Far from the legendary show it was expected to be, the 2015 Academy Awards experienced its lowest ratings in six years. Fingers are pointing at different factors which may have led to this slump, but host Neil Patrick Harris has been met with criticism and, at best, lukewarm reviews.
The 38-minute Oscars 2015 show started off okay, with the Harris delivering a not unexpected, but still spectacular opening number, but it was all downhill from there. The show, aired Sunday, only had 36.6 million viewers, which is a figure far less impressive than the 43.7 million viewers last year's Academy Awards had.
Neil Patrick Harris, who has won multiple Emmy Awards for hosting the Tony Awards, fell short of expectations on Sunday's show, reports LAist. Some jokes were ill-timed, while others were just flat-out unfunny.
In a skit attempting to parody the Best Picture winner "Birdman", the "How I Met Your Mother" actor even undressed down to white briefs, as reported by the New York Post. However, even that gimmick failed to save Harris from the ire that his seemingly poorly-written jokes drew from critics and audiences alike.
While Harris may have taken the brunt of the blame for the Oscars 2015 flop, he might not have been the sole reason for the event's low ratings. One factor being pointed was the fact that films contending for golden statues this year were generally not appealing to general audiences. Reports also pointed out that results for this year were predictable, adding to the anticlimactic feel of the show.