Poll: Who should host the Oscars?

Now that we know who the next Oscar telecast producers will be -- veteran TV helmer Don Mischer and film director/producer Brett Ratner -- the big question to solve is who the host(s) will be. I think we can rule out a return by James Franco and Anne Hathaway after the drubbing they took for this year's ceremony.

Mischer was one of the producers of this year's event but has a long history of success with big events on TV, including the Emmy Awards, Super Bowl concerts and Olympic ceremonies. He most certainly learned what to do and most importantly what not to do for his next turn at bat. Ratner has never produced this type of show but has a deep love for film history and a reputation for knowing everybody in the business. Between the two of them, the presenter lineup should be glitzier than ever.

But what about the host or hosts for 2012? Here's a stable of stars associated with either Ratner or Mischer (and a few others for good measure) who might be up for the challenge.

HUGH JACKMAN -- Hosted to great acclaim in 2009 but has turned down the job since. Ratner directed him in "X-Men: The Last Stand," so he might just be the guy to convice him to come back.

BEN STILLER -- Has been an Oscar presenter on many occasions (remember his makeup presentation in "Avatar" makeup?) and had great success presenting/hosting on many live awards events. Ratner directed him in the upcoming film "Tower Heist" with Eddie Murphy.

KEVIN SPACEY -- Might be an unconventional choice to some but he is a great live performer who sings and does impressions (plus, he's a two-time Oscar winner). Ratner produced two of his films ("Horrible Bosses" & "21").

BILLY CRYSTAL -- An eight-time much-loved host of the Oscars who has turned down the job pretty much ever since. With a slowing career, this might be the right time for him to accept the offer again. He and Ratner share the same agent.

ELLEN DEGENERES -- Saying it was her lifelong dream, she hosted the ceremony in 2007. Mischer worked with her as host of the Emmys in 2001.

WILL SMITH -- If they want an international superstar to appeal globably, he might be a top choice. He would certainly bring a strong energy to the show. He and Ratner share the same agent.

JIMMY FALLON -- If ABC could swallow the fact that his show is on NBC, he might be suggested by Mischer because they worked together very well on the 2010 Emmys together.

NEIL PATRICK HARRIS -- Always excels at these sorts of live events, having hosted the Tonys, Emmys and many other TV shows.

WILL FERRELL -- One of the top comedic actors working today and has extensive live experience from his "Saturday Night Live" days.

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE -- With a film career at full speed, he also brings a wealth of live performing to the game. He has hosted/presented on the MTV Awards, ESPY Awards, "Saturday Night Live," and many other events. Would definitely appeal to a younger crowd.

OPRAH WINFREY -- Many speculated that she could be the type of host to bring all generations together plus draw a worldwide audience. With the announcement of her receiving the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award this year, they may not want her hosting as well.

JON STEWART, STEVE MARTIN, ALEC BALDWIN, WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CHRIS ROCK -- Maybe they want to go to the well with a previous host just so they know what they're getting.

-- Tom O'Neil

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Photo: Oprah Winfrey is getting an honorary Oscar in November. Will she host next year? Credit: Reuters. Whoopi Goldberg would be a known quantity hosting the Oscars. Credit: Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences

Emmys: Fans react to nominations

Commenters in our forum are delighted about top Emmy nominations for new TV shows such as "Game of Thrones." They're furious over the snubs of "Fringe" and "Sons of Anarchy" and flabbergasted that last year's winner for drama actress, Kyra Sedgwick ("The Closer"), was booted out. Below, sample comments. See more here.

DS0816: Glad for Melissa McCarthy. She really earned it! And so did Martha Plimpton.

sweetboroguy: I actually cut off a piece of my hat and ate it this morning because I am a man of my word. "Parks" was nominated for Best Comedy and so I ate the hat.

24Emmy: I'm glad Louis C.K. made it, but poor Joel McHale.

blueprint: Brenda Strong for voice over on "Desperate Housewives"?! How cool is that?

JJA91: All 6 cast members of "Modern Family" get in!!!

MadScntst: Thrilled for Margo Martindale, Walton Goggins, and Timothy Olyphant from "Justified" and Peter Dinklage and "Game of Thrones." Disappointed that Katey Sagal is not there, and downright xxxxed that John Noble is not there.

Marvelous Mr. Maker: No Kyra Sedgwick... Can't believe this...

AM_092: Martha Plimpton! Though not enough love elsewhere for "Raising Hope"

PaulHan: The Emmys ... where you need a federal court order to evict shows like "Mad Men" and "Dexter" and Hugh Laurie + Mariska Hargitay from the lineup.

Atypical: No Neil Patrick Harris? They can't get enough of Jon Cryer I guess ... Jimmy Fallon makes the cut in variety series over Letterman. Didn't expect that.

SkyLight: Go Kate Winslet! Get that Emmy!

