Emmys 2020: What to expect from host Jimmy Kimmel

Jimmy Kimmel returns to host the 2020 Primetime Emmy Awards tonight on ABC

Tonight’s Primetime Emmy Awards will be unlike any of the past 71 ceremonies. The event will be broadcast virtually from the actors’ and actresses’ homes and it will be up to host Jimmy Kimmel to keep things running as smoothly as possible.

The ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic forced the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences to adapt. The ceremony was changed from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles to a virtual event, following in the footsteps of countless other television shows, business meetings, classrooms, and more that have gone remote over the past six months. Kimmel will be coming to audiences from an empty Staples Center which should make for a unique viewing experience.

Back in June, it was announced that Kimmel would return to host for the third time. Ever the comedian, Kimmel questioned why and how the Emmys would go on but accepted the job nevertheless. The late-night host has also set expectations very low for tonight’s event and is hoping that things go sideways.

What to expect from Jimmy Kimmel at tonight’s Emmy Awards

But if things do get off track, Kimmel is the perfect person to take the wheel. He’s learned his lesson from the Moonlight/La La Land fiasco at the Oscars a few years ago. And for someone who loves pranks, Kimmel should be able to stay calm if everything around him gets confusing.

However, be on the look out for any rust on Kimmel when he hosts tonight. He hasn’t be in front of a camera since June. Kimmel announced the first of his annual summer vacations and left Jimmy Kimmel Live! in the hands of guest hosts. He had found a groove when it came to hosting his show from home before his vacation so here’s hoping he can pick up where he left off, albeit with a potentially much larger audience watching and coming from an empty arena.

Kimmel’s award show monologues are a major reason why this is his third time hosting the Emmys and why he’s also hosted the Oscars twice. It won’t be as easy this time without an audience laughing. It will also be interesting to see if cameras cut to celebrities at home to see their reactions to Kimmel’s punchlines, which again could make for awkward yet entertaining television.

There will be some presenters at the Staples Center with Kimmel which could help take some of the pressure off of him. They may even be able to help him out with a sketch or a bit to break things up and bring something different to the broadcast. Kimmel told Deadline that he wants to lean in to the inherient ridiculousness of tonight’s event and parody some of the traditional award show tropes.

Kimmel may turn to his nemesis Matt Damon for help. The Damon-Kimmel feud has gone beyond just late-night television, invading the World Series and previous Emmy Award ceremonies. While Kimmel will have to get creative tonight, there is nothing wrong with sticking with an old reliable bit that has yet to go stale.

Kimmel will be back hosting his regular late-night show on Monday. Fans will definitely want to tune in not only for his return but for a recap of everything that happens tonight.

Usually, the day after Kimmel hosts an award show is when viewers are treated to a segment from Jimmy Kimmel Live! sidekick Guillermo. But with no red carpet and no backstage scene this year, it could rob fans of “Back-to-Back” or other antics. Be on the look out for how Kimmel uses Guillermo during the Emmys as a possible of hint about what is coming Monday night.

What are your expectations for Jimmy Kimmel tonight? Are you hoping things get off track or are you hoping for a smooth show? Let us know in the comment section below.