Jimmy Kimmel: The right choice to host the Emmys?

From the late-night desk to the Emmy stage: Jimmy Kimmel has been tapped to host the Emmy Awards this fall, following in the footsteps of Jane Lynch, Jimmy Fallon, and Neil Patrick Harris — all of whom earned positive-to-rave reviews for their hosting performances. Kimmel will get his high-profile-hosting feet wet next month when he emcees the White House Correspondents Dinner, and has previously presided over the American Music Awards and the ESPY Awards. Will his sardonic sense of humor translate well to the Emmy stage?

He's got the experience: Kimmel will shine when he brings "his jaded wit" to the Emmys, says Tim Molloy at The Wrap. And he's certainly got the bonafides. Emmy producers couldn't ask for a more rigorous emcee training ground than the White House Correspondents Dinner. And Kimmel's impressive hosting track record proves he has an "affinity for awards shows" — and will take the Emmy gig seriously.

"Jimmy Kimmel hosting Emmys for first time"

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And he's hilarious: Let's hope Kimmel resurfaces some of the most successful bits from his late-night show, says Kara Warner at MTV. How about a play on the star-studded, post-Oscar parody trailer Movie: The Movie? May we suggest TV Movie: The TV Movie? Kimmel and Sarah Silverman's one-two punch of "I'm f---ing Matt Damon" and "I'm f---ing Ben Affleck" hint at the potential for a brilliant show-stopping musical number. And while we shouldn't expect a "Ricky Gervais' brand of pot-stirring," Kimmel's proven particularly deft at good-natured ribbing, which would be fun to see after the excessively-smiley efforts of recent hosts.

"Jimmy Kimmel as Emmy host: 4 things he should do"

But he's a bit of a wildcard: Kimmel can be counted on to come up with brilliant comedic bits, but as often he hits them out of the park (like with his "Terrible Christmas Presents" sketch), he botches the execution, says Seth Abramovitch at TV.com. For example, take last year's exercise video parody "Hottie Body," which essentially drafted a "bunch of hot, A-list Hollywood actresses to hump an inflated ball." It wasn't funny — and it was sexist to boot.

"Jimmy Kimmel is hosting the 2012 Emmys"

At the very least, he'll be refreshing: Previous hosts Harris, Fallon, and Lynch are all known for their "upbeat 'bells-and-whistles'" style, says Michael Arbeiter at Hollywood. That's not Kimmel, and he'll be a nice change of pace. With his carefully-honed "down-played snark and sarcastic comic sensibility," expect Kimmel to pleasantly surprise us all by taking the show in a different, edgier direction.

"Jimmy Kimmel to host the 2012 Emmy Awards"