Hybrid87: "SYTYCD" + Cat Deeley made me very happy. Disappointed though that Emmy voters can't seem to connect with "Parenthood" because Krause, Emerson, Graham and Whitman would have all made their categories stronger.

Sasha: January Jones, you silly blonde ... Had you gone supporting, you would have been nominated and had chance at winning.

Benito Delicias: "Community" ZERO, "Cougar Town" ZERO, "Weeds" ZERO. These people don't know comedy AT ALL.
 
Turtle: Poor Harry Shearer. At least he was nominated once (in TWO DECADES). But his continual snub is up there with yet another baffling Katey Sagal omission: How good do they have to be?!

oscarnutlen: same old boring names over and over again.

rp557: All the "Game of Thrones" love makes my day (though I would have liked more acting nominations), Well done, ATAS.

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-- Tom O'Neil

Photo: "Parks and Recreation." Credit: NBC

Neil Patrick Harris on Emmys, Tonys and 'How I Met Your Mother' [Video]

"I think it spoke a little bit about the arbitrariness of awards," Neil Patrick Harris says in our webcam chat about his odd experience at last year's Emmys when he lost his third bid for "How I Met Your Mother," but — surprise — won two other statuettes for his guest role on "Glee" and for hosting the Tony Awards.

"Awards are very interesting and strange," he adds, acknowledging how the Emmys can be "ironic and awesome" when you win for unexpected things. But as he enters another Emmy derby, he hopes that his weekly TV series gets attention in many categories, especially directing and writing.

"I'm really proud of 'How I Met Your Mother,' so I hope that the hosting things don't overshadow that because I feel that, as a show, it's underappreciated," he says.

Recently, Harris has excelled spectacularly as host of the Tony and Emmy ceremonies. In our webcam chat, he dishes at length about what went on behind the scenes at the recent Tonys and on his general philosophy of what makes a good host of award shows.

"You have to be like a ringmaster in a circus, a great variety show host," he says, "but you also have to be a fan of the art.... All of this is a big one-off crap shoot. Sometimes things go fantastic and sometimes they don't land, and there's no way to judge ahead of time."

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— Tom O'Neil

Photo: Neil Patrick Harris hosting the Tonys last month. Credit: Jeff Christensen / Associated Press.

Tony Awards: Neil Patrick Harris' closing number

 
Closing out an entertaining and engaging show, Neil Patrick Harris gave viewers a quick rundown of the night's events -- in a rap. Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, here's how it went:

Tomorrow, if anyone asks you what happened at the Tonys, you can say this:

We straightened things out in the opening number, Ellen Barkin and John Benjamin Hickey took home awards for their hilarious performances in “The Normal Heart.”

Daniel Radcliffe kicked some butt, and we were so elated

Even Voldemort was sad he wasn’t nominated

Norbert Leo Butz sang and danced and tried to catch ya, comin’ atcha,

Chasing Trey and Casey 'cause they nabbed a Tony statue

Commencing in the Chattanooga station

From the grand imagination of the Kander-Ebb collaboration

It takes a lot for a recipient to humble me

But everybody cried for gorgeous Nikki James, the bumblebee

Andrew Rannells sang “I Believe” and he landed it

So well now he’s Mitt Romney’s VP candidate

All across the country, from the north and to the south

They’re saying Brooke’s a hottie with a crazy potty mouth

John Larroquette brought an eloquent mood to the room

I’m still imagining him at home in his Fruit-of-the-Looms

Spider-Man and Mary-Jane gave us perspective here

They sang a ballad, we didn’t need protective gear

Patina Miller’s nun sang “Raise Your Voice” with cheer

And “Memphis” is relentless, they’re performing every year

“The Normal Heart” won, Larry Kramer made us weep

And “War Horse” dazzled us with a theatrical sweep

Sutton Foster never lost her knack

For talking smack

And tapping a full-on assault attack

I’m awesome, Hugh Jackman, take that

Go ahead and roll the credits if you need to

I’m out of control, I’m on a roll, this is my Tonys speed-through

“Anything Goes” took the best revival prize in stride

We didn’t see it, we were singing “Side By Side By Side.”

McDormand loves her job, Sutton Foster won again

Paul Shaffer sang and suddenly it started raining men

Mark Rylance runs at fences, he’s won the Tony twice

That guy can do it all, his follow-up is “Fanny Bryce.”

Norbert Butz and “Mormon” swept the floor,

Won even more awards than “War Horse”

Par for the course,

Someone get a car for the horse

And in the final analysis, what survives tonight?

Theater, because it’s what we live, we’re changing some lives tonight

And theater thrives because we live to give it, so to speak

This ain’t reality TV, this is eight shows a week

Every chorus member that you saw tonight tappin’

Had to make miracles happen

For a chance to see you clappin’

And applauding in the audience. What’s next? Who knows?

Anything goes. Now go see a ... Broadway show.

Thank you, good night.

Photo: Neil Patrick Harris performing with the cast of "Company" earlier in the Tonys show. Credit: Jeff Christensen / Associated Press.