Making a conclusion the rest of the Oscar-watching audience made on Sunday, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Tom Sherak told The Hollywood Reporter that "the chemistry seemed to be off" between hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway.
Sherak, however, did not go on to blame Franco and Hathaway for anything that seemed wrong about the Oscar broadcast. He said that they did exactly what the producers and the Academy asked of them, but, "the problem is, in the past when you have a comic, that comic can play off what happens on the show," Sherak said of the hosts. "I think that was missing. I think they were doing their job. Franco is a very charming guy, but sometimes you need a comic to make fun of things."
If there is any blame to be placed on the broadcast, which saw viewership fall and the average age of the viewer rise to 50.6 years, it's the crop of movies that came out in 2010.
"What happens is very much impacted by the movies in any given year," he told THR. "We didn't have an 'Avatar' or a 'Titanic' this year. We had some really good movies that did a lot of business, but it is what it is. Next year, if there is a huge movie, you'll see more people."
Related content: