Seth MacFarlane will not be returning to host the Oscars, at least not next year.  While the Family Guy creator earned mixed reviews for his hosting duties earlier this year, producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron nevertheless reached out to MacFarlane to see if he’d want to come back and host again in 2014.  While the very busy MacFarlane seems like he was up to the task, scheduling issues have forced him to decline via a statement on his Twitter:

“Traumatized critics exhale: I'm unable to do the Oscars again. Tried to make it work schedule-wise, but I need sleep. However, I highly recommend the job, as Zadan and Meron are two of the most talented producers in the business. My suggestion for host is Joaquin Phoenix.”

MacFarlane is currently filming and starring in his second feature directorial effort, A Million Ways to Die in the West, and he's expected to shoot the Ted sequel later this year, which would account for the scheduling difficulties.  With MacFarlane now out, who do you think should be at the helm of next year's Oscars? My vote is for Neil Patrick Harris or Hugh Jackman.