Jimmy Fallon in Talks to Host the Oscars?

We feel free to say Oscar talks have officially started, since a Los Angeles Times report says Jimmy Fallon is being perused as the next host of the 85 annual Academy Awards.

According to the mag, which leaked out the news, Fallon would come along with Saturday Night Live Lorne Michaels, cited as a producer of the broadcast.

However, representative for the academy denies that talks with Fallon and Michaels are taking place. Furthermore, in the wake of the “alleged talks”, ABC (the official Oscar broadcaster) has raised objections to hire Fallon since he hosts a late-night show on a rival channel NBC. Plus, there’s a strong sense that NBC wouldn’t give permission to Fallon to boost ABC any how.

Generally, the president of the Academy names the producer of the Oscars, and the producer, in turn, chooses the host. This year, the awards show elected a new president, Hawk Koch, whose primary concern will be lining up a producer and host. Talks about the producing and hosting assignments have started by ex-president Tom Sherak during the last 2 months of his term and they will now continue with Koch. We don’t know whether Michaels and Fallon will be included in the discussions.

But what we do know is that Fallon has proved his skills a host at the Emmys in 2010, when he handled meticulously the pressure of a hosting gig. And if ABC can go beyond their objections, Fallon seems a perfect choice to us.