Is Neil Patrick Harris the Patron Saint of "Un-Jumping" the Shark?
Neil Patrick Harris
Let's face it: Neil Patrick Harris is awesome.
The multitalented How I Met Your Mother star breathed some much-needed life into Sunday's Emmy awards. Harris, who also served as a producer, kept the show moving and brought plenty of fun with a rousing opening musical number and a comedy sketch based on his role in Joss Whedon's Internet experiment, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.
See how Harris dominated our Emmys Top Moments countdown
The result was a less-bloated, exponentially more watchable telecast that drew in an audience 9 percent larger than last year's record low. So, we wonder: Does Harris have the magic touch?
When he hosted the Tony Awards in June, the program posted its best numbers since 2006 and made double-digit gains in the key demographics. Dr. Horrible was also a smash: It won an Emmy this year, and Whedon said a sequel is in the works.
2009 Emmys Gallery: Check out all the red carpet hits and misses
And let's not forget Harris' greatest turnaround: himself. The former star of Doogie Howser, M.D. managed to avoid the child-star punch line with genuinely funny, self-deprecating cameos in the Harold and Kumar movies and his larger-than-life role on CBS' Mother, which has earned him three Emmy nominations.
Fall Preview: Get scoop on Mother and other returning shows
What do you think? Is Harris legen — wait for it — dary?
