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A star for the stars: Neil Patrick Harris is tapped to host the Academy Awards

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Author: 
Andrew Warren / TV Media
Neil Patrick Harris, as seen in “How I Met Your Mother,” will host the 87th Academy Awards ceremony

Neil Patrick Harris, as seen in “How I Met Your Mother,” will host the 87th Academy Awards ceremony

A star for the stars: The host of the 87th Academy Awards has been announced, and it's someone we've all "met" before.

Neil Patrick Harris finally wrapped up his role as the womanizing Barney Stinson in CBS's "How I Met Your Mother" earlier this year, a part he played for all nine seasons of the hit sitcom, and now this television hot commodity is going to be hosting Hollywood's biggest night of the year.

"To be asked to follow in the footsteps of Johnny Carson, Billy Crystal, Ellen DeGeneres and everyone else who had the great fortune of hosting is a bucket list dream come true,'' he said in a statement, referring to some of the hosts of previous Oscars.

For Harris, this won't be his first time hosting an awards ceremony either. He's twice hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards (2009 and 2013), and has hosted the Tony Awards four times (2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013).

The Academy Awards usually tags a big-ticket TV or movie star for hosting duties, and Harris certainly fits that bill. He first jumped into the public consciousness way back in 1988 when he starred alongside Whoopi Goldberg in "Clara's Heart," a performance that earned him a Golden Globe nomination. The very next year, in 1989, he starred as a child doctor in "Doogie Howser, M.D.," a show that many still remember fondly.

Despite frequent TV show cameos and movie roles, though, in recent years he's become best known for two things: "How I Met Your Mother" and his roles on Broadway.

After last year's acclaimed hosting performance by Ellen DeGeneres, Harris certainly has some big shoes to fill. Nonetheless, with a huge built-in fan base and lots of hosting experience behind him, it looks like the 87th Academy Awards will be one to remember.

 

Leno's back: Guess who's coming back to the NBCU Networks?

With a drive that would put the Energizer Bunny to shame, Jay Leno just keeps coming back into TV watchers' lives -- not that that's a bad thing.

As any fan of the longtime "Tonight Show" host will tell you, Leno has a passion for classic cars. Now, less than a year after handing over the reins of NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" to Jimmy Fallon, he's heading back to NBCUniversal with a show about his four-wheeled passion on CNBC.

Tentatively titled "Jay Leno's Garage" -- the same title held by his hit online web series -- the show is still in its early planning stages, but that hasn't stopped the comedian from getting excited about it.

“This show will be about anything that rolls, explodes and makes noise,” Leno said in a statement announcing the new show. “We hope to highlight the passion and the stories behind the men and women who made the automobile the greatest invention of the 20th century.”

So far, details of "Jay Leno's Garage" are sparse; NBC has only said that it will premiere some time in 2015. "Garage," though, will be something of a homecoming for Leno. He hosted "The Tonight Show" from 1992 to 2014, with a brief hiatus in 2009 and 2010, during which he hosted "The Jay Leno Show."

"Jay Leno's Garage" -- the web series -- has won itself an Emmy and drawn in more than a million subscribers on YouTube. With accolades like that, it's no surprise that NBCUniversal decided they weren't quite finished with Leno yet. Watch for "Jay Leno's Garage" some time next year on CNBC.

 

Help for a hero: Veteran's Day is a solemn time to thank our veterans for their service to our great country and to remember all those who have fallen. It's also a day to give back to those who have given us so much, and the Scripps family of networks are doing just that this year.

"A Hero's Welcome" will bring together some of Scripps' biggest stars to say "thank you" to retiring Staff Sgt. Tony Woods the best way they know how -- by overhauling the house that he shares with his wife and foster children into the dream home that they deserve.

With Food Network's Robert Irvine ("Restaurant Impossible") and HGTV's Genevieve Gorder ("HGTV Design Star") teaming up with humanitarian and actor Gary Sinise ("Forrest Gump," 1994), it's a guarantee that the Woods' house will be transformed into something extraordinary. And the three of them won't be working alone: their entire neighborhood in Oahu, Hawaii, will be turning out to help with the reno.

"A Hero's Welcome" will be broadcast across all Scripps channels -- Food Network, Cooking Channel, Great American Country, HGTV, DIY Network and Travel Channel -- Tuesday, Nov. 11 (check local listings).