Jimmy Kimmel opens the virtual Emmys in front of a fake audience

Jimmy Kimmel is kicking off a highly unusual Emmys with a highly unusual opening monologue.

Kimmel hosted Sunday's virtual Emmys from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. But seeing as the show was taking place amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he had no audience, with all of the nominees joining him remotely from various locations.

At least, that's what was revealed after a few minutes — Kimmel first opened the show with a typical awards show monologue for what he called the "Pandemmys" in front of what appeared to be a packed crowd, but was actually old Emmys footage. Soon enough, after Kimmel ran through jokes about the nominees and how "the world may be terrible, but TV has never been better," the fake audience footage was nixed as Kimmel admitted there was actually no one in the crowd other than some cardboard cutouts of celebrities.

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"I'm up here all alone," Kimmel said. "...Of course we don't have an audience. This isn't a MAGA rally. It's the Emmys." Brendan Morrow

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