LOS ANGELES (AP) —

Nate Bargatze, the host of this year's Emmy Awards, kicked off the ceremony Sunday with a string of jokes poking fun at the television industry.

The show opened with a sketch where "Saturday Night Live" stars Mikey Day, Bowen Yang and James Austin Johnson joined Bargatze, who played television inventor Philo T. Farnsworth. The audience was warm to Bargatze's jokes as he, while playing Farnsworth, opined on what the future of TV will be like.

"We create a world where the finest artists craft stories of staggering beauty that millions of people will watch on their phones while they're sitting on the toilet," Bargatze said.

Bargatze, a 46-year-old stand-up comic from Tennessee known for his friendly style, was not a typical host. The gig left some wondering how Bargatze

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