Emmys May Follow The Oscars With A Host-Less 2019 Show

Fox and the Television Academy are said to be strongly considering a host-less show this year, potentially following in the footsteps of the 2019 Academy Awards.

The 2019 Emmys are set to air in September, and as of June, no host has been announced. Speaking with insiders close to the show, Variety confirmed on Thursday that forgoing a traditional host is among the top choices for this year’s show. While uncommon, this is not an unprecedented move for the Emmys, which went host-less in 2003, 1998, and 1975.

The immediate comparison for such a move is the most recent Oscars telecast from February, which went without a singular host and saw a 12 percent uptick in viewers overall after years of declining viewership. Still, it remains unclear whether the format shake-up was the primary reason for the increased viewership. Many may have tuned in out of morbid curiosity following the homophobic tweet scandal that led to Kevin Hart backing out as host. Still, others may have watched due to the higher than usual number of big commercial hits nominated this year, including “Black Panther” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Time will tell what really worked as the Oscars continue to experiment and the Emmys potentially follow suit.

The 2019 Emmy nominations are set to be unveiled on July 16. As Variety points out, a high number of beloved shows came to an end during this recent Emmys cycle, including “Game of Thrones,” “Broad City,” and “Veep.” The presence of these shows getting their final shot at gold might also lead to an increase in viewers.

The 71st annual Emmy Awards will air live on Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. EST on Fox.