Back to basics: Crystal in as Oscar host

AMPAS wasted little time in finding replacements for producer Brett Ratner and host Eddie Murphy in the wakeof their sudden exodus from next February's Oscar telecast. Brian Grazer stepped in yesterday in place of Ratner, and today it has been confirmed that Billy Crystal, the best Oscar host I've ever had the pleasure of seeing MC the show, is swooping into the gap left by Murphy. It's a role Crystal knows well. He has an easy charm with his audience that can only come from years of doing the gig.

Personally, I'm delighted. I've been waiting patiently since 2004 (the last time Crystal hosted) for his return to the stage. His surprise appearance at last year's show only whetted my appetite further, but now it seems my wait is over. There were those lobbying online for an Oscar ceremony hosted by the Muppets, for which I would have been 100% on board, but a seasoned pro as classy and witty as Crystal is a more-than-adequate alternative.

The dominos start falling: Murphy out as Oscar host

And the bad news keeps on coming. Now Eddie Murphy (who I thought was a fairly exciting untapped hosting possibility) has also jumped ship in the wake of Brett Ratner's resignation. This is not doing any favours to the production team, who have enough scandal contaminating the show's image as it is.

Who will be foolhardy enough to step in as host now?

Eddie Murphy hosting Oscars

So next February's Oscar ceremony has a host. Quite the illustrious one, at that. This news has already been circulating the web for a day or so, first in the form of a rumour, then a widely believed fact. And now it's been made official that Eddie Murphy will take the unenviable gig.

I'll admit to not being the most diehard fan of Murphy's legendary standup comedy from decades past, but I think it's about time AMPAS went back to having a legit comedian host the show. Their strong-on-paper yet dead-on-arrival two-host pairings of the last couple of ceremonies were not working. Anybody trained in the art of making an audience laugh is always welcome on Oscar's stage as far as I'm concerned.