ABC Entertainment President Karey Burke revealed today what many had already expected, there will officially be no host for the 2020 Oscars. Burke confirmed the decision during her annual remarks at the Television Critics Association conference this morning. This will be the second year in a row the Academy Awards will be without an emcee following Kevin Hart‘s departure late in the game in 2019.
This year’s show appears to be going in the same direction as last year according to Burke. A big musical opening number, big stars to present individual awards and even more musical numbers. Considering last year’s 12% increase in viewers it’s not hard to see why both The Academy and ABC decided to go in this direction. Especially after the 2018 telecast hit was the lowest watched Oscars in decades. We still think back to back years of Jimmy Kimmel had a lot to do with that, but obviously ABC and The Academy did not.
It should also be noted that new Oscar producers Stephanie Allain and Lynette Howell Taylor were brought on very late in the game. Taking into account the early Feb. 9 broadcast, the duo will have had less than 3 months to stage the production. In that context, it’s also not a surprise that Emmy-winning director Glenn Weiss, who co-produced last year’s event, will return for a fifth time as show director.
Much to the euphoria of ABC, last year’s show clocked in at 3 hours and 23 minutes and going host-less is an easier way for The Academy to make sure they keep their broadcast partner happy. Both ABC and The Academy are also no doubt praying to the Hollywood gods that potential Original Song nominee Beyonce is nominated on Monday.
And, as Tina Fey noted when she returned to co-host the Golden Globes in 2014, “this is Hollywood and if something works they’ll just keep doing it until everybody hates it.”
The 92nd Academy Awards will air live on ABC on Sunday, Feb. 9.