Comedian Nate Bargatze is being lauded for spoofing an old Saturday Night Live skit for his 2025 Emmys monologue.
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This year, the 46-year-old stand-up, who is making his Emmys hosting debut, opened Sunday night’s ceremony alongside SNL stars Bowen Yang, James Austin Johnson, and Mikey Day.
Together, the group riffed on Bartgatze’s SNL “Washington’s Dream” skit that he performed on the sketch comedy series in 2023 and again in 2024.
Dressed as inventor Philo T. Farnsworth in a white lab coat and glasses, the comic told the trio as they fiddled with an early iteration of a TV: “Do not get discouraged. What we create here will one day bring the world shows that inform and educate. Shows that make us laugh, and cry!

“And shows about people who, when they go to work, they switch to different people in their brains who only remember what happens at work!,” he continued in reference to Apple TV+’s Severance. “Many people who watch it won’t, either, but by god, it will be on TV.”
Bargatze added: “I dream that, one day, there will be a channel for every interest. The Travel Channel, for travel. The Food Network, for food. And the History Channel.”
He further imagined programming for all, including “Networks like Telemundo, for Spanish speakers. And BET: Black Entertainment Television.”
As for a channel for white people, he quipped, “Why, CBS, of course!” referencing the network airing the Emmys. “Yes, the Caucasian Broadcast System!”

The opening was a major hit with fans of Bargatze and Emmy viewers, who declared it “hilarious” and “genius.”

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“Nate Bargatze bringing his SNL skit of past investors predicting the future in hilarious accuracy to the EMMYS is GENIUS lol,” one fan shared on X.
“This opening for the Emmys is hilarious. I am watching just for Nate Bargatz,” a second commented, with a third agreeing, “I love Nate Bargatze. That was hilarious.”
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