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THE PRESIDENT OF Oscars broadcaster ABC has claimed the disarray over the lack of a host could prove to be positive for the awards show.
“Ironically, I have found that the lack of clarity … has kept the Oscars really in the conversation, and the mystery has been really compelling,” said Karey Burke, whose network is the ceremony’s longtime home.
She called the interest proof that the Oscars are still relevant.
Burke’s worries about the host-less 24 February ceremony have vanished as it comes together with a “phenomenal” line-up of presenters, she told a TV critics meeting.
Tina Fey, Whoopi Goldberg, Daniel Craig, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Evans and Constance Wu are among them.
The ceremony also has box-office hits — best-picture contenders Black Panther, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star Is Born — with fans that could boost TV viewership.
Last year’s show drew a record-low 26.5 million people, a 20%drop from the 2017 show and the first time Oscar viewership dipped below 30 million, according to Nielsen records that go back to 1974.
The best-picture winner, The Shape of Water, only grossed $57.4 million in the U.S.
Burke also lauded the movie academy’s pledge to keep the ceremony to three hours, avoiding the overtime that can drain off viewers.
The host-less Oscars was a decision that everyone involved got on board with fairly quickly after Kevin Hart withdrew in December, Burke said, who’s been in the top ABC entertainment job just two months.
Hart dropped out amid criticism over years-old homophobic tweets, for which he eventually apologised.
This year will be the first time in 30 years that the Oscars doesn’t have a host.
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They should have asked liam neeson.he won’t be busy for next while id say.
@Seriously stunned: na, he probably will. I’m sure rational people can interpret what he actually said, and not let the gutter press do it for them.
@Seriously stunned: Kevin hart is racist too that’s why there’s no host
@Damien Barton: Sure apparantly everyone’s a racist now
@Damien Barton: Hart is not hosting because he is homophobic. Although he could be racist also, it’s hard to keep up.
@Lily Martin: he’s not homophobic. Do keep up.
@Aidan Mitchell: who are these rational people of whom you speak?
I hear your a racist now father
Who would want to host the number one SJW event of the year? Especially after seeing what they did to Kevin Hart
@PC Principal:
And more people watched the food channel last year than the Oscars, which is why they’ve introduced a new award “Most popular movie”, a desperate stunt to recover viewers.
DeNiro’s recent outburst on stage against Trump was a typical example of the mindset of these detached self-adulatory millionaires and why people are tuning out in their droves.
@The Quare Fella: Hollywood is in the process of disappearing up its one bum.
If you want to know how well a movie did these days then you just have to look it up online instead of a show being hosted by questionable people telling us what we should think and what deserves an award because they belong to a particular race and gender that happens to be the flavour of the month
Maroon 5 could be hosting after the terrific job they did at the Superbowl :)
And not a white male honky amongst them I bet.
@Graham Murphy: if you’re interested; they’re listed in the article you skipped past on your way to comment. Daniel Craig and Chris Evans, just in case you can’t be bothered.
Who gives a damn about it
Trump!
I ended watching the ‘Oscars’ when Adrien Brody got best actor over Daniel Day Lewis.
“Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
@Punker: “Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. It doesn’t last as long if you’re fat.”
The patriarchal systems of institutionalized structures are problematic
Liam Neeson and Kevin Hart would make it interesting
Good. Less stupid comments.
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