Ellen DeGeneres Was the Host
Having already hosted the Emmys in 1994 and 2001, Ellen DeGeneres returned to do the honors a third time in 2005. Tasked with hosting the event just weeks after Hurricane Katrina, the comedian paid tribute by wearing a magnolia on her suit.
"New Orleans is my hometown, and I have family in Mississippi. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected," DeGeneres told the audience. "I guess I don’t have to point out that this is the second time I’ve hosted the Emmys after a national tragedy, and I just want to say that I’m honored because it’s times like this that we really, really need laughter.”
The Black Eyed Peas Performed
The Black Eyed Peas were ready to get it started by opening the 2005 Emmys alongside Earth, Wind & Fire, the groups having put together an original number about that year's TV shows and pop culture events set to the tune of "September."
Jennifer Garner & Ben Affleck Were Newlyweds
The 2005 Emmys were a date night for many couples, including then-newlyweds Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck. Less than three months after the Alias star—who was a nominee at the time—and the Oscar winner tied the knot, they attended the September award show. At the time, Garner was also pregnant, with her and Affleck welcoming daughter Violet that December.
The pair—who went on to welcome kids Seraphina and Samuel—split a decade later and finalized their divorce in 2018.
Lost Won Outstanding Drama Series
The Television Academy wasn't lost over how it felt about this show. In fact, J.J. Abrams' Lost—which featured Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Jorge Garcia, Josh Holloway, Daniel Dae Kim, Naveen Andrews, Harold Perrineau and more stars—won Outstanding Drama Series as well as Outstanding Directing.
Everybody Loves Raymond Won Outstanding Comedy Series
And everybody loved this program.
Everybody Loves Raymond capped off its ninth and final season by winning Outstanding Comedy Series. Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton and Peter Boyle were all nominated for their roles, and Doris Roberts and Brad Garrett took home trophies for their performances.
Desperate Housewives Was Also a Frontrunner
The Desperate Housewives cast went from Wisteria Lane to the Emmys stage.
Not only was the show nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series, but Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher, and Felicity Huffman also received acting nods—with Huffman taking home a trophy. And while Eva Longoria was notably left off the nominations list, she poked fun at the snub in a bit that showed her sitting alone in the nosebleeds while insisting she's treated the same as her castmates.
Warm Springs Took Home the TV Movie Prize
Based on former president Franklin D. Roosevelt's battle with polio, Warm Springs won the award for Outstanding Made for Television Movie. The film featured a star-studded cast, including Kenneth Branagh, Cynthia Nixon, Kathy Bates and Jane Alexander, the latter of whom the Supporting Actress Emmy for her portrayal of Roosevelt's mother Sara.
But The Life and Death of Peter Sellers Raked in More Wins Overall
Still, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers was a major winner, too. While it didn't win its overall category of Outstanding Made for TV Movie, Geoffrey Rush did receive a trophy for his portrayal of the comedian and the film won for writing and directing.
Boston Legal Also Scored Big Acting Wins
There's plenty of evidence it was a good night for Boston Legal.
Not only did William Shatner win for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, but James Spader also secured the lead actor prize.
Blythe Danner Was a Triple Nominee
Blythe Danner was up for not one, not two but three trophies that night. She received nods for both her guest appearance on Will & Grace as well as for her performance in the TV movie Back When We Were Grownups. But it was her supporting role in the drama Huff that earned her a win.
Tony Shalhoub & Patricia Arquette Got the Gold
It was no mystery who won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series—with the honor going to Monk's Tony Shalhoub.
As for Patricia Arquette, she received her first-ever Emmy nomination and win for her role in Medium.
S. Epatha Merkerson Lost Her Acceptance Speech Down Her Dress
Another first time nominee and winner was S. Epatha Merkerson, who was honored in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie category for her performance in Lackawanna Blues. In a lighthearted moment, she noted she'd lost a copy of her acceptance speech down her dress.
"Oh my god, I actually wrote something, and I put it in my thing, and it went down and I can't get it," Merkerson told the crowd. "It's probably stuck to me."
Rounding out the winners in the miniseries categories were The Lost Prince, which was named Outstanding Miniseries overall, and Paul Newman, who despite winning in the Supporting Actor category for his work in Empire Falls did not attend the 2005 Emmys.
House Won for Drama Writing
Fans were paging Hugh Laurie's Dr. Gregory House when House won Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series.
Arrested Development Was the Victor for Comedy Writing
As for developments in the comedy category, Arrested Development—which starred Jason Bateman, Jeffrey Tambor, Michael Cera, Will Arnett, Tony Hale, Portia de Rossi and more—received the Emmy for writing.
There Was "Emmy Idol"
With American Idol being one of the most-watched shows at the time, the Emmys did their own spin called "Emmy Idol" where stars sang popular TV theme songs. Among them: Kristen Bell, who rocked the stage with a rendition of "Fame" from the beloved '80s series.
Similarly, future president Donald Trump—who was nominated for an Emmy that year for The Apprentice—sang "Green Acres" from the '60s sitcom with Megan Mullally, who was up for an award for her performance on Will & Grace.
The O.C. Was in the House
California here we come...to the 2005 Emmys.
Rachel Bilson and Mischa Barton were among the many stars to attend the ceremony, with Barton presenting alongside Entourage's Adrian Grenier.