Emmys viewership hit an ALL-TIME low of 5.9 million following a post-pandemic rebound, with critics calling the “unforgettable” event “clumsily scripted” and “inoffensive”
- Monday night’s Emmys dropped to 5.9 million viewers, the lowest number for an awards show since last year’s pandemic recovery
- Viewership was down 1.5 million from last year and behind 2020’s largely virtual event, which saw 6.1 million viewers
- Critics slammed the show and the performance of host Kenan Thompson, who did more dancing than humor at the awards ceremony.
- The audience was also upset by the live musical performance of the “resident DJ”
- Monday’s show also had a few surprises as favorites to win like Succession and Ted Lasso took home awards in their respective categories
Viewership for the Emmy Awards plummeted to an all-time low of 5.9 million, despite last year’s recovery from the pandemic, when critics slammed the event.
Monday night’s audience was 1.5 million fewer than last year, slightly behind 2020’s mostly virtual ceremony, which drew 6.1 million viewers, a record low, according to Nielsen.
The low ratings came as the awards show was deemed somewhat predictable and host Kenan Thompson received a mixed reception, with the show pulling in a 1.1 rating, down 42 percent from last year’s 1.8.
Mike Hale of The New York Times called Monday’s show and Thompson’s performance “forgettable”.
“The show has fallen into a cute and harmless, shapeless and unrefined groove,” Hale wrote. “Not much to get excited about; there is nothing to be upset about.”
Monday night’s Emmys dropped to 5.9 million viewers, the lowest number for an awards show since last year’s pandemic recovery
Critics slammed the show and the performance of host Kenan Thompson (center), who did more dancing than humor at the awards ceremony.
Spectators were also treated to a live musical performance by ‘resident DJ’ Zedd (above)
The New Yorker’s Michael Shulman agreed that there was nothing new about the show, criticizing Thompson’s chops as host and the overall text of the Emmy Awards.
“Despite the fact that the ceremony honored television prowess, the ceremony was poorly scripted and staged,” Shulman wrote. “There was a kind of desperate desperation in Thompson’s comedy interludes.”
Thompson’s best joke of the night was his jab at Leonardo DiCaprio’s love life when he said Zendaya, 26, was considered too old for the actor known for dumping his girlfriends when they were 25.
The audience was also aggravated by a live musical performance by the “resident DJ” Zed.
There were few surprises on Monday night, with “Continuity” and “Ted Lasso” winning best drama and comedy, respectively, for the second time.
HBO’s comedy-drama almanac “White Lotus” also lived up to Emmy expectations, winning five awards.
Viewership for the Emmy Awards has been declining since peaking at 17.7 million viewers in 2013.
Thompson’s most memorable, and possibly only, joke of the night was a jab at Leonardo DiCaprio’s love life
Part of the drop in ratings could be attributed to Monday night, because previous shows that aired on Mondays in 2018 and 2014 suffered significant audience drops compared to the Sunday Emmys.
This year’s show also aired on the Peacock, but NBC did not disclose the number of viewers watching the Emmys on the streaming services.
The drop follows a relative downward trend in prime-time premium viewers.
This year’s Grammys drew a total of 8.9 million viewers, the second lowest since last year’s record low of 8.8 million.
The 2021 Oscars also recorded a record low of 10.5 million viewers. This year’s Academy Awards drew 16.6 million viewers, up 58 percent amid Will Smith’s controversial slap to Chris Rock, which became the biggest buzz in years.
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