The ratings for Sunday night’s 2011 Oscars are in and the news isn’t what the Academy of Motion Picture Film Sciences was expecting. As it turns out, Academy Award co-hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway failed to lift ratings for the 83rd annual ceremony.
The Sunday ceremony, which crowned The King’s Speech 2010′s Best Picture, drew 37.6 million viewers — down nine percent from last year, according to Deadline Hollywood. For viewers aged 18-49, the figures are even worse; the numbers were down 12 percent. Overall, the telecast was among the worst-rated of the past 10 years. The worst rating Oscars in recent years was the 2008 ceremony, which drew just 32 million viewers.
Following the ceremony, a number of critics hammered Franco, 32, and 28-year-old former Oscar nominee Hathaway, with The Orlando Sentinel calling the show a “disaster” and Moviefone.com commenting that the entire ceremony was “boring” and “produced horribly.” The Hollywood Reporter said the ceremony “could go down as one of the worst Oscar telecasts in history.” The New York Times quipped that “the prolonged effort to pander to younger viewers was downright painful” at times, while The Boston Herald remarked sourly that “references to the Internet, apps and Facebook do not make a show trendy, or alas, entertaining.”
Even four-time Academy Award host Whoopi Goldberg lit into the pair. The entire debacle has Oscar bosses eyeing a return to the familiar for next year’s show. Billy Crystal made quite an impression with his appearance at Sunday’s Oscars and at least one report claims that Academy producers are looking to have the eight-time host return to the stage. According to PopEater.com, Academy sources want Crystal to return as host next year.
In related news, there’s a reason Anne Hathaway seems unfazed by all the people hatin’ on her Oscars hosting skills. She’s loaded! The Rachel Getting Married actress reportedly got paid a sweet $750,000 to wear bling by Tiffany and Co. during her gig, insiders tell Us.
