Conan O\u2019Brien isn\u2019t done with the Oscars yet.<\/p>\n
ABC and Disney, the network\u2019s corporate parent, announced on Tuesday that Mr. O\u2019Brien would return to host next year\u2019s Oscars, making it three consecutive years he will oversee the ceremony.<\/p>\n
Though there have been plenty of repeat hosts before \u2014 Jimmy Kimmel has hosted four times, Steve Martin three and Chris Rock twice, to name a few \u2014 this will be the first time anyone has been in the job for three straight years since Billy Crystal in the early 1990s.<\/p>\n
For much of the past decade, celebrities have shown less and less interest in hosting big award shows. Critics can be merciless, ratings have been generally declining, and comedians and their management teams increasingly view hosting gigs as a high-risk, low-reward task.<\/p>\n
Mr. O\u2019Brien, however, has taken to the job with gusto, and has been widely praised. Reviews for his performances have been glowing, with critics, ABC (the event broadcaster) and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences all issuing raves.<\/p>\n
\u201cConan has created remarkable energy around the Oscars,\u201d Craig Erwich, the president of Disney\u2019s television group, said in a statement. \u201cHis singular comedic voice makes Hollywood\u2019s biggest night one of the most entertaining celebrations of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ratings shot up in Mr. O\u2019Brien\u2019s first year as host, though they declined the second time around<\/a>.<\/p>\n