Jimmy Fallon to host, Lorne Michaels to produce Oscars for...

...ABC?

Word around Hollywood today is that's the pairing that AMPAS is going with.

Not very impressed. Just give the gig to Justin Timberlake for Chrissakes.

 

ABC has raised objections to having the late-night star from rival NBC play emcee on its Oscar broadcast, these people said, but the network has no authority to veto the choice of host.

The show is put on by the Motion Picture Academy, and Tom Sherak initiated the discussions before his term as academy president ended on Tuesday, according to the people who were not authorized to speak publicly.

A spokeswoman for the academy denied that talks with Fallon and Michaels were taking place. Representatives for Fallon could not immediately be reached for comment.

ABC is owned by Disney, and Disney chief executive Bob Iger is said to be unhappy with the idea of showcasing Fallon, whose show competes with ABC's late-night show featuring Jimmy Kimmel. Fallon and Kimmel are in a neck-and-neck competition for viewers.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-jimmy-fallon-in-talks-to-host-2013-oscars-lorne-michaels-to-produce-20120802,0,4299677.story

 

Yeah - that wasn't going to happen.

 

Why can't Kimmel just do it?

 

My guess is that the AMPAS gets to choose its host, not the network. Something I'm sure will change during the next contract negotiation if they go ahead with Fallon.

That said, I think Fallon would probably do a pretty good job.

 

Kimmel would be tons better than Fallon.

 

Fallon can add the musical element that the AMPAS loves. I could see him doing a song-and-dance routine, a la Billy Crystal (well, song, at least).

I'd also bet Kimmel scares the AMPAS more than Fallon. I haven't watched him in a few years, so maybe he's lost some of his edge on ABC, but I could see the AMPAS worrying he'd mock the stars too much. I think of Fallon's comedy being a little broader and more vanilla.

 

Neil Patrick Harris should host it.

 

And since it's on a Sunday, Chick-fil-A folks can watch!

 

I agree with this, wholeheartedly. The only rationale I've heard against him so far has been that he's a TV star, not a movie star (and I think that's a legitimate argument). But if you're going to bring Fallon into the mix, NPH is clearly a superior choice.

 

What, you didn't like "Taxi"?

Fallon was really, really good doing the Emmys a few years ago. But there's a pretty substantial step up in pressure from the Emmys to the Oscars, so we'll see how it goes.

 

Sure Johnny Carson hosted for many years, but Mr. Kimmell, you are no Johnny Carson.