Bryan Cranston and Anthony Anderson try to save the Emmys

The 2019 Emmy Awards opted to go host-less this year, following in the footsteps of the Oscars. Kinda. The award show opened with an appearance from an animated Homer Simpson and was followed by a very real Anthony Anderson and Bryan Cranston. So, not hosts, but also two hosts?Homer opened the show and had us feeling like it was the late-'90s before he was unceremoniously crushed by a piano. Not killed, somehow, but definitely crushed. Seeing a TV icon obliterated (but not killed, let’s hope no kids were watching) was upsetting for everyone watching at home and in the audience, including Black-ish star Anthony Anderson, who quickly realized that the host-less show needed a dose of a host. Same, Anthony. Anderson took it upon himself to head backstage in search of a host, and in search of a few bonus Emmys that he and his mother were able to smuggle out in her tote. Always bring a tote to fancy events.Thankfully, Anderson found possibly the most likable man in Hollywoodwith  Bryan Cranston, who was coincidentally hanging out backstage and was ushered front and centre to begin what would become a recap of TV history, starting with Neil Armstrong walking on the moon up to the latest season of TV, including This Is Us. It was a short history, but a broad one. "We cry with the Pearson’s every single week,” said Cranston, pleading with the cast, "Please stop making us cry."Cranston’s non-hosting hosting gig included a montage of scenes from the past year of TV, concluding with a clip of Arya killing the Night King in Game of Thrones, because let’s be real, it’s been a great year for TV but that moment instantly became one of the most iconic on-screen moments of all time . As Cranston said, "Television has never mattered more and television has never been this damn good." Especially Game of Thrones.While both men were technically not the hosts of the 2019 Emmy Awards, viewers were still happy to see Anderson and Cranston taking on hosting duties.

Bryan Cranston opening the Emmys Awards is the best thing ever#Emmys #Emmys2019 pic.twitter.com/ARboynDGz7

— rima ? “gay gods”/my cutie pie’s day (@luvmesebastian) September 23, 2019

?BRIAN CRANSTON IS PERFECT

Everyone:#Emmys pic.twitter.com/dRHTTZZ0Mq— MediaBitch (@_MediaBitch) September 23, 2019

Wait... Bryan Cranston!!!#Emmys2019 pic.twitter.com/t77f8ifjQC

— The Nerds of Color (@TheNerdsofColor) September 23, 2019

“Oh God I’m so deserving of this.” -Anthony Anderson ? #Emmys pic.twitter.com/1Oden8aDNA

— Nancy Wang Yuen (@nancywyuen) September 23, 2019

Bob Newhart for host? Or at least for Anthony Anderson #Emmys

— Tony Maglio (@TonyMaglio) September 23, 2019

Well, most of us were excited.

This is 100% a picture of Gwyneth Paltrow asking who Bryan Cranston is. #Emmys pic.twitter.com/eoRy57lF8D

— Eddie Mouradian (@eddie_mouradian) September 23, 2019

Two other onstage figures that were lamenting the lack of hosts—former Emmys emcees Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert—who revealed that if hosts are suddenly less-than-valuable, they would find themselves out of a job."If we let this slide, they’ll start using Alexa to present the nominees," Colbert deadpanned.It's only a matter of time.