8th February, 2020
No one will be assigned to host the 2020 Oscar event on Sunday night after 2019’s host-free experiment merited a rating spike.
ABC Entertainment President Karey Burke told reporters in January that the network planned on “repeating what worked for us last year.”
The family-facing platform scrapped the traditional emcee format for the previous ceremony after its initial comedian of choice, Kevin Hart, came under fire after homophobic jokes resurfaced and walked away from the coveted gig.
It comes as no surprise that in 2020 the network has moved to avoid any potential host-related drama altogether.
The film academy also reignited some familiar criticism after announcing the nominees in 24 categories last month, Los Angeles Times reported.
Todd Phillips’ dark comic-book adaptation “Joker” led the field with 11 nominations, including best picture.
While the 2019 Oscar nominees were uncharacteristically diverse, this year’s mostly white acting categories have sparked backlash reminiscent of the 2015-16 #OscarsSoWhite controversy. And once again, not a single woman was nominated for director.
However, the 92nd Academy Awards will air live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles at 5 p.m. Pacific on ABC.
The run time for the show is about three hours, but passionate speeches and other only-on-live-TV variables are likely to stretch the broadcast.
A Livestream of the program will also be available in select markets on ABC’s website and app — accessible only with valid TV provider login credentials.
To achieve full immersion in the day’s festivities, viewers can tune in to the pre-show, “Oscars Live on the Red Carpet,” beginning at 3:30 p.m. Pacific on ABC, the ABC website and the ABC app.
“Oscars All Access: Red Carpet Live” will also showcase Hollywood’s brightest stars in their Oscars-best starting at 3:30 p.m. Pacific, via the academy’s Twitter account.