How to Honor Robin Williams at the Emmys Might Be the Toughest Call Producers Have Ever Had to Make

Will show still "lighten up" after the backlash over last year's somber production?

By Kristin Dos Santos Aug 13, 2014 8:01 PMTags
Robin WilliamsRon Galella/WireImage

The Emmy producers have made it official: There will be a tribute to the life of Robin Williams at this year's 66th Primetime Emmy Awards on Aug. 25.

"Plans for the In Memoriam segment are in discussion," Executive producer Don Mischer said in a statement. "While we are all still coming to terms with this week's tragic news, we are working to give Robin Williams the proper and meaningful remembrance he so well deserves."

Clearly, Williams deserves one heck of a tribute. He was perhaps the most loved comedian in the world, the greatest stand-up comic of all time, and of course, he got his start on TV. In the days since the news of his tragic passing, it seems the whole world has stopped to mourn the beloved, iconic entertainer. And the Emmys are only 12 days away.

But deciding exactly how much emphasis and how much time to allot to Williams' tribute will be an incredibly hard call, particularly given that last year's Emmycast received considerable backlash for being too dark and heavy-handed, with multiple tributes and a lengthier one for Glee star Cory Monteith, who had passed away two months prior. Many felt the night was, overall, far too somber. Others questioned why Monteith got special treatment over the year's other fallen stars.

Until the news of Williams' passing, it seemed the plan for this year's Emmys was to considerably lighten the tone. When asked by reporters last month if this year's Emmycast would be less heavy-handed, host Seth Myers responded: "I think for us, we want to approach it the way we would approach anything, which is to just be upbeat and have fun… And certainly, we don't want it to feel morbid and we want it to feel like a celebration of this year in TV."

And now, it will also include a celebration of the life of the late great Robin Williams. Because, honestly, how could you not?

"With the tragic loss of Robin, we're trying to deal with that and figure out what to do in the right, appropriate and meaningful way," Mischer told TV Guide. "It's about what can we do to properly remember Robin and create perhaps an emotional moment about Robin, knowing all that he did for all of us who love entertainment and love comedy."

Just how long that "emotional moment" ends up being, will no doubt be decided by many, and as is always the case with these tough choices, there won't be any right answer that will please everyone.

What everyone can agree on: We lost a truly great entertainer who will never be replaced. And for the record, we're still incredibly sad.