The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards paused on Sunday night in the annual “Memoam” segment, honoring television figures who have died in the past year.
The tribute featured Vince Gill’s “High High in That Mountain” live performance with country star Rainy Wilson.
As the song played, photos and clips of the late actor appeared on screen by producers and industry professionals at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles.
Among the most notable names I remember was former “Cosby Show” star Malcolm Jamal Warner. He passed away this year at the age of 54.
Phylicia Rashad, who portrayed Matriarch Clair Huxtable, introduced the “In Memoriam” segment and used the opportunity to say goodbye to his on-screen son.
“He was the beloved teenager of his beloved TV series,” Rashad (77) began. “Like all my friends and colleagues who have transitioned this year, Malcolm Jamal Warner served as Lemans in our minds.”
“Like Emmy’s tradition tonight, we remember not only their immeasurable talent, but the way they made us bigger,” she continued. “They made us smile and knew their influence would remain.”
Dozens of additional tributes followed, including Black Sabbath legend Ozzy Osbourne, late Food Network star Ann Barrel and actress Michelle Tratchenberg.
Osborne passed away on July 22, 1976, and the previous “Osborne” reality TV star was determined to be due to cardiac arrest, acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, and Parkinson’s disease.
Burrell tragically passed away on June 17th at 55. She was best known for hosting Hit Food Network.
Meanwhile, Trachtenburg passed away on February 26th at the age of 39. The deaths of the “Gossip Girl” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” stars were caused by diabetic complications, according to the office of NYC medical inspectors.
Another star we lost in the past year and the touching tribute was Maggie Smith, who passed away on September 27, 2024 at the age of 89.
Although widely recognized for her film career, Smith made a lasting mark on television. Most recently, she was Violet Crawley, Countess of Grantham at Downton Abbey.
The montage also honored Loretta Switt, who passed away in 1985.
Swit has become the common name for “M*a*s*h,” which plays Margaret’s “Hot Lips” Hoolihan on the show’s 11th season run. She won two Emmys in the role and remained closely related to the character throughout her career.
George Wendt followed George Went, who remembered playing Norm Peterson in NBC’s “Cheers.”
Went, who passed away in May in 1976, received six Emmy nominations during the sitcom run. His role as a loyal client of Bar became a crucial part of the series and became one of the most recognisable characters in television comedy.
The faces of David Lynch, Quincy Jones and Roni Anderson also appeared on the Peacock Theatre screen.
However, not everyone is included in this year’s “In Memoriam” segment, and I saw someone joining CBS on Sunday night and seeing the 77th Emmy Award rushed to social media and expressing surprise and disappointment.
Polly Holiday, who passed away in 1987 on September 9th, was best known for her role as waitress Florence “Flow” Castleberry in “Alice,” an Emmy Award-winning performance that won two Golden Globes.
“Well, Emmy can kiss my grits. One angry fan wrote on X on Flo’s classic line. “Travesty!”
“It looks like Emmy missed Polly Holiday,” another viewer commented, with the third person saying, “Please forgive me.
Like Holliday, Hulk Hogan was also omitted from this year’s Emmy Awards “In Memoriam” segment.
Hogan passed away on July 24th in Clearwater, Florida from a reported heart attack. He was 71 years old.
Other viewers returned to social media to question why the character of the media that turned professional wrestlers didn’t include.
“When it comes to awards, why wasn’t Hulk Hogan recognized by the “Memory List Emmy Awards”? ” asked Hogan fans on X.
“Their high-horse Emmy should remove Hulk Hogan from their memorial segment,” another added, but the third one was, “If Ozzy Osbourne is mentioned, why isn’t Hulk Hogan?”
