The Oscars have been televised yearly since 1953, however solely 4 instances has the present obtained a Primetime Emmy because the yr’s finest selection program. It first occurred in 1979, and once more in 1988, 1991 and 2024. The identify of class has modified through the years, however the intent has not — to honor the yr’s finest music/selection program.
The hosts of those 4 reveals have been, respectively, Johnny Carson, Chevy Chase, Billy Crystal and Jimmy Kimmel. Carson, Crystal and Kimmel are excessive on the listing of the best Oscar hosts of all time, which isn’t incidental to the truth that these reveals received.
Music performs a giant half within the Oscars — and all 4 of those successful applications featured memorable musical performances. The 1979 present featured three of the very hottest stars in pop music on the time: Donna Summer time, Olivia Newton-John and Barry Manilow. The 1988 present featured Invoice Medley & Jennifer Warnes, Little Richard and the unlikely teaming of Starship and Gloria Estefan.
The 1991 present featured Madonna, Reba McEntire and Jon Bon Jovi. The 2024 present featured two performances from Barbie. Billie Eilish and Finneas carried out “What Was I Made For?,” which received the Oscar for finest unique music. Ryan Gosling and Mark Ronson headlined an elaborate manufacturing variety of “I’m Simply Ken,” which stole the present.
We’ve ready this listing displaying highlights of those 4 successful applications. One unhappy observe: We are able to observe the present’s declining scores through the years. The primary three reveals right here all drew greater than 40 million viewers within the U.S., however the quantity had plummeted to 19.5 million viewers for the 2024 present as youthful viewers stopped watching four-hour award reveals, deciding the very best elements will likely be in every single place and who cares about the remainder? I see the logic, however that doesn’t imply I prefer it. These are the Oscars. Respect have to be paid!
Right here, let’s take a better take a look at these 4 successful applications.
1979
Date: April 9, 1979
Venue: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles
Host: Johnny Carson
Producer: Jack Haley Jr.
Director: Marty Pasetta
Musical administrators: Jack Elliott and Allyn Ferguson
Scores: The telecast drew 46.3 million viewers within the U.S.
Identify of Emmy class: Excellent program achievement – particular occasions
Different Emmy wins: None
Notes: This was Carson’s first time as host. He took over from Bob Hope, who hosted the 1978 present. Carson was then halfway by his 30-year run as host of The Tonight Present, which made him the GOAT of late-night speak present hosts.
The present featured performances by three of the most well liked pop singers of the period: Donna Summer time (“Final Dance”), Olivia Newton-John (“Hopelessly Dedicated to You”) and Barry Manilow (“Able to Take a Probability Once more”). I wouldn’t have minded a three-way tie, however the award went to Summer time’s scorching disco smash.
Sammy Davis Jr. and Steve Lawrence carried out a sensational medley titled “Oscar’s Solely Human,” which was comprised of film songs that have been someway not nominated for finest unique music. The present can also be remembered for being the ultimate public look of film legend John Wayne, who was given a standing ovation earlier than presenting the award for finest image to The Deer Hunter. On June 11, two months after the ceremony, he died from issues from abdomen most cancers at age 72.
1988
Date: April 11, 1988
Venue: The Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles
Host: Chevy Chase
Producer: Samuel Goldwyn Jr.
Director: Marty Pasetta
Musical director: Invoice Conti
Scores: The present drew 42.2 million viewers within the U.S.
Identify of Emmy class: Excellent variety-music occasions programming
Different Emmy wins: None
Notes: Chase hosted the present for the second yr in a row. He had co-hosted the 1987 present along with his Foul Play co-star Goldie Hawn and likewise Paul Hogan, the star of Crocodile Dundee. Cher received finest actress for Moonstruck. Michael Douglas took finest actor for Wall Road.
Finest music nominee performances included Invoice Medley & Jennifer Warnes’ “(I’ve Had) the Time of My Life” from Soiled Dancing, Little Richard filling in for Bob Seger on “Shakedown” from Beverly Hills Cop II and Gloria Estefan becoming a member of Starship to carry out “Nothing’s Gonna Cease Us Now” from Model. The latter music marked the primary finest music nomination for Oscar perennial Diane Warren.
The present was held in the course of the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike, which started greater than a month earlier than the ceremony. The WGA refused to grant a waiver allowing writers to work on scripted dialogue for the present, so Goldwyn booked comedians equivalent to John Sweet, Billy Crystal, Eddie Murphy and Robin Williams to improvise jokes. Crystal was employed as Oscar host two years later and has hosted a complete of 9 instances, second solely to Bob Hope, who hosted or co-hosted 19 instances.
After being held on the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for nearly twenty years, the Academy determined to maneuver the telecast to the Shrine Auditorium. This marked the primary time the venerable venue served as the location for the Oscars for the reason that ceremony held in 1948.
1991
Date: March 25, 1991
Venue: The Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles
Host: Billy Crystal
Producer: Gil Cates
Musical director: Invoice Conti
Director: Jeff Margolis
Scores: The telecast drew almost 43 million viewers within the U.S.
Identify of Emmy class: Excellent selection, music or comedy program
Different Emmy wins (2): Excellent particular person efficiency in a range or music program, excellent writing in a range or music program
Notes: Crystal hosted the present for the second yr in a row. He memorably rode in on a horse, Beechnut, which was prominently featured in his upcoming movie Metropolis Slickers. Crystal received two Emmys for his efforts: excellent particular person efficiency in a range or music program and as one of many present’s writers. (Crystal has received 4 of his 5 Primetime Emmys for work on the Oscars — two as a performer and two as a author.)
Madonna carried out “Sooner or Later” from Dick Tracy, which went on to win finest unique music. Her “date” for the night was fellow pop icon Michael Jackson. Different finest unique music performers included Jon Bon Jovi, singing “Blaze of Glory” from Younger Weapons II, and Reba McEntire, performing “I’m Checkin’ Out” from Postcards from the Edge — simply 9 days after seven of her band members and her tour supervisor died in a airplane crash.
The present had a theme, “100 Years of Movie,” marking the centennial of the event of each the kinetoscope by Thomas Edison and celluloid movie by Eastman Kodak.
2024
Date: March 10, 2024
Venue: The Dolby Theatre, Hollywood
Host: Jimmy Kimmel
Government Producers: Raj Kapoor, Molly McNearney, Katy Mullan
Director: Hamish Hamilton
Musical director: Rickey Minor
Scores: The telecast drew 19.5 million viewers within the U.S.
Identify of Emmy class: Excellent selection particular (stay)
Different Emmy wins (3): Excellent directing for a range particular, excellent music course, excellent manufacturing design for a range particular
Notes: The Barbenheimer phenomenon boosted the Oscar telecast. Oppenheimer received seven awards, together with finest image, whereas Barbie supplied a lot of the leisure on the present. There have been performances of two Oscar-nominated songs from Barbie, “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish and Finneas and “I’m Simply Ken” by Ryan Gosling and Mark Ronson — and, it appeared, a forged of 1000’s. The efficiency featured cameos from Gosling’s Barbie co-stars Kingsley Ben-Adir, Scott Evans, Ncuti Gatwa and Simu Liu, and musicians Wolfgang Van Halen and Slash.
Kimmel hosted for the fourth time, displaying a mixture of wit and heat that’s unusual amongst comedians.
