Inside TV+Movies with Daniel Fienberg

HitFix Interviews: Jimmy Fallon and the Emmy team discuss Sunday's ceremony

Jimmy Fallon, Don Mischer and John Shaffner talk Emmys, Betty White and more

By Daniel Fienberg Wednesday, Aug 25, 2010 8:10 PM

With the Emmys looming on Sunday (Aug. 29), HitFix headed over to the Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles for the ceremonial Red Carpet Rollout.

Sometimes it's hard to figure out the true nature of events based on their description, but in this case the Red Carpet Rollout is exactly what it sounds like.

Emmy host Jimmy Fallon, Emmy producer Don Mischer, TV Academy Chairman and CEO John Shaffner and the rest of the team behind the kudosfest joined forces to give a rolled up red carpet a push across the Nokia Plaza. Then they retreated, waited for the carpet to get re-rolled and unrolled it again. And again.

This is just a hunch: The red carpet will probably get unrolled, set up and beautified in a more professional fashion before the pretty people show up on Sunday afternoon.

Still, the unrolling is a tradition and Shaffner explained that he views it as the start of the Emmy Family Reunion, an event bringing together the extended family of people who make television, past and present, and people who love watching television, all under one global, NBC-telecasted roof.

After the unrolling, HitFix caught up with Fallon, Mischer and Shaffner to discuss their hopes and fears for the Emmy ceremony, the telecast and the proper amount of Betty White that needs to be included for the Emmys to be a success.

Click through for my video interviews (ably filmed by HitFix's Alex Dorn)...

Emmy Host Jimmy Fallon:

Emmy producer Don Mischer:

Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Chairman & CEO John Shaffner:

Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor

A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.