LOS ANGELES — In the unlikely event that Seth MacFarlane comes looking to you for a job, it might be simpler to sort through his qualifications by asking what he can't do, rather than what he can.

LOS ANGELES — "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane says being invited to host the 2013 Academy Awards "was the greatest call that I could have gotten in show business."

LOS ANGELES - Seth MacFarlane was driven to drink. Money trouble was definitely not the cause. The creator of "Family Guy" was sipping from a tumbler of golden-brown liquid backstage at the Ahmanson Theatre, and to hear him tell it, it's better that he was.

“Ted” follows a similar formula to other buddy movies of its kind. There are two major things that distinguish the film though. For starters, “Ted” is a really funny movie, producing just as many laughs as “21 Jump Street” from a few months ago. Secondly, one of the buddies in question is a living teddy bear.

Over the years, I’ve been invited to some over-the-top Oscar parties, where guests arrive in evening gowns and top hats, and popcorn buckets full of movie candy and DVDs are given away as door prizes.

“Ted” follows a similar formula to other buddy movies of its kind. There are two major things that distinguish the film though. For starters, “Ted” is a really funny movie, producing just as many laughs as “21 Jump Street” from a few months ago. Secondly, one of the buddies in question is a living teddy bear.

LOS ANGELES - "King of the Hill" is over the hill at Fox, which is canceling the long-running animated comedy.

‘Ted” follows a similar formula to other buddy movies of its kind. There are two major things that distinguish the film though. For starters, “Ted” is a really funny movie, producing just as many laughs as “21 Jump Street” from a few months ago. Secondly, one of the buddies in question is a living teddy bear. The teddy bear is not merely a product of someone’s imagination like in “Calvin and Hobbes.” He’s literally a walking, talking stuffed animal that has been casually accepted into society.

The Oscar season is customarily kicked off by the Academy President and a random star solemnly announcing the nominees in a drab ceremony. The Academy decided to shake up tradition this year however, in one of the most cheerful Oscar mornings we’ve ever had.

In recent years, there have been some really good Oscar hosts like Hugh Jackman, some acceptable hosts like John Stewart, some disappointing hosts like Steve Martin & Alec Baldwin, and some flat-out horrendous hosts like James Franco & Anne Hathaway. Despite the best efforts of some, none have come close to capturing the same wit, timing, and showmanship of reoccurring hosts like Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, or Billy Crystal. At the 85th Annual Academy Awards ceremony however, Seth MacFarlane of “Ted” and “Family Guy” emerged as the single most entertaining first-time Oscar host of the 21st century.

A teddy bear who smokes pot, parties with hookers, beds pop stars and spews profanity in a New England accent as thick as chowdah?

Long gestating as a spinoff of “Family Guy,” Fox’s “The Cleveland Show” arrives Sunday (8:30 p.m. EDT) and proves to be just as rude-crude as its progenitor. But there is a key difference: “The Cleveland Show” has more warmth that flows from its gentle title character, Cleveland Brown (voice of Mike Henry, also the show’s co-creator).

A teddy bear who smokes pot, parties with hookers, beds pop stars and spews profanity in a New England accent as thick as chowdah?

At various points during the shooting of "Comedy Central Roast of David Hasselhoff" (which airs 10 p.m. Sunday, Comedy Central), nearly everyone on the dais got burned.

NEW YORK — As host of Sunday's prime-time Emmy broadcast, Neil Patrick Harris offered up persuasive evidence that he can bring new waves of cool to the stalest of institutions — like the Emmys.

Complete list of 85th Annual Academy Award nominations announced today:

Fan favorite Vincent D'Onofrio returns to "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (9 p.m. EDT today, USA Network) as the final season begins.

If you had told me a month ago that my Oscar predictions would look anything like this, I probably would have advised you to go do a little more research. “Argo” poised for the Best Picture win sans a Best Director nod? Unthinkable. Emmanuelle Riva and Naomi Watts as viable Best Actress contenders against youthful powerhouses like Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain? You’re pulling my leg.

Amidst a gloomy batch of nominees – addressing themes such as lost love, sacrifice and coping with death – “Curfew” springs forth as a welcome jolt of energy to the live action shorts. The premise is fairly simple: a dejected young man gets a call from his estranged sister, asking that he look after his 9-year-old niece for a couple hours. What transpires is a droll, heartfelt and often tender story that explores forgiveness and discovering a renewed sense of purpose in one’s life.

NEW YORK — As a new wave of big names enter the growing field of Web series, leave it to Larry David to keep enthusiasm in check.