ABC ramping up for the Oscars

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“The 84th Academy Awards” air Sunday evening, February 26th, on ABC. But the Alphabet Network is making it an all day event as “Oscar Sunday.” The on-air celebration of  Hollywood’s biggest night begins with “Good Morning America” and doesn’t end until Oscar host Billy Crystal appears on “Jimmy Kimmel Live: After the Academy Awards.”


PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS FOR ABC’S OSCAR SUNDAY (in order of airtime):

“GOOD MORNING AMERICA” kicks off Oscar Sunday with live reports from ABC News correspondent Chris Connelly on the red carpet outside the Kodak Theatre. *Check local listings.

“ON THE RED CARPET,” hosted by Rachel Smith and Chris Balish, takes you behind the scenes of the biggest night in Hollywood and features a special report from KABC Entertainment reporter George Pennacchio from Chicago, where the Oscar statuettes are created. *Syndicated in select markets. Check local listings.

“ON THE RED CARPET AT THE OSCARS” features Rachel Smith and George Pennacchio LIVE on the red carpet welcoming this year’s Academy Award nominees to the Kodak Theatre. Cameron Mathison asks the stars your Facebook and Twitter questions, and reporters Tina Malave and Lawrence Zarian use the power of Trendrr to track what is red hot, right now. Fashion expert Roshumba Williams joins Michelle Tuzee on the fashion skyway above the red carpet to critique the red carpet couture. *Syndicated in select markets. 1:30 p.m., PT/4:30 p.m., ET.

“OSCARS RED CARPET LIVE” — Watch unparalleled coverage of Hollywood’s most glamorous and prestigious red carpet and enjoy unrivaled backstage access on “Oscar’s Red Carpet Live,” presented at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center(R) and televised live by the ABC Television Network. Brian Grazer, Don Mischer, Charlie Haykel and Juliane Hare are executive producers. 4:00 p.m., PT/7:00 p.m., ET.

“THE 84th ACADEMY AWARDS(R)” – Billy Crystal returns for his ninth time as host of “The 84th Academy Awards,” celebrating the outstanding film achievements of 2011, televised live on ABC and in more than 225 countries worldwide. Tom Hanks, Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry, Tom Cruise, Pen?lope Cruz, Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz and the cast of “Bridesmaids” are among the presenters. The 84th Academy Awards telecast producers are Brian Grazer and Don Mischer. 5:30 p.m., PT/8:30 p.m., ET.

After all the awards are handed out, “ON THE RED CARPET AT THE OSCARS” returns with the “On the Red Carpet” Party Patrol, featuring coverage from all the night’s hottest events, including the Governor’s Ball. Fashion expert Roshumba Williams is joined by “Project Runway” all-star Mondo Guerra to pick the biggest red carpet hits and misses. *Syndicated in select markets. 8:30 p.m., PT/11:30 p.m., ET.

“JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE: AFTER THE ACADEMY AWARDS” — For the seventh consecutive year, ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live: After the Academy Awards”(R) will be televised LIVE from the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on ABC immediately following “The 84th Academy Awards” hosted by Billy Crystal and late local news. Oscar night has proven to be Kimmel’s destination for debuting the show’s signature comedy pieces such as “I’m F**king Ben Affleck,” “Handsome Men’s Club,” “Hottie Body Hump Club” and Tom Hanks’ “Toddlers and Tiaras.” This year Meryl Streep, George Clooney, Tom Hanks, Martin Scorsese, Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron, Don Cheadle and many more will participate in Kimmel’s next installment.
Eight-time Academy Awards host Billy Crystal will join Kimmel to kick off his post-Oscar show, and Grammy(R)-winning Coldplay will end the night with a Hollywood block party performance on “JKL’s” outdoor stage before thousands who will be in attendance to honor movies’ biggest night. In years past, Kimmel has hosted such esteemed guests as Matt Damon, Tom Cruise, Ben Affleck and Robert Downey Jr., as well as previous Academy Awards hosts Jon Stewart and Ellen DeGeneres.

And Oscar Sunday won’t be limited to a single screen.

GO BACKSTAGE AND PLAY ALONG WITH OSCAR.COM AND THE OSCARS APP: On Oscar Sunday, the Emmy Award-winning Oscar Digital Experience kicks into full gear with an unmatched level of interactivity at Oscar.com, http://oscar.go.com/, and on the Oscars App (available for iPad, iPod touch and iPhone). With more than 20 live cameras strategically placed everywhere from the red carpet to backstage and to the Governor’s Ball, the Oscar Digital Experience provides unique access before, during and after the show. For those who want to test their Oscar predication skills, Oscar.com’s “My Picks” is an interactive ballot that allows fans to track their choices and compete with their friends on Facebook.

And even when Oscar Sunday is over, ABC is continuing the festivities into Monday.

The celebration continues the following morning with “Good Morning America” live from the El Capitan Theatre and “LIVE! with Kelly’s After Oscar Show” broadcasting live from the home of the Academy Awards, the Kodak Theatre. Oscar.com introduces “Celebrate the Journey” on Monday. These videos highlight the paths of ten nominees from nominations to the Governor’s Ball.