Considering most of Hollywood is shut down to the point where even late-night talk shows are still being shot from the hosts’ houses, nobody would be blown away if awards season took a breather for 2020. But as far as the Emmys are concerned, apparently the show must go on.
ABC revealed today that Jimmy Kimmel will host the 72nd Emmy Awards, which is currently set to air on September 20. Considering California is experiencing an uptick in COVID-19 cases, holding the ceremony in anything resembling its standard fashion seems unlikely, and even Kimmel himself has no idea how any of this is going to work.
“I don’t know where we will do this or how we will do this or even why we are doing this, but we are doing it and I am hosting it,” he said in a statement to CNN.
You can read ABC’s full statement below:
“We know Jimmy Kimmel will deliver a uniquely entertaining, funny and moving Primetime Emmys show,” said Karey Burke, president of ABC Entertainment. “He’s a true master of ceremonies who reveres this industry and its people; and just as Jimmy has done with his own show over the past few months, he will tackle this momentous event with heart and humor, and bring some much-needed joy and optimism to our television colleagues and viewers at home.”
The Emmy announcement arrives just one day after the Oscars were delayed three months and its eligibility window was extended into 2021. To be fair, the Oscars have a much larger issue with movie theaters being shut down for an extensive length of time and release dates continuing to be scuttled as a cloud of uncertainty hangs over reopening cinemas. On the opposite end of that spectrum, audiences have been watching more TV than ever thanks to nationwide lockdowns, but that still doesn’t alleviate the logistical concerns of putting together an Emmys award show for September. Let’s see how this works out!