Emmy nominations set the stage for an unpredictable virtual ceremony

Summary of the big television party in Hollywood (2019) 2:33

(CNN) - Emmy nominations will be announced Tuesday, in a strange year in which television has rarely felt more important, offering an escape and a connection in the midst of a pandemic, while the award ceremony seems especially challenging.

Seeking to make the best of a bad situation, the Television Academy plans to offer a virtual awards show, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel of ABC.

Notably, most of the major award shows that will follow will come after September 20, including the Golden Globes and Oscars, have postponed their performances for a few months, reflecting the uncertainty surrounding the current award ecosystem.

Television viewing has skyrocketed since home confinement orders went into effect in March, prompting people to search for new shows and marathons for old shows. With so many other marginalized hobbies, television has become one of the few reliable products that people can share.

At the same time, the act of the entertainment industry taking place may seem a bit frivolous and irrelevant in the face of such terrible events. Although people are still looking for distractions and entertainment, it is not easy to achieve the right tone.

The television broadcasts of the BET Awards and the Daytime Emmy last month demonstrated that it is possible to mount credible presentations under the virtual format, in each case producing the program in advance; Still, that approach deflates some of the elements that have traditionally defined the awards, including the spontaneity that goes with a fully live event and red carpet fashion.

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Adam Sharp, manager and executive president of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which hosts the Daytime Emmys, said they are all in the process of learning. The Daytime Emmy Awards were held last month, which included each nominee pre-recording an award acceptance speech.

Over the weekend, the organization hosted more than 100 remote live streams for its awards in honor of children's, animation and lifestyle programming, and will apply those lessons to Sports Emmys in August.

The two academies have been "exchanging impressions," Sharp said, adding that when it comes to producing award shows, "the covid-19 does not lend itself well to long-term planning. There will be a lot of adaptability with a view to the future ”.

Jason Thompson accepted an award with his family during the Daytime Emmy Awards in June. (CBS Broadcasting, Inc ..)

Interesting themes may emerge for primetime Emmy beyond the usual rating concerns, such as the ongoing battle for award prestige between HBO and Netflix, which interrupted HBO's streak as the most nominated network in 2018. (HBO and CNN are both part of WarnerMedia.)

This year's nightly awards have a relatively high degree of suspense, with no Game of Thrones in the race after breaking records - named best drama four of its eight seasons - and with the 2019 winner for Best Comedy, "Fleabag." , also out of competition.

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HBO's “Succession” enjoyed what many saw as a featured second season, but there is plenty of dramatic competition, including AMC's “Better Call Saul,” FX's “Pose,” and Netflix's “Ozark,” and “The Crown.” In between new entries, "The Morning Show" could make some noise, particularly on the performance side, for the new Apple TV + service.

Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon on The Apple Tv + Morning Show.

Meanwhile, some of the most competing categories could be in the limited series category, where HBO's “Watchmen”, “Mrs. America ”from FX,“ Little Fires Everywhere ”from Hulu and“ Unbelievable ”from Netflix are considered strong competitors. The awards also mark the final years of eligibility for several acclaimed series that completed their careers, including "Modern Family," "The Good Place," "Homeland," "Mr. Robot ”,“ How to Get Away With Murder ”,“ Schitt's Creek ”and“ Silicon Valley ”.

The unknowns in the vote could be as difficult to read as the general mood of the academy members in the midst of these uncertain times, in a year that has avoided the foamy events normally associated with the Emmy campaign.

Thomas Middleditch, Zach Woods, Martin Starr and Kumail Nanjiani in 'Silicon Valley' (Eddy Chen / HBO)

The awards will also be closely watched in terms of representation with respect to people of color, as the entertainment industry joins other institutions in trying to address its record of diversity and inclusion.

Like most awards, the Emmys' audience has declined, including a record 6.9 million viewers last year, a sharp decline of more than 30% from the previous ceremony, according to Nielsen data.

That could ease the pressure a bit on this year's awards, and any interim measures that the ABC host network may devise. Although the old adage that "the show must go on" has become somewhat debatable in the coronavirus era, it will definitely continue.

Emmy nominations will be announced on July 28 and the show will air on September 20 on ABC.

Emmy Awards