2018 Emmys: 5 things to watch for on TV's big night

Canadian Sandra Oh could make Emmyhistory with a win. So could Netflix. And Game of Thrones is back after sitting out last year's awards. This year's Emmy Awards show isn'tjust rewarding the best of televisionand streaming itmight even introduce you to a few new binge-worthy shows.

Here's what to expect from TV's biggest night.

SNLis running the show

Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update anchors Michael Che and Colin Jostwill host the Emmy Awards.

Toronto-bornLorneMichaels,who heads upSNL, will be producing the three-hour awards extravaganza. He might even keep it running ontime.

2 Canadians, 1 category

Ottawa-born Sandra Oh will become the first performer of Asian descent to land a lead drama actress Emmyif she wins for her role on the thriller seriesKilling Eve.In fact, she already made history with the nomination alone.

Oh is one of two Canadians in the same category Regina-born Tatiana Maslanyis also in the running for playing multiple roles on the clone series Orphan Black. She won in 2016.

"Our show has ended now so this is for the final season andit's just nice to be able to close it off and celebrate it,"Maslanysaid at Los Angeles eventSundayhonouring Canadian nominees.

Netflix vs. HBO

This year's Emmysmarkthe first time Netflixreceived the mostnominations overall, breaking a 17-year streak belonging to HBO.

The streaming service has a good chance of taking outstanding drama series with shows like The Crown and Stranger Things.

But HBO has both Game of Thrones and Westworldto serve up stiff competition in that covetedcategory. Game of Thrones won in both 2015 and 2016. Its delayed seventh season didn't make the deadline for last year's awards, which left room for The Handmaid's Tale, based on Margaret Atwood's novel, to nab the win.

And if voters the 23,000 members of the Television Academy prefer reflections of real life to fantasy andperiod dramas, The Americansortear-jerker generational series This Is Us could offer a twist.

"When we set out to do the show, I never would have expected a network televisionshow to be in the conversation," said This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman.

"As a species, we're very bottled up right now ... People are looking for some kind of an emotional release."

Breaking records ... and barriers

Thestar and creator of Atlanta,Donald Glover, is not only a frontrunnerafter winning an acting Emmylast year, but returns with nominations for acting, directing and writing.

He is among a record number ofnominees of colour.Morethan a third of the 101 acting nods announced in July went to people of colourcompared to a quarter of the field in 2017.

Issa Rae's acting nomination for her comedy Insecureandblack-ishstar Tracee Ellis Ross's nod in the same category shows a changing landscape on screen.

If either Rae or Ross win, she would be only the second African-American to win the category and the first in the 21st century. Let that sink in. Isabel Sanford won forher role on The Jeffersons37 years ago.

How to watch

The 70th annual Emmy Awards will be broadcast livefrom Los Angelestonight at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT

With files from the Associated Press andCBC's Eli Glasner