What You Can Expect From The Oscars' No-Host Ceremony

Ahead of the 2019 Oscars this Sunday, there are still many huge question marks surrounding just how the night will get on without a host.

Unlike previous years, which have mostly had an emcee to preside over Hollywood’s biggest night, the Academy has endured a very public struggle in the headlines trying to track down a host. As much as the Academy would like viewers and their nominees to move on from all the controversy – which is kind of hard to do, seeing as how it’s been everywhere – audiences are definitely in for quite a show.

Before we settle in to watch the awards, here’s a breakdown as to why it is running without a host. Be warned: Given what we know, Sunday night’s show could get very interesting, very quick.

Why Are The Oscars Without A Host?

Well, this is where it gets a little hairy. The long and short of it? Back in December 2018, actor Kevin Hart was announced as this year’s Oscars host. In a matter of weeks, Hart went from celebrated to vilified for old, allegedly homophobic tweets that members of the general public (and some of Hollywood) felt made him unfit to host the show. While the Academy encouraged Hart to publicly apologize in an effort to repair some of the damage to both his image and the awards ceremony itself, Hart instead got defensive and stepped down as host.

This led to the Academy attempting to search for a new 2019 Oscars host for a few weeks before giving it up and confirming the show would just go host-less. Fun times!

It’s been argued that the Academy had such trouble finding a replacement because of the kind of criteria needed to secure a good host for the show. In theory, the best kind of Oscars host is well-liked enough to bring in viewers, and they have the skills to be charming, funny, and nimble enough to fill in the time and connect the various segments of the show with filler material. Most importantly, however, the ideal host is affordable enough for the Academy, because hosting the Oscars doesn’t pay well considering the amount of work and time commitment needed to make the show go off without a hitch.

Considering the majority of the general public had no clue about the Oscars host kerfuffle, it’s likely Hart will rebound just fine (especially considering he’s currently on screens in the successful The Upside). Regardless, the Academy is working overtime to make sure the show goes on.

What Normally Happens When There Isn’t A Host In Place?

Oddly enough, this isn’t the first time the Oscars have gone hostless. The 1989 telecast aired without a host. Back then, the Oscars were minus a host not due to controversy, but because of producer Allan Carr and his decision in part to produce a show that focused less on the pageantry and more on the glamour of the awards themselves.

One of the more infamous decisions resulting from this choice was recruiting Rob Lowe, who performed a parody song with an actress dressed as Snow White, for what is considered to be #TheWorstOpeningNumberEver. The rest of the show proceeded in fairly dry, standard fashion. Though the 1989 ceremony doesn’t hold a candle to the year co-hosted by James Franco and Anne Hathaway.

With this in mind, it’s safe to say there’s really no backup plan in place. Even though it’s been 30 years since the show has been in this kind of a unique pickle, it’s wild to think that nobody has thought of a contingency plan. That’s… showbiz?

What’s The Academy’s Plan Without A Host?

Currently, there isn’t one.

The Academy has not announced how they plan to push the show along for several hours without a Billy Crystal-level presence to help with the momentum. That said, the Academy has recruited a murderer’s row of celebrity presenters to present across all categories. Hopefully, their star power will distract from whatever void is left by the lack of a host.

Presenters have been announced in rounds, with some of the big names including 2018 acting category winners Frances McDormand, Gary Oldman, Allison Janney, and Sam Rockwell. Marvel Cinematic Universe stars Chris Evans, Brie Larson, Tessa Thompson, and Samuel L. Jackson are set to appear (among others), along with actors we just love to love like Laura Dern and Jennifer Lopez.

Finally, some big, big names were recently announced to present the Best Picture nominees: Barbra Streisand and Serena Williams. It’s unclear if the producers behind the show have written in bits, skits, or any other kinds of time-filling tomfoolery for these celebrity presenters, but fingers crossed the all-star lineup takes the chance to liven things up during the notoriously long ceremony.

Find out how it all goes down this Sunday, February 24th, 8pm EST on ABC.