Oscar Revamp Boosts Ratings

8 months ago 25th Feb 09:58

The Oscar revamp seems to have halted the declining viewers as four million more tuned in to Sunday night's ceremony than the all time low of 2008.

Thirty six million tuned in to see Hugh Jackman host his very first awards according to ABC as a larger number of song and dance moments were incorporated into the show.

But the thirty six million is a long way short of the fifty five million that tuned in in 1998 to see Titanic sweep the board.

However over the last decade ratings have been in a steady decline until last year saw a record low of thirty two million tuning in to see Marion Cotillard and Daniel Day Lewis win gongs.

But reviews of Jackman's, most famous for his role as Wolverine in X-Men, performance have been mixed the New York Times said: "Hugh Jackman was a shrewd, even thrifty choice for a recession-era Oscar night - the hosting equivalent of a value meal."

But the Los Angeles Times weren't as kind: "How did such a lacklustre show get any kind of ratings bounce at all?"

But it was British success all the way on Sunday night as Slumdog Millionaire won eight out of it's ten nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, and Kate Winslet finally got her hands on a Best Actress statuette.