The 2017 Emmy Awards are expected to have a considerable political dimension. The event is hosted by Stephen Colbert who is performing well in the late-night rankings thanks to his satirical views of President Donald Trump. Many expect him to use the Emmys platform to deliver a few hot takes on the commander-in-chief. The same is expected if Alec Baldwin takes to the podium to accept an award for his Saturday Night Live show.
If Elizabeth Moss wins the Best Actress Emmy for her role in the series “The Handmaid's Tale,” she will most likely give a speech based on the theme of her performance in the series.
By all accounts, the 2017 Emmy Awards promise to be more fascinating than previous events. Oftentimes, the show recognizes old standby series; however, this year things may change. A number of up and coming productions, including “Westworld” and “This Is Us” have the potential to steal the spotlight.
On another level, actors like Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman will battle it out for the top honors and provide the fans with some good photo opportunities. Fans always relish an exquisite red-carpet Instagram moment.
Stephen Colbert is set to become the first Emmy's host to receive multiple awards. His performances in his current shows won a combined six nominations.
Political dimension
“The Handmaid's Tale” shares many similarities with January's Women's March despite being filmed several months prior to the election of Donald Trump.
On the other hand, shows like Atlanta provide interesting takes on life as an African-American in the United States today.
Meanwhile, the cast of "Saturday Night Live" are known for their antics when it comes to the White House. The same applies to nominees John Oliver and Samantha Bee.
It comes as no surprise that some of the Emmy nominees may continue lampooning the president as part of their acceptance speeches.
Colbert will most likely play a central role in preparing the stage for wholesale political commentary.
Ultimately, the biggest star on television in 2017 is not the celebrity nominees but Donald Trump.
Streaming shows could spring a surprise
Although no streaming show has ever managed to win the Best Drama award, this year's Emmys may spring a surprise.
Four out of seven Drama nominees are coming to the awards on a streaming ticket, including “House of Cards” (Netflix), “The Crown” (Netflix), “Stranger Things” (Netflix) and “The Handmaid's Tale” (Hulu). In the past, “House of Cards” was nominated but failed to steal the limelight.
This year is full of promise based on the number of streaming shows on the drama category nominees list. The majority of network shows with the exception of “This Is Us,” have lost significant ground to streaming services.
