neil patrick harris (23 posts)

Monty Brinton/CBS

Hugh Jackman's out. Ricky Gervais's taken. Neil Patrick Harris' moving up the Academy Awards' invite list.

Not so fast on that last one.

On Friday, we asked Las Vegas' own Oscar handicapper Johnny Avello for his take on who'll be the award show's next host. Avello, director of sports race and sports operations for the Wynn and Encore hotels, kindly complied with a hot-off-the-presses line.

When we first took a look, we were surprised. And not because the favorite of favorites is a dark horse. Because it—or rather, he—isn't. At all. Let's just say if Avello's right, your next Oscars telecast is going to be a blast from the past.

And not a blast from the Emmys by way of the Tonys. (Sorry, NPH.)

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Neil Patrick Harris proved he could host the Emmys, but who knew he could kick Batman's butt—just by using his diaphragm?

In this exclusive look at his guest shot on Cartoon Network's Batman: The Brave & the Bold, the multitalented NPH gives voice to the Music Meister, a Mohawk-sporting villain who uses his vocal gifts for evil. This musical episode, which got the nerd seal of approval at Comic-Con this year, airs Oct. 23.

And holy high notes, Batman—the soundtrack digitally drops a day later.

Despite the incongruity of a bad man with the voice of a sweet, sweet angel, this looks like it could be the end of Batman. Or the beginning of a very special duet.

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What other stars have been drawn to cartoons? Check out our Stars Get Animated gallery!

Um, Neil Patrick Harris?

Chelsea Handler wants to know why you didn't include E! in your fabulous Emmy song about networks? Considering E! actually covers the Emmys, for crying out loud! 

But the Chelsea Lately host already has a plan in motion to raise the network's profile...

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Don't miss Chelsea Lately, weeknights at 11 p.m. ET/PT.

Matthew Imaging/Getty Images

Oh, Neil Patrick Harris is a magician, all right.

Asked to stave off the dying network television model, and compete against a monster football game with not much more than a tuxedo jacket and a nimble mind, Harris came through, helping the Primetime Emmys reverse a three-year ratings slide. 

Last night's show was watched by 13.3 million, preliminary Nielsen estimates showed. The audience was the telecast's biggest since 2006.

If you think Harris deserves kudos for getting anybody to sit through a rerun of last year's Emmy winners (30 Rock! Mad Men! Again!), then you are not alone.

Here's a round-up of blurbs Harris might want to save for the scrapbook (or the next round of contract negotations):

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Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Tony Awards

Not that it would have been all that difficult to best last year's reality-host trainwreck tag team, but the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is by all accounts thisclose to making it up to viewers by booking the fan-loved and critic-proof Neil Patrick Harris as emcee of this year's Emmys.

Following in the grand tradition of pulling from its own network ranks, CBS and ATAS are currently in negotiations with the How I Met Your Mother star to take over the hosting reins for the Sept. 20 ceremony.

Should the deal go through—and per both Variety and the Los Angeles Times, there's no reason to believe it won't—NPH will have more than just his affable charm to fall back on during television's biggest night.

In addition to his song-and-dance-fueled hosting of last month's Tonys, Harris, who incidentally has scored Best Supporting Actor nominations the past two years running, also honed his master of ceremonies skills at both the TV Land and Writers Guild Awards earlier this year. Last fall, he served as cohost of the Creative Arts Emmys.

Nominations for the 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are announced on July 16.

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Courtesy: Joan Marcus

If you thought all the stars singing and dancing at the Oscars was impressive, wait until you see the star power in tonight's Tony opener.

Pretty much all we can tell you is that Anne Hathaway, who opened the movie awards show with Hugh Jackman in February, will be sitting up close and personal at Radio City Music Hall as she's shown how it's done.

We know. We saw the dress rehearsal.

Here's what else we know...

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Courtesy: Joan Marcus

This year's Tony Awards are undergoing a major personality transplant.

With Neil Patrick Harris hosting and names like Anne Hathaway, Nicole Kidman, Kevin Spacey, Will Ferrell, Susan Sarandon, James Gandolfini, Dolly Parton, Elton John and Allison Janney participating, jazz hands will be in short supply.

Even Poison is getting in on the action.

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