Mariska Hargitay, star and executive producer of NBC’s “Law & Order: SVU,” is set to host the 78th Emmy Awards. Multiple outlets report that NBC has tapped Hargitay as the emcee for the ceremony, which is scheduled for Sept. 8 and will air on NBC. The announcement also marks a notable change in recent Emmy hosting choices. Several reports say she is the first woman to host the Emmys since Jane Lynch in 2011, and that she is also the first host in about 15 years to return the role to a woman lead. The Hollywood Reporter adds that Hargitay is not primarily known for comedy, contrasting with more recent hosts drawn from comedic or sitcom backgrounds, and notes she is the first performer of that type to lead the ceremony since 2008. One report also notes that Hargitay could be a nominee in the same Emmy cycle. Overall, the coverage frames the selection as both a return of a female host and a shift away from the recent pattern of hosts coming from comedy-focused performers.