Tracy Morgan - Emmys Host Jimmy Kimmel Plays Ratings Prank On Viewers

Hosts and presenters at the Emmy Awards on Sunday (23Sep12) had to step over comedian Tracy Morgan, who pretended to pass out onstage at the ceremony as part of a ratings prank.

Host Jimmy Kimmel persuaded the 30 Rock star to lie down on the stage for "about 10 minutes" and urged viewers watching the show to text and tweet their reaction to the funnyman's collapse to friends and relatives not watching the live telecast.

Kimmel eventually asked security staff backstage to come out and carry Morgan off, explaining to those tuning in: "We have our situation resolved and everything should be fine from here... just exhaustion."

The host and Morgan teamed up again later in the show and ganged up on Kimmel's parents, who were sitting in the audience, for encouraging their son to believe anything is attainable after he lost out to fellow funnyman Jon Stewart for the Outstanding Variety Series award.

Kimmel asked Nokia Theatre security to remove his folks from the auditorium, telling staff to "go ahead and Taze them if you need to".