Nate Bargatze wasted no time getting the laughs in the opening moments of the 77th Annual Emmy Awards.
Instead of kicking things off with a traditional monologue, the “Hello World” comedian opened the show with a throwback to one of his most popular sketches from his time hosting Saturday Night Live: “Washington’s Dream.”
Except instead of portraying America’s first president, however, Bargatze instead took on Philo T. Farnsworth, otherwise known as the man who first invented television.
In the skit, Bargatze described a future in which, among other things, people would watch TV while “sitting on the toilet.”
He also poked fun at streaming (“a new way for companies to lose money”), Stanley Tucci’s two Italy-set travel shows, some of this year’s Emmy-nominated shows and specific networks, among other TV-related topics.
Bargatze was joined by SNL cast members Mikey Day, Bowen Yang and James Austin Johnson.
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Fans will likely remember Bargatze’s 2023 portrayal of George Washington during SNL’s 49th season in which America’s first president shares his dreams for the future while at an army camp.
In his “speech” to the troops, which include Day, Yang and Kenan Thompson, Bargatze decreed that the U.S. would forsake the easy-to-figure-out metric system for a weights and measures system complicated beyond compare, among other declarations.
The memorable sketch has since racked up more than 25 million views on YouTube and become a fan favorite.
Bargatze reprised the role of Washington for a SNL sequel in October 2024 for part two of “Washington’s Dream.”
In last year’s sketch, the comedian could be found leading soldiers across the Delaware River in 1776 and deciding to do “our own thing” with the English language including spelling words “different ways.”
“And we will create our own foods and name them what we want, like the hamburger,” Bargatze declared, to which Day responded, “Made of ham, sir?”
“If it only were that simple,” pondered Bargatze in the memorable skit.