The Oscar ratings tumbled on Sunday night.
Down 9% from last year, or by 2 million viewers, to 17.9 million.
This was the biggest drop since 2022.
While it was a well produced show, it was also lackluster. As I predicted, the cutting of three current Best Song nominees, plus a lack of Hollywood glam, really did them in.
Also, as predicted, the show was very somber because of all the In Memoriams that had to be addressed.
It was also a predictable year from the outset. Having the Oscars so late — none of the nominated movies are still in theaters — killed the excitement. For months we’ve known that “One Battle After Another” was the winner. “Sinners” was always the runner up. We