Scott Aukerman Is Writing The Emmys, And Andy Samberg Got Him The Gig

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Published

July 21, 2015

Turns out Scott Aukerman is having waaaaaaaay more to do with this year’s Emmy Awards than you may think.

The host and comedic genius behind the ever-popular Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast and IFC series is also a co-creator, co-writer, and co-executive producer of the magnificent Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis which not only took out last year’s Emmy for Outstanding Live-Action Short-Form Entertainment Program (a mouthful, to be sure), but is also nominated for this year’s award as well.

But beyond that, Aukerman had a direct hand in the creation of the Outstanding Variety Sketch Series category – which will hand out its first statuette this year. About a year ago Aukerman penned an open letter bemoaning the fact that sketch comedy series had to compete with (and almost universally lose to) late night talk shows in the Outstanding Variety Series category.

“Smaller alternative-comedy sketch shows (Key and Peele, Portlandia, Kroll Show, Inside Amy Schumer and, yes, my show Comedy Bang! Bang!) will never hear their names read by a person wearing a tuxedo – the ultimate show business honor – shut out again by the steamrolling behemoths from late night.”

“Their format is a totally different animal.”

As it turns out, the Television Academy was listening, and brought him in to assist with the creation of the new category that recognised sketch shows in their own right. This is the reason why this year you’re seeing shows like Drunk History, Inside Amy Schumer, Portlandia, and Key & Peele recognised in their own right, whilst in the old variety category shows like Last Week Tonight are now able to be run up against traditional heavyweights like The Daily Show or Letterman.

But it goes even further! As it turns out, Fox has brought Scott – and the rest of the Comedy Bang! Bang! writing team – on board to be the scribes for the Emmy’s ceremony.

For those of you who don’t obsessively follow notable comedy writers with the kind of maniacal attention usually reserved for diffusing a bomb, award shows have long had a track record of being penned by your favourite writers. Community and Rick & Morty creator Dan Harmon, for example, was actually nominated for two Emmy’s (and won one) for the work he did on the 2009 Oscars ceremony that Hugh Jackman hosted. The more you know!

And as it turns out, it was Andy Samberg who insisted that Aukerman and co come on board to write the show that he, Samberg, will be hosting on September 20th. Owing to Samberg’s presence on Fox show Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and the fact that Fox is broadcasting the ceremony, Samberg’s sway with the network was great enough to get his choice of scribe. Enter, Aukerman, who told Vulture about how it all came about.

“Andy Samberg is hosting the Emmys this year, and I’ve known Andy for a while, ever since I was his head writer on the MTV Movie Awards. He’s a huge fan of Comedy Bang! Bang! so he approached me and my head writer, Neil Campbell. I said, ‘If you can take our entire writing staff, we can do it.’ He’s such a big fan of the show that he said yes. So we’re all going to be writing the Emmys this year, which is crazy.”

Now! With all that said, whether this combination proves to be a winner in the Award Show format remains to be seen. Frankly, the Poehler/Fey bar set at the Golden Globes a few years back is a high one to clear.

But if it turns out being half as funny as Samberg‘s appearance at the Roast of James Franco, it’ll be one hell of a ride.