Not one year goes by without the passing of several luminaries whose mission it was to brighten up our days with a dose of escapism. It’s a part of life, and those who have passed will remain in our memories — and TV sets — for many years to come, allowing us to recognize their spirits through the work they left behind. The Emmys paid tribute to the passing stars of television in their “In Memoriam” segment on Sunday night, and it was another chance to say goodbye to the Joan Rivers, Stuart Scotts, and Leonard Nimoys of this world.
Popular inhabitants of the entertainment industry like Mike Nichols, B.B. King, Jerry Weintraub, Wes Craven, and Jan Hooks all bid farewell in the past 12 months, and as vital as they were to filling the downtime between our workdays so too were the men and women behind the camera who helped provide the foundation to our favorite programs. “In Memoriams” are always tough on the throat — it’s painful to process the notion that we’ll never get a fresh moment of levity, laughter, or introspection from their subjects, as the world could always use another zinger from Joan Rivers, or one more play call from Stuart Scott.
