2026 Emmys review – Did we really need that excessive Taylor Swift skit?

The trophies have been given out, the heels have been kicked off and Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson have finally stopped vamping: The 2026 Emmys are over. But was it a night worth remembering?

There was plenty to love about the Emmy ceremony, from the triumphant and deserving winners, to the thoughtful and heartfelt speeches, to the celebration of the best of TV, the vivid storytelling and the very un-artificial creations of all the actors, directors, writers and producers in the room. And then, there was also an aggressively long and not very funny sketch about a pop star with barely any connection to the world of television.

Every awards show is a mixed bag of good speeches, boring ones, faux pas from the host, great winners and dud winners, presenters who are actually funny and ones who make us cringe, and the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards were no exception. But considering the show actually ended three minutes early, this year's ceremony often felt too slow and too long.

Did we need so many bits from host Mariska Hargitay, no matter how inherently charming she is? Should we have gone over 20 minutes in the dragging second half of the…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/entertainment/