He sold a million tickets. Can he boost ratings too?

STAND-UP COMEDIAN NATE BARGATZE IS NOT A TYPICALLY HOLLYWOOD EMCEE FOR THE EMMYS, BUT BEING DIFFERENT COULD MAKE HIM THE HOST WITH THE MOST

- MARY MCNAMARA CULTURE CRITIC

THE 77TH PRIMETIME Emmy Awards are mere days away and, as someone who regularly writes about them, I’m trying to locate my tenterhooks, but it’s a bit tough this year. Though it would never do to discount “The Bear,” there should be plenty of self-love from the entertainment industry as “The Studio” and “Hacks” face off in comedy — with three previous Emmys for “Hacks,” Jean Smart is poised to become the new Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who won six for “Veep.” There is some competition in the male drama-lead race — if there is a God, Gary Oldman will win for “Slow Horses,” though “The Pitt’s” Noah Wyle is the odds-on favorite — but “Matlock’s” Kathy Bates appears to be a lock among the women. In the supporting acting categories, it’s pretty much “White Lotus” versus “Severance,” and the limited series or anthology space will undoubtedly be shared by “Adolescence” and “The Penguin.”

The Nate Bargatze thing, though, that’s a bit of a wild card. Not his two nominations for his Netflix special “Your Friend, Nate Bargatze,” but the fact that he is hosting.

After years of quietly growing his success in the stand-up circuit, Bargatze has recently achieved genuine hot property status. Even so, he is an unusual choice. And unusual choices — remember the no-host Emmys of 2019 or the 2008 disaster of the reality-show hosts? — can be perilous.

As a big Bargatze fan, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a tiny bit worried.

Unlike most of his predecessors, Bargatze’s experience in television is limited to his comedy specials, his CBS “Nashville Christmas” special, and appearances on late-night shows, including those of former awards show hosts. Yes, he recently hosted “Saturday Night Live,” twice and with success, but the Emmys are a very different beast, and one not immediately associated with Bargatze’s brand of deadpan and micro-domestic comedy.