MUMBAI: The motion picture, television and theater producing team of Craig Zadan and Neil Meron will return to produce the Oscars for a second time next year.

Academy president Hawk Koch made the announcement. The Academy Awards will air live on ABC in the US on 2 March, 2014.

Koch said, "Craig and Neil have the overwhelming support of the Academy’s Governors to produce the Oscars again in 2014. In order to establish continuity with this year‘s enormously successful show, we felt it was important to give these consummate professionals the green light now to begin creating another great evening."

Zadan and Meron said, "We are very honored to have been asked to return as Oscar producers for a second year. We look forward to creating a distinctive and entertaining show."
Academy CEO Dawn Hudson said, “Craig and Neil have great relationships, a sense of showmanship, and a passion for our Academy. And they’re a pleasure to work with. All perfect qualities for our show."

The February 2013 Oscars hosted by Seth MacFarlane, drew an average audience of 40.3 million total viewers and delivered a 13.0 rating among adults 18-49. The show was TV’s most-watched entertainment telecast in the last three years on ABC. Overall, it was the Oscars second-most-watched telecast since 2005.

Among the innovations that Zadan and Meron plan to bring back to the 2014 show is the Oscar Experience College Search, which allows young filmmakers to assist with bringing the Oscar statuettes on-and-off stage during the show.

The Zadan/Meron Oscars displayed a signature style that incorporated a single concept for the entire evening which linked together the disparate elements of the Oscar show through music, especially classic movie themes and the frequent appearances by MacFarlane to announce the evening’s presenters. The 2013 show was also distinguished by the use of motion picture talent as performers in the show such as the dance numbers performed by Charlize Theron, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.