Emmys 2013: The Best and Worst Moments

Obviously, "Nurse Jackie" star Merrit Wever's uber-brief acceptance speech was a winner, and we salute the ladies in red and green and yellow, who brought some much-needed brightness to the otherwise blah color palette of Emmy's red carpet. On the flip side, a TV legend ruined a sweet presentation with the night's harshest moment, while CBS went a little overboard with their self-promos among presenters. And those are but a few of our best, and worst, moments of Emmy night 2013.

The Best

Michael Douglas Comes Out on Top

While accepting his award for Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, "Behind the Candelabra" star Michael Douglas gave a special shout out to his Liberace movie co-star, Matt Damon. "This is a two-hander, and Matt, you're only as good as your other hand," Douglas cheekily said, as Damon laughingly waved off the praise. "You really deserve half of this," Douglas continued. "So, do you want the bottom, or the top?" Clearly, that hubbub he created this summer with his thoughts on the cause of throat cancer haven't led Douglas to filter his public remarks.

[Related: Half a World Apart: Douglas, Zeta-Jones Tread Separate Carpets]

The Ghosts of Emmy Hosts Past

Jimmy Kimmel, Jane Lynch, Jimmy Fallon, and Conan O'Brien all interrupted Neil Patrick Harris's opening monologue to offer him unsolicited hosting advice. Turns out, it was all part of a plot … masterminded by "House of Cards" nominee Kevin Spacey. "It's all going according to my plan …" Spacey said into the camera, a la Frank Underwood.

Best. Cameo Appearance. Ever.

CBS honcho Les Moonves, who portrayed a security guard in the Emmys telecast opening film with Neil Patrick Harris.

Twerk It, Host Boy!

And the award for best reminder of why we want Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to return as Golden Globes hosts goes to: Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. The "Saturday Night Live" alums and friends presented the first Emmy of the evening, but only after sitting in the front row, noshing on popcorn, and donning 3-D glasses so they could see NPH's "business" up close and try to coerce him into twerking ("I come to awards shows for the twerking," Fey said). They were unsuccessful on the twerking front, but totally on the money in making us love them even more.

"The Number in the Middle of the Show"

Clever twist, NPH, putting that song-and-dance number in the middle of the show. And extra kudos, not just for those cameos by Sarah Silverman and Nathan Fillion, but for that flip down the staircase. #BraveNPH

[Related: How Much Did Sarah Silverman's Emmy Dress Cost and Where Can I Get One?]

This Is Why It Should Have Happened Sooner

The Emmy audience kept it classy when they gave Bob Newhart a standing ovation after co-presenter Jim Parsons mentioned Newhart won his first-ever Emmy for guest starring on "The Big Bang Theory" last season. Newhart's response: "Was that a compliment, or were you just trying to rub it in?"

Will Ferrell Thinks It's Casual Night at the Emmys

"SNL" alum Ferrell ended the night on a presenter high note, showing up to present Outstanding Comedy and Drama Series Emmys wearing shorts and a t-shirt, and with his three similarly-attired sons in tow. "This is the Emmys, don't blow this for me guys," he said when one offspring (supposedly) told him he needed to go to the bathroom.

[Photos: Stars Who Ditched Hot Dates and Showed Up With Their Kin]

The Worst

For Those Googling Lloyd Nolan …

Sure, we'd all attest that Lloyd Nolan is no Jon Hamm, but still … did he need to be namechecked in such a tasteless way? Apparently Diahann Carroll thought so. While standing on the Emmy presenter stage with Kerry Washington, "Julia" star Carroll praised all the good-looking men in the audience, lamenting the fact that her "Julia" co-star Nolan didn't fit her standards for Hollywood handsomeness. "The men are much more beautiful than when I was doing television," she said. "I don't know where you came from, but I'm very happy to see you. After all, my leading man was Lloyd Nolan, and those of you who know what that means, don't repeat to anyone." As we said, harsh.

But Enough About You, Let's Talk About Us

OK, CBS. We get it, you've got a lot of series premieres and season openers happening this week. But did you have to remind us of that any time you had one of your network stars on stage as a presenter? It's the Emmy show, not the TV guide show.

The Ryan Seacrest Center for Excessive Hosting

We'll give you that "How I Met Your Mother" clip that made fun of NPH's many awards show-hosting duties. "It's time to take off the bow tie and pick up the phone," to call the Ryan Seacrest Center for Excessive Hosting, the mock PSA suggested … good one, CBS. But you didn't fool us; it was also a promo for Monday night's "HIMYM" season premiere.

[Related: 5 Final Season Teases From the 'How I Met Your Mother' Gang]

You Said It, Man

"Well, crap," said "The Newsroom" star Jeff Daniels, after being announced as the surprise winner of the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Emmy. He echoed the sentiments of "Breaking Bad" fans, after Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, and Jonathan Banks were shut out of Emmy honors.

[Related: No One Won Their Emmys Pool: The Night's 8 Most Shocking Upsets]

History Lessons

Don Cheadle's walk down memory lane to TV events from 50 years ago — the JFK assassination and The Beatles on "The Ed Sullivan Show" — followed by Carrie Underwood's performance of "Yesterday" … additional moments that would have been more appropriately spent on TV icons Larry Hagman and Jack Klugman getting the personal tributes they so deserved. And P.S. — The Beatles' first appearance on the Sullivan show was in Feb. 1964 … technically, the 50th anniversary of that TV moment is next year.