leavened throughout by the guitar-comedy stylings of Jimmy Fallon. (Which were welcome, if not surprising.)" Presenter Ricky Gervais gets the award for line of the night (watch at left) with his crack about Mel Gibson.
• "Ambitious, energetically hilarious, and, most important, almost seamlessly constructed," last night's telecast was the best awards show in recent memory, writes Mary McNamara in the Los Angeles Times. Fallon pulled off his hosting gig "with sheer nerve and terrific personal stage presence," and announcer John Hodgman of The Daily Show offered "deadly wry commentary."

• "The best method for energizing an awards show is the one thing producers can't engineer: upset victories," writes Andrew Wallenstein in the Hollywood Reporter. "Jaw-droppers"—like Top Chef unseating The Amazing Race in the reality category—made "anything seem possible." He also appreciated Modern Family's "laugh-riot pretaped skit" (watch at left).
• Everyone loved Fallon's opening skit (watch at left), which took the place of an opening monologue. The "fast and quite funny musical number," set to Bruce Springsteen, "squeezed in self-mocking star turns for Jon Hamm, Betty White, and even Kate Gosselin," writes Alessandra Stanley in the New York Times.

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