Emmys producers credit Anthony Anderson's mom with keeping the show on time

If there's one thing awards show producers prioritize above all else in the modern era, it's keeping the show on time.

In pursuit of this goal, they often employ play-off music to keep acceptance speeches short, and the 2022 Oscars ceremony even cut multiple categories from the main broadcast. But this year's Emmys actually did end exactly on time, at 11 p.m. ET on the dot. In a new interview with Variety, producers Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon, and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay credit host Anthony Anderson's mother, Doris Bowman for keeping it tight.

Bowman took on the role of "play-off mama" for Sunday's ceremony and was tasked with stopping winners from rambling too long.

Bowman apparently made an impact.

“I think [she was] very sweet and playful about it,” Collins told Variety. “What happened was, for whatever reason — maybe because they didn’t want to deal with her — people came up there determined and precise and they really made their point. I thought the speeches were amazing throughout the night. Really just emotional and spot on and concise. And that helped us keep pace with the show.”

Bowman only had to step in twice. Once to restrain Jennifer Coolidge, who won her second Emmy in a row for her role on The White Lotus (this time for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series instead of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie, since the show's success has led to additional seasons). The second time was because Scripted Variety Series winner John Oliver literally begged her to finish, saying "I am not leaving without getting played off by Anthony Anderson's mom."

There were other factors that helped with the Emmys' length, too. The Bear creator Christopher Storer was a last-minute no-show due to a case of COVID-19, so his awards for comedy writing and comedy directing didn't have acceptance speeches at all. But Anderson himself was also a big help, according to producers.

"We just kept churning," Collins told Variety. "It was like, ‘OK, Anthony. We’re going to add two lines here and then we’re just take two lines away here.’ Anthony was a great accordion to help us just land the plane.”

But despite all these efforts, the 2023 Emmys still hit a record low in the ratings.

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