# Get Ready For “Mariska Unleashed”: 78th Annual Emmys Host & Producers Tease Telecast At Blue Carpet Rollout

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/get-ready-for-mariska-unleashed-78th-annual-emmys-host-producers-tease-telecast-at-blue-carpet-rollout/
- Published: 2026-09-10T19:09:37+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-10T19:20:19+00:00
- Original publisher: Deadline
- Original article: https://deadline.com/2026/09/emmys-preview-mariska-hargitay-teases-show-nbc-blue-carpet-1237073824/
- Topics: Americas, Geopolitics, Politics, World

## Key points

- Mariska Hargitay hosts the Emmys, her first time and a comedic departure
- Producers confirm Charlie's Angels and Buffy reunions, Noah Kahan tribute
- Some categories moved off-air, freeing time for a better-paced broadcast

## Summary

Ahead of Monday's 78th Emmy Awards, host Mariska Hargitay and the ceremony's producers previewed the telecast during a blue carpet rollout at the Peacock Theater, promising a lighter, more playful show than her long-running dramatic role as Olivia Benson on Law & Order might suggest. Hargitay, the first woman to host the Emmys in 15 years, is also serving as an executive producer alongside Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay, who dubbed the show "Mariska Unleashed" and pushed back on the idea that she lacks comic credentials.

The producing team confirmed reunions from Charlie's Angels and Buffy the Vampire Slayer during the live broadcast, along with a performance of Paul Simon's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Noah Kahan for the in memoriam segment. The ceremony has faced some criticism for moving several acting, writing and directing categories to a non-televised event over the Labor Day weekend, but producers said the freed-up time would let hosts and presenters have more room to breathe, aiming for a better-paced, distinctive show.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.