Seth MacFarlane: 'Adaptation will be necessary' at Oscars

• 'Family Guy' creator will host the Feb. 24 show
• The producers are hoping MacFarlane will boost ratings, especially among younger viewers
• "The tone is something we're really going to be very conscientious of," MacFarlane says

Moments after Seth MacFarlane was announced as host of the 85th Academy Awards on Monday, the Family Guy creator posted a video on Twitter showing him breaking the big news to his father. But Ronald MacFarlane seemed more interested in passing on hand-me-down bathing suits to his son.

He was definitely in the minority.

"I've been deluged with terrific e-mails and texts saying 'congrats!' " MacFarlane says. "And my father, he's come around, too."

The news of MacFarlane serving as host for Hollywood's biggest night — the Oscars will air Feb. 24 — has been greeted like a fresh breeze during Southern California's autumn heat wave. MacFarlane, 38, recently showed he can shake up the industry with his first feature film, Ted, a bawdy comedy for which he was director and voice of the lead character. It grossed $434 million worldwide to become the summer's surprise hit.

MacFarlane says he hopes show organizers overlooked the fact that he hosted the highly off-color Comedy Central roast of Charlie Sheen in 2011. Sorry, Seth, they saw it.

But during a conference call Monday, producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron said they were excited about the spark — and audience boost — that MacFarlane could bring to the show.

"We embrace everything about Seth," says Meron.

And during a time when the Oscar program is seeking a bigger proportion of the shrinking youth audience, MacFarlane could be a big draw. "We want the broadest audience for the show," adds Meron. "This host just increases that audience."

MacFarlane has promised that he will walk a different line with the Oscar crowd.

"The tone is something we're really going to be very conscientious of," says MacFarlane. "The trick will be to stay honest about what I do, but at the same time recognize that this is the Academy Awards. Some adaptation will be necessary."

MacFarlane says it took very little convincing to bring him on board.

"It's the kind of thing you don't say no to unless you're completely insane," he says. "To say I was surprised would be an understatement. But I felt comfortable saying yes."

It's too early in the process to give show specifics. But MacFarlane jokes that he will don one of his father's swim trunks for the opening numbers ("I think the green one with the white stripe"). And MacFarlane, who sang standards on his 2011 debut album, Music Is Better Than Words, concedes, "There's nothing I love more than being around orchestras. That's something we'll be making use of, I'm sure."

As for notorious bad boy and roastee Sheen, even he might be welcome to the big show.

"Oh, let him in for God's sake," MacFarlane told his producers.

"If he buys a ticket," says Zadan, "we'll consider it."