The 92nd Academy Awards will air live Sunday, Feb. 9 and will be without a host for the second year in a row.
The Academy announced the decision in January. Last year, comedian Kevin Hart was announced as the Oscars host, but backed out two days later after several homophobic tweets he posted resurfaced.
Despite the hiccups, the 2019 ceremony went relatively smoothly and saw a slight rise in ratings from its 2018 show.
All things considered, it certainly went smoother than 1989, which was the last time the ceremony went without a host before 2019.
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In 1989, the Academy Awards started with an 11 minute opening number by Rob Lowe and an actress playing Snow White. The awkward sketch was so bad that 17 Hollywood figures wrote a letter to the Academy condemning the performance.
“The 61st Academy Awards show was an embarrassment to both the Academy and the entire motion picture industry,” the letter stated. “It is neither fitting nor acceptable that the best work in motion pictures be acknowledged in such a demeaning fashion. We urge the president and governors of the Academy to ensure that future award presentations reflect the same standard of excellence as that set by the films and filmmakers they honor.”
To add insult to injury, Disney then sued the Academy for their unauthorized use of the Snow White character.
Ultimately, the 61st Annual Academy Awards in 1989 did well with its ratings, despite the harsh critique of its opening number.
The show earned 42.7 million viewers, which was more than in the previous five years. Last year's ceremony, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, had the lowest ratings in Oscars history, with only 26.7 million viewers, so this year's changes might just be what the show needs to make a comeback.