Stephen Colbert falls flat in Emmys appearance

In a rare comedic misfire, satirist Stephen Colbert’s presenting appearance at the Emmys has drawn derision from viewers on social media.

The segment featured Colbert, who is set to take over from David Letterman as host of The Late Show, decrying the lack of awards recognition for his imaginary friend "Roscoe".

“An unfunny appearance at the #Emmys does not bode well for Colbert’s talk show start,” gossip blogger Perez Hilton wrote.

“If we ignore this Stephen Colbert bit, it never happened,” BuzzFeed’s entertainment Twitter handled added.

Fellow comedian Dane Cook was more succinct.

“Colbert. Why?”

Colbert's unpopular spot was one of a number of comedic moments that failed to reach great heights.

Earlier, Emmys host Seth Meyers gave members of the audience an opportunity to ask questions.

Mad Men star Jon Hamm kicked things off by taking on a character apparently just happy to be on television.

Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein, from hipster-mocking comedy Portlandia, took a similar tack, suggesting the show's success might prompt it to become an annual event.

For full coverage, visit the 9NEWS.com.au Emmys live feed.