Golden Globe nominated actors are expected to skip the ceremony in support of the Writers Strike. “Accepting the award for Denzel Washington – Warner Elementary School crossing guard, Harold Rumplemeyer.”NBC however, insists that the show will go on. But instead of the Grand Ballroom at the Beverly-Wilshire hotel, the ceremony will be held in the back room of the Shakey’s Pizza parlor on Fairfax and Olympic.
Why is this important? Because studios use these bogus awards to help promote their movies. No ratings = no boxoffice spike. And should the Oscars be boycotted by stars then the effect is major.
I’m reminded of the 1980 Primetime Emmys when SAG was on strike. The show was hosted that year by local KNBC news anchor, Kelly Lange. The only actors who showed were Powers Booth and Yoko Shimada, an actress they dragged over from Japan who was appearing in NBC’s upcoming miniseries SHOGUN.
My sincere thanks to SAG for supporting our strike and realizing that our fight is their fight…and everyone’s fight.
Maybe the crickets will chirp along with the orchestra?
ReplyDeleteIronically the biggest threat to the award shows existence comes not from the lack of access to WGA writers, but from the lack of stars to put in front of the camera. (I'll bet Rich Little's agent is giddy with anticipation.)
ReplyDeleteIf SAG members decide to stay away from these events you would think it will seriously cripple the shows appeal to the masses. On the other hand, the Academy Awards not withstanding, award show ratings have been pretty miserable for years now. The average episode of "Dancing With The Stars" would probably kick the ass of most of them, let alone "American Idol", which would destroy everything accept the Academy Awards.
The strike may succeed in killing some of the fringe award shows for good. Remember the "Blockbuster Video Awards"? I didn't think so...
See, there is some good that has come from this strike.
ReplyDeleteHow did Powers Boothe not suffer for that?
I like the new promos the studios are using, like this one: "27 Dresses written by the same screenwriter who wrote The Devil Wears Prada"
ReplyDeleteOh, those Fox people are clever aren't they? Promote the movie by not mentioning the writer by name (Aline Brosh MacKenna) and implying that there are writers still writing movies, so all is okay in Hollywood--those damn rich writers are complaining about nothing.
And award shows, gone and forgotten two seconds after they're air--and now no "stars?" What will middle America do?
Oooooo...maybe they'll hold a caucus?
The Shakey's is booked that night for the Davila birthday party.
ReplyDeleteAnd then I've got Shakey's an hour after that for a Britney Spears vigil. Sorry NBC. ;)
ReplyDeleteLet's just say for the sake of argument that the strike is completely settled this weekend and everyone can go back to work on Monday morning. How long would it take before the new shows, written and/or produced after the strike, make it to the screen? We can assume that there are a couple of scripts that were in the pipeline when the strike started.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Are writers actually writing at home during the strike, but just not submitting?
ReplyDeleteIf so, there'll be a real backlog of material ready to go after the strike...
Question: Are writers actually writing at home during the strike, but just not submitting?
ReplyDeleteIf so, there'll be a real backlog of material ready to go after the strike...
That may be true for the movie industry, since writers can initiate their own scripts, but I doubt many TV writers are doing any scripts for their particular series. However, since TV writing is more of a collaborative process, that can be rectified fairly quickly.
l.a.guy said...
ReplyDelete(I'll bet Rich Little's agent is giddy with anticipation.)
This has always perplexed me. Has anyone ever heard of anybody being giddy with anything but anticipation? Let’s hope the writers will soon be giddy with compensation. And why can’t I be giddy with Amanda Peet? Wait, I think I am.In fact, I may be giddy on the cusp of jiggy. Stay tuned.
More important, where's the afterparty?
Harold Rumplemeyer?!?! He was fantastic in the local production of CATS!
ReplyDeleteyoko shimada was totally hawt.
ReplyDeleteMaybe NBC should just air a clip reel from the best of the past Golden Globe Awards. I know that might not be able to fill the minimum allowable 30-minute time slot, but I think America really wants to see if Pia Zadora actually did win an acting award, just so the story doesn't fall into the realm of mythology, like unicorns or major league pitchers regularly throwing complete games.
ReplyDeleteIs Rich Little even alive?
ReplyDeleteWas he ever?
Anyway... my after party will be at the Apple Pan.
There will be stars, but only in the "died this year" segment. Maybe they can really stretch that out.
ReplyDeletePowers Booth DID pay... he had a prominent role on 24 last season.
ReplyDeleteNBC could probably just announce the Golden Globe winners during commercial break bumpers for a Law & Order marathon. That would probably attract more eyeballs.
One of the "highlights" of my first and only trip to Vegas was being in a conference room at MGM, listening to a lecture about medical fraud, and hearing some celebrity voices from the other side of the partition.
ReplyDeleteTurns out Rich Little was on the other side of the wall giving a show to car dealers.
Never got to see him, but after years of seeing him do crappy impersonations, it was interesting to hear his voice.
The People's Choice awards are coming up. Is Queen Latifah going to cross the line to host?
Is Queen Latifah going to cross the line to host?
ReplyDeleteDoesn't have to. She taped her segments on a soundstage after the People's Choice Awards decided to tape the "thank yous" from the winners.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame. Imagine being an on-the-cusp would-be star; you've put your house in hock to buy a Golden Globe, and then you can't come pick it up. The Hollywood Foreign Press won't give that money back, you know.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of running clips of great moment from past GGs. That would be Pia Zadora's husband buying her Best Newcomer Globe, and Lucille Ball in the early 70s, drunk, and heckling winners. Has there ever been any other GG "Great Moment"?
The great danger is that award shows may turn out better without stultifying scripted banter. The folks who actually are funny would be funny, and the others would get on, attend to business, and get off. Winners mighthave time to say thank you, as long as they do it off the cuff.
So Kent, who are you wearing on the GG picket line?
Isn't there a chance this could backfire and make the home audience MORE interested in watching, to witness how it will go down. This could actually cause a ratings and box office spike. But it's still great that SAG is willing to skip a party in support of the writers.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like this will be a golden age for seat-fillers. Is it too late to have plastic surgeons make hookers look like stars, as in LA CONFIDENTIAL?
ReplyDeleteThe Globes ought to ship in all those Vegas lookalikes as seat-fillers. Could lead to some fun confusion ("I thought Frank Sinatra was dead. And Elvis. And Burt Reynolds.").
ReplyDeleteI'm likely in the minority here but after watching the premiere of American Gladiators I think American eyeballs have been more focused on the "Crush" of sexy than when The Office returns.
ReplyDeleteThe WGA is fractured and these selective side deals don't help the cause as a collective. Conan has put in better shows lately than with a full staff of writers (sorry if this is not a popular belief but it's true from a viewers' standpoint).
I apologize to all those that think I should jump into a lake but perhaps, you need to hear from those that aren't within the industry yet have just as much of a voice, namely the viewer.