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Oscar Ratings See a Significant Bump From Last Year

Ellen DeGeneres So, how did the biggest awards show of the year go, ratings-wise? Many critics predicted that this year’s broadcast would not be a big ratings hit, but boy were they wrong. Viewership for this year’s Academy Awards ceremony averaged 39.9 million viewers, which is about 1 million more than last year, according to Nielsen estimates. Most critics and viewers were not too kind, saying that Ellen DeGeneres’ hosting job was so-so, the broadcast ran too long, and the show was a bore overall. All that aside, seems people are still interested in the Oscars—and a million more were interested this year. If you hung in there for the almost four-hour tour, then you deserve your own miniature statuette for going the distance. Even with the swell in viewership, turns out the broadcast is no big winner in the scheme of Oscars past. The 1998 Oscars drew 55.2 million. I made it about half-way through, then checked out the results online this morning. Heck, with enough Internet coverage of the ceremony, you can even catch video highlights and bypass the snooze-worthy moments.

Read More | Yahoo! News

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What Went Wrong at the Oscars?

Oscars Though the 79th Annual Academy Awards were scheduled to take three hours (not including all the pre-coverage and after-coverage, of course), it actually ran almost one hour longer. What went wrong at the Oscars this year? Was it long-winded speeches (many of which were cut off by the music), unimportant backstage coverage, somewhat tedious tributes? The entire broadcast was just shy of the four-hour mark at three hours and fifty-two minutes, which many fans dutifully sat through just to hear which flick won Best Picture. Though host Ellen DeGeneres tried to liven the broadcast up with humor, a lot of it (even her banter) was tedious and seemed to take for ever. Without all the extras, the Academy Awards could run like clockwork, instead of putting audiences to sleep.

Read More | NY Times

The 2007 Academy Awards: Live Commentary

Academy Award Welcome to our live coverage of the 79th Annual Academy Awards!  During our live-blog of the 2006 Oscars, I made what may now be considered an eerie prediction about Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe:

“For some reason, I keep getting this nagging feeling that their relationship will dissolve sometime soon, but that discussion is for another post.”

I’d like to say that I’m psychic (if so, that Oscars pool at work is all mine)...but I’m going to have to chalk it up to nagging intuition.  What is that little voice inside me saying this year?  While some races may have been locked up months ago (I’m talking to you, Helen Mirren), there will be a shocker this year.  I can’t pinpoint the category, but I think it will be come riding in on a big yellow bus…

To find out who will be going hog-wild tonight during the Year of the Pig, stay tuned here for the live results!

Click to continue reading The 2007 Academy Awards: Live Commentary

Read More | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Bindi Irwin Makes High-Profile TV Appearances

Bindi Irwin To kick off her U.S. showbiz career, Bindi Irwin, daughter of the late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin, has a whirlwind tour ahead of her. Pretty lofty for an 8-year-old who recently lost her dad in a freak accident that occurred during filming of a documentary. These appearances will promote her 26-part Bindi, the Jungle Girl series set to debut on Discovery Kids this year. To begin, Bindi will speak at the National Press Club in Washington. She will also do interviews on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Late Show with David Letterman. She will also perform with The Wiggles at concerts in Los Angeles and New York. Discovery senior vice-president Annie Howell told Australian media that Bindi will “be welcomed with open arms and rightly so. She’s a very special child.” Steve Irwin passed away in September, after a stingray barb pierced his heart. His documentary, “Ocean’s Deadliest” will air at some point during Bindi’s U.S. tour.

Read More | Retuers

Ellen DeGeneres to Host Oscars

Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Award Shows, Prime Time, Talk Shows, ABC,

Ellen DeGeneres Ellen DeGeneres has been tapped to host the 79th Annual Academy Awards on February 25th. Laura Ziksin, producer for this year’s show called DeGeneres to offer her the hosting job. DeGeneres was thrilled by the offer, saying, “There’s two things I’ve always wanted to do in my life: One is to host the Oscars. The second is to get a call from Laura Ziskin. You can imagine that day’s diary entry.”

DeGeneres is no stranger to hosting award shows, having successfully co-hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards in 1994, then again in 2001 and 2005. She has proven to be an entertaining emcee to such events, and her quick wit and easy-going demeanor have wide appeal. “I’ve always wanted to host the show, ever since I hosted the Emmys,” DeGeneres said. “Obviously, it’s a huge honor, although it’s not always a great situation. If you do well, they don’t talk about it, and if you don’t do well, you’re torn apart. But I like the challenge, and I’d like to put my stamp on it. In fact, I’m thinking of stretching it out even longer to two nights like Rock Star: Supernova.”

Read More | Hollywood Reporter

Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced

Television AcademyThe nominations for the Daytime Emmys were announced on Wednesday and The Young and the Restless rose to the top of the pack.  The CBS soap opera received 18 nominations and will compete for Best Soap Opera against 8-time winner . Other expected nominations went out to Ellen DeGeneres for Best Talk Show Host (one of 11 nominations overall) and to Alex Trebek for Best Game Show Host. A highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Carol Spinney—the long-time voice behind Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch.

The Daytime Emmys will air on April 28 on ABC.

Read More |  Daytime Emmy Awards


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