This year91裸聊视频檚 Canadian Screen Awards won91裸聊视频檛 have a host 91裸聊视频� a move organizers say is a deliberate attempt to try something new amid a 91裸聊视频渃risis91裸聊视频� of declining ratings and not something done out of necessity, like with the Oscars.

Beth Janson, CEO of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, says the traditional approach of trying to attract viewers and channel-surfers by having a famous face as host is 91裸聊视频渁 very old-fashioned way of thinking,91裸聊视频� since TV audience habits have changed.

91裸聊视频淎wards show are just trending down, down and down 91裸聊视频� 20 per cent per year, for most of them 91裸聊视频� which to me indicates obviously a big crisis, as someone who produces one of these shows,91裸聊视频� Janson said in a phone interview.

91裸聊视频淏ut I also think that this environment allows us to take a few risks.91裸聊视频�

The academy puts on the annual Canadian Screen Awards, which honour homegrown talent in film, television and digital media. This year91裸聊视频檚 nominees will be announced on Feb. 7.

Last year91裸聊视频檚 show had two hosts who both live and work in Canada: comedians Jonny Harris and Emma Hunter. Previous hosts have included Canadian names who have largely built their careers in the U.S. 91裸聊视频� Howie Mandel, Norm Macdonald, Martin Short, and Andrea Martin.

Janson said after assessing shows of the past, she convinced the board to go with no host about two months ago. That was before comedian Kevin Hart backed out of hosting this year91裸聊视频檚 Oscars due to controversial statements he made in the past, leaving the Academy Awards with no MC.

91裸聊视频淚 think our country is different and we need to have a different style of awards show 91裸聊视频� and I think that can be better and it can be something 91裸聊视频� that people enjoy watching,91裸聊视频� Janson said.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 excited about that. I91裸聊视频檓 not scared of it.91裸聊视频�

Janson91裸聊视频檚 team hired an all-female writers91裸聊视频� room for this year91裸聊视频檚 show, which will include pre-taped comedy bits.

Shelagh O91裸聊视频橞rien will direct the March 31 broadcast gala on CBC. Jennifer Dettman, executive director of unscripted content at CBC, is the show91裸聊视频檚 programming executive.

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91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a big risk. It could totally fail,91裸聊视频� Janson said. 91裸聊视频滲ut in my mind our ratings would drop 20 per cent anyways, probably, on traditional television.

91裸聊视频淪o this is the time to take a chance.91裸聊视频�

Janson said the show will have 91裸聊视频渁 clever opening number91裸聊视频� that will use a lot of talent in the room but won91裸聊视频檛 be a song-and-dance performance.

Overall, the Canadian Screen Awards will have an air of levity and a 91裸聊视频渢hroughline91裸聊视频� narrative 91裸聊视频渢hat will make the show in and of itself a thing and a piece of entertainment that we can really be proud of 91裸聊视频� and that shows off the best of what we91裸聊视频檙e doing right now in the country,91裸聊视频� she said.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e really approaching the show as a platform for Canadian comedy right now,91裸聊视频� Janson said, pointing to the success of shows including 91裸聊视频淏aroness von Sketch Show,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淟etterkenny,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淪chitt91裸聊视频檚 Creek,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淲orkin91裸聊视频� Moms,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淢ohawk Girls91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淜im91裸聊视频檚 Convenience.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淭here is a huge moment happening in Canada right now around comedy that I think we91裸聊视频檙e going to look back on with the same significance as the 91裸聊视频楽CTV91裸聊视频� or the 91裸聊视频楰ids in the Hall91裸聊视频� eras, which is that we have these really interesting voices, they91裸聊视频檙e really incredibly original. We91裸聊视频檙e not just trying to copy the States.91裸聊视频�

Janson noted the show will still be the same two-hour length.

She hopes it will become an event audiences look forward to watching and not just be 91裸聊视频渁bout who91裸聊视频檚 nominated or how many American celebrities are there.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淲e need to try to figure out what the future of awards shows is going to be,91裸聊视频� Janson said.

91裸聊视频淢illennials don91裸聊视频檛 like awards, they like appreciating everyone for their unique differences, so how do you do an awards show in that sort of environment? This is our attempt at an answer to that.91裸聊视频�

Victoria Ahearn, The Canadian Press

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