Neil Patrick Harris' Emmy opening number scores

Neil Patrick Harris brought so much -- humor, timing, professionalism and likability -- to his Emmy-hosting gig Sunday night, but more than that, he brought back old-school Hollywood charm.

The 36-year-old "How I Met Your Mother" actor, who has a background in musical theater, struck the perfect note with the opening number "Put Down the Remote," written by "Hairspray's" Marc Shaiman and Scott Whitman.

As we noted in Zap2it's Emmy minute-by-minute recap, the lyrics are fairly clever, making reference to Paula Abdul leaving "American Idol" and giving love to "Mad Men's" good-looking Jon Hamm.

Check out Harris' performance at the Emmys:



It was a great way to kick off the evening. The simple style suited Harris, who didn't try to dazzle, but rather let the lyrics speak for themselves. We were impressed.




Follow Zap2it on Twitter for the latest TV, movie and celebrity news.

Related:

The Emmys 2009: Minute by minute
Neil Patrick Harris kills it as Emmys host
Dr. Horrible takes over the 2009 Emmy Awards
Red carpet pics from the Emmys
All the winners and nominees
Full Emmy coverage on Zap2it