It Sounds Like ABC Is Really Jonesing for Jimmy Kimmel to Host the Oscars

Jimmy Kimmel may have parlayed his Emmys hosting gig into the biggest speaking job currently available for people named Jimmy, i.e. hosting the Academy Awards. The vibes surrounding a possible Kimmel-helmed Oscars broadcast are quite good at ABC, with ABC Television Group boss Ben Sherwood telling a Paley Center audience in Beverly Hills Thursday that the suits were hella impressed by Kimmel's Emmys performance and definitely looking to capitalize on it.

"We thought Jimmy elevated the Emmys," Sherwood said during an hourlong Q&A session Thursday, Variety reported. "We thought Jimmy has earned it and we're very hopeful that Jimmy will get it." The final call, however, comes down to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. "The Academy will come back to us and let us know what they are thinking," Sherwood noted.

Sherwood also expressed his wish for Academy voters to "nominate movies that excite people" and embrace the mainstream, as ratings for practically all awards shows have been missing the mark in recent years. This year's Emmys broadcast, for example, hit what Deadlinecalled an "all-time low" of 11.3 million viewers.

Last year's Oscars host, Chris Rock, got hit with both praise and a heaping of controversy following his performance. In the midst of the (still-in-progress) #OscarsSoWhite debate, last year's Oscars broadcast also saw some pretty historic lows. According toDeadline's number-crunching, Rock's Oscars hit an eight-year low among viewership.

But, hey, don't worry. Even if Kimmel doesn't land the gig, it's not over for the Jimmys. I'm sure there's another Jimmy or a James or even a Jason out there who would gladly take the reins.