Watch Seth Meyers’ Opening Monologue at the Emmys

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The opening monologues of the Emmy Awards always poke fun at Hollywood itself, but Seth Meyers’ remarks at the 66th show were even more inside baseball than normal — making fun at the politics of the television industry, not its stars. The Late Night host took aim at the decision to move the Emmys to a Monday night in August to avoid football season conflicts (“keeping with the actor’s tradition of running away from jocks”); the head-scratching surrounding certain shows’ nomination categories (the past year featured “comedies that made you laugh and comedies that made you cry because they were dramas submitted as comedies”); and HBO’s dominance as the network with the most nominations (HBO is “the kid you grew up with who did way better than you expected”).

Watch the speech above.

See the Best Red Carpet Moments From the 2014 Emmys

Christina Hendricks
Christina Hendricks arrives at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, in Los Angeles. John Shearer—Invision/AP
January Jones
January Jones arrives at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, in Los Angeles. John Shearer—Invision/AP
Laverne Cox
Laverne Cox arrives at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, in Los Angeles.John Shearer—Invision/AP
NBC's 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - Red Carpet
Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt arrive to the 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Nokia Theater on August 25, 2014. Christopher Polk—Getty Images
Lena Headey
Lena Headey arrives at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, in Los Angeles. Evan Agostini—Invision/AP
Peter Dinklage
Peter Dinklage arrives at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, in Los Angeles. John Shearer—Invision/AP
Aaron Paul
Aaron Paul arrives at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, in Los Angeles.John Shearer—Invision/AP
Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler arrives at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, in Los Angeles. John Shearer—Invision/AP
Sofía Vergara
Sofía Vergara arrives at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, in Los Angeles. Evan Agostini—Invision/AP
Kit Harington
Kit Harington arrives at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, in Los Angeles. John Shearer—Invision/AP
Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts arrives at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, in Los Angeles. John Shearer—Invision/AP
66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - Arrivals
Lizzy Caplan attends the 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on August 25, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images
Sarah Hyland
Sarah Hyland arrives at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, in Los Angeles. John Shearer—Invision/AP
66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - Arrivals
Host Seth Meyers and Alexi Ashe attend the 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on August 25, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. Jason Merritt—Getty Images
66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - Arrivals
Lena Dunham attends the 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on August 25, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. Michael Buckner—Getty Images
66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - Arrivals
Hayden Panettiere attends the 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on August 25, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.Jason Merritt—Getty Images
Teyonah Parris
Teyonah Parris arrives at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, in Los Angeles. Danny Moloshok—Invision/AP
Jim Parsons
Jim Parsons arrives at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, in Los Angeles. John Shearer—Invision/AP
Mayim Bialik
Mayim Bialik arrives at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, in Los Angeles. Evan Agostini—Invision/AP
Rico Rodriguez
Rico Rodriguez arrives at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, in Los Angeles.Evan Agostini—Invision/AP
Minnie Driver from the Lifetime miniseries "Return to Zero" arrives at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles
Minnie Driver from the Lifetime miniseries "Return to Zero" arrives at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California August 25, 2014. Lucy Nicholson—Reuters
Keke Palmer
Keke Palmer arrives at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, in Los Angeles. John Shearer—Invision/AP
Actor Ricky Gervais arrives at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles
Actor Ricky Gervais arrives at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California August 25, 2014. Lucy Nicholson—Reuters
Melissa Mcknight, Matt LeBlanc
Melissa Mcknight, left, and Matt LeBlanc arrive at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, in Los Angeles.Evan Agostini—Invision/AP
NBC's 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - Red Carpet
Julianna Margulies arrives to the 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Nokia Theater on August 25, 2014. Christopher Polk—Getty Images
NBC's "66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards" - Arrivals
Melissa McCarthy arrives to the 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Nokia Theater on August 25, 2014. Kevork Djansezian—NBC/Getty Images
US-ENTERTAINMENT-EMMY-ARRIVALS
Mason Vale Cotto arrives on the red carpet for the 66th Emmy Awards, August 25, 2014 at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California.Frederic J. Brown—AFP/Getty Images
US-ENTERTAINMENT-EMMY-ARRIVALS
Mario Lopez arrives on the red carpet for the 66th Emmy Awards, August 25, 2014 at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Frederic J. Brown—AFP/Getty Images
Aubrey Anderson-Emmons
Aubrey Anderson-Emmons arrives at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, in Los Angeles. Danny Moloshok—Invision/AP
66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - Arrivals
Lucy Liu attends the 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on August 25, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. Jason Merritt—Getty Images
Camila Alves, Matthew McConaughey
Camila Alves, left, and Matthew McConaughey arrive at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, in Los Angeles. Evan Agostini—Invision/AP
Kate Mara
Kate Mara arrives at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, in Los Angeles. Evan Agostini—Invision/AP
66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - Arrivals
Sarah Silverman attends the 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on August 25, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images
Arrivals - 66th Primetime Emmy Awards
William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman arrive for the 66th annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California, USA.Paul Buck—EPA

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Write to Nolan Feeney at nolan.feeney@time.com