Emmy highlight: Billy Crystal's touching tribute to Robin Williams

This writer generally avoids awards shows like most sensible people would avoid traveling to a country with an Ebola outbreak. However, there was talk of a special tribute to the late Robin Williams at Monday night's Emmys. So, I set the DVR and went to bed.

Scanning the show and the various online wrap-up coverage, it seems like my awards show avoidance reflex was again proved right. By most accounts, nothing special happened.

Even the outrage surrounding Sophia Vergara's appearance on a rotating platform seems like a manufactured controversy. The "Modern Family" star was invited to stand on the platform by Bruce Rosenbaum, chairman of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Image source: NBC

Rosenbaum delivered the typical boring statement about what "the academy" does and viewers watched as Vergara's curves were on display from every angle. To her credit, the actress played it for comedy -- as she often does on the award-winning show that regularly features her character in situations where her beauty is either a distraction, a punchline or both.

But the highlight of the night (for me) was the super-sized tribute to Robin Williams from his friend, Billy Crystal.

Crystal's monologue and video montage was a welcomed five minutes tacked onto the end of the annual "in memoriam" segment that has become a staple in every awards show.

Williams' longtime friend and Comic Relief partner shared some of his favorite personal stories before tossing it to a montage of clips that opened with Robin's first appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson."

Watch the one moment from the marathon broadcast that seemed like it was worth sharing:

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