On Sunday, March 12, 2023, ABC will broadcast the 95th Annual Academy Awards, with Craig Erwich, President of Entertainment at ABC, promising that the show will be “even greater” than this year.
Speaking with Deadline, Erwich revealed that he is open to Chris Rock hosting for a third time, even after the controversial slap at this year’s ceremony.
“My assessment of the Oscars was that it was really a successful year for the show. Obviously there was a lot of controversy, which overshadowed a lot of the positive things about the show, but I was really happy with the program,” Erwich said. “Even before that very unfortunate moment, the show started off up year over year, and we came back in a big way.”
The telecast had 16.6 million viewers and performed positively across key demographics.
Erwich added, “It was the biggest bounce back of any award show this season. If you look at what they were trying to do, which is really bring entertainment back to the program, they had three amazing hosts, clips, and incredible musical performances, I thought it was a great way for the show to reclaim its place on the mantle. There’s always things to learn and we’ll endeavor to do even better next year.”
Would you be interested in seeing Chris Rock host next year’s ceremony?
