2016 Emmy Awards: What To Expect From Television’s Biggest Night

The 2016 Emmy Awards are quickly approaching and while millions of viewers will be tuning in for NFL games all day, for television fans, the airing of the Emmys are the equivalent of the Holy Grail.

Here are some things to expect for the 68th Emmys.

Jimmy Kimmel is your 2016 Emmys host.

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The 2016 Emmys mark the second hosting gig of the awards show for Kimmel. Jimmy Kimmel was the host for the 2012 Emmys, but his last hosting gig was met with mixed reviews. Emmy viewers in 2012 either loved or hated him, according to CNN. Before you Emmy fans panic about whether Kimmel can pull it off, however, we should also note that the hosts for 2013 to 2015 including Neil Patrick Harris, Seth Meyers, and Andy Samberg, also received mixed reviews. As it turns out, an awards show host, much like a mother with six kids, can’t please everyone. Unless of course you’re the dynamic duo of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler or Ellen DeGeneres.

Network television most likely will not dominate the winners list.

With the majority of Emmy nominations going to cable or streaming service like Netflix and Amazon, the odds are not in favor of network television. Shows like Game of Thrones, Veep, Transparent, House of Cards, and The People vs OJ Simpson, smoked out other series for major networks of television, ABC, NBC, and CBS. Sure, Modern Family was able to score a nod, but notably absent was fan favorite Big Bang Theory, including the unstoppable Jim Parsons for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Could this spell disaster for the future of network television? Most likely not. In reality, network execs are more about the ratings than the awards.

Will there be any protests like “Oscars so white?” or Leo DiCaprio’s environmental lecture?

Unlike the Oscars, the 2016 Emmy Awards scored diversity points this year by including shows like Black-ish and Master of None, as well as the inclusion of Aziz Ansari, Taraji P. Henson, Viola Davis, and Anthony Anderson in their respective acting categories. Does this mean the Emmys won’t be used as a platform to tout some social justice or political agenda? The truth is, with Hollywood, no one ever knows. Actors and actresses, producers, directors, and writers love to use awards shows as a means of promoting whatever cause they believe in. Now that all “live” shows have a delay, however, home audiences may not get the full propaganda filled rants. The times of awards shows being derailed by streakers or ramblers is a thing of the past for the most part.

Be sure to grab a tissue.

While 2016 has been known as “The Year of Death” for music icons, television lost some significant players too. One Day at a Time‘s “Schneider,” Pat Harrington; Grizzly Adams star Dan Haggerty; the man, the myth, the legend Abe Vigoda; comedian Garry Shandling; and Patty Duke all join the long list of television celebrities who died in 2016. Word has it, however, that this year’s Emmy “In Memoriam” segment will also feature a special tribute to one of television’s significant creators.

According to USA Today, Henry Winkler will start the Emmys “In Memoriam” segment with a special remembrance of producer, writer, director Garry Marshall. As previously reported by Inquisitr, Garry Marshall passed away in July after developing pneumonia while recovering from a stroke. Marshall was the creator of such hits as Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, and Mork and Mindy. Ironically, the revered Marshall never actually won an Emmy.

How to watch the 2016 Emmys:

Just as the Emmy Award nominations showed that they embraced online streaming shows for their creativity and talent, the 2016 Emmys are also embracing the idea of online streaming their awards show. Facebook will be posting live highlights and backstage videos on ABC, Jimmy Kimmel, and the Emmys Facebook pages. ABC’s homepage will also be live streaming the show.

But for the more traditional folks who might find the live streaming via internet challenging, the full broadcast of the 2016 Emmy Awards can be seen on ABC at 8 p.m. ET. If you’re a super-uber Emmy Awards fan and don’t want to miss any of the red carpet action, tune in an hour earlier.

[Featured Image by Rich Fury/Invision/AP]