Blame game

Do not -- do not -- blame Jon Stewart for the ratings washout that was last night's Oscar telecast.

There's only so much a guy can do when he has to work around clip reels and montages that quite obviously were slapped together for Show B (or C or D) and instead sucked up valuable air time on Show A. How else to explain the existence of those bits, which squatted on real estate that could've contained a) more nominee speeches b) more excerpts from their performances and c) anything vaguely interesting

THR reports this morning that the show on ABC last night was a ratings dud, down 21% from last year. In fact, it was the lowest rated Academy Awards show in at least two decades.

Reasons could be obvious: writers strike caused all the networks to go into reruns, and fewer eyeballs were there to watch those ABC repeats and the Oscar promos sprinkled throughout. The net's ratings were down 36% in the weeks leading up The Big Show.

Or even more obvious: when there's no "Titanic," "Lord of the Rings" or other populist nominee, fewer people care about the bloated back-slap that is the Oscars. (Though "Juno" has made well over $120 million at the boxoffice, so that theory is quickly strained).

Lesson to be learned? Flying by the seat of their pants -- taking risks, jumping off a cliff -- would've made for a better show. And that will never, ever happen.

Comments

[Vickey Saito]

I'm also saddened by the memorial clip at the Oscars. No mention of a nominee this year for Costume Designer Marit Allen. You would think that they would pay at least a small tribute to a nominee's untimely death!!!!!