The Emmys will be missing one major thing this year: A host. Following the 2019 Oscars, which went without an emcee after Kevin Hart stepped down from the ceremony following the rediscovery of homophobic tweets, the Emmys has decided to follow suit. However, their reason for not having a high-profile celebrity ushering fans through the ceremony has less to do with not being able to find one, and not having time to squeeze one in.
On Wednesday, Fox entertainment CEO Charlie Collier took to the Television Critics Association summer press tour to reveal the reason for the host-free ceremony.
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"It’s our job to assess how to elevate the program in the year we’re lucky enough to broadcast it," Collier said. "And what’s interesting about this year, to me, is how many amazing shows we’re saying goodbye to. You’ve got obviously Game of Thrones…and Veep and Big Bang Theory."
He added that a host and opening number would take "15, 20 minutes" of the show's runtime, which means less time to honour the shows we've lost over the year. Either way, Game of Thrones promises to be a big part of the Emmys this year: The HBO drama scored a record-breaking 32 nominations for its final season, despite fan outrage over the show's finale.
"I think it will give us more time to honour those shows," said Collier, who also revealed that while hosts were discuss, no one formally received an offer.
It could be a smart move for the Emmys to nix the host idea. Following the Hart controversy, the Oscars chose to dedicate more time to musical numbers, and nabbed even more A-listers to give out the awards and move the ceremony along. It worked, and helped the Oscars move along at a brisk pace. We love honouring our entertainment favourites but...we don't need to do so for four full hours.
The 2019 Emmys air Sept. 22, 2019 on Fox.