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Los Angeles — Jimmy Kimmel isn't planning to use his superpowers at the Emmys.
When the talk show host first emceed the ceremony four years ago, he pranked folks not watching the live telecast by bringing Tracy Morgan on stage to pretend to be unconscious.
The host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! urged viewers to post "OMG Tracy Morgan just passed out on stage at the Emmys" on social media. A few years later, the 30 Rock co-star was seriously injured in a car crash.
Oh my God - Tracy Morgan just passed out onstage at the Emmys - turn ABC on NOW!"
— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) September 24, 2012
"I have to be careful because I obviously have powers that no one ever anticipated," joked Kimmel after ceremoniously rolling out the red carpet Wednesday morning in anticipation of Sunday's ceremony. "I'm hoping to be on the next season of (the Marvel superhero series) 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'"
The massive red carpet — more like a red sidewalk, really — will cover the entire plaza surrounding the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles. Kimmel teased the television academy for boasting that this year's red carpet will be the longest in the ceremony's history at 1,325 feet.
"Isn't that the least impressive thing you've ever heard?" said Kimmel. "The red carpet didn't even roll all the way out. How do we know it's the longest? We saw no evidence of that today! I don't necessarily believe it."
Inside the theater, stagehands were hard at work on erecting the sweeping circular set around a giant Emmy statue. The stage has been accented with silver globes, sculptures and textured walls.
The place cards positioned on chairs in front of the glittery get-up illustrated that Tina Fey, Sarah Paulson, Bryan Cranston and Kerry Washington will have the best seats in the house: front-row center.
Other nominees with front-row seat assignments include Viola Davis, Tony Hale, Anthony Anderson, Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright.
However, not Beyoncé. The pop superstar, who is nominated for outstanding direction for the HBO special for her visual album Lemonade, is assigned to the second row behind Liev Schreiber.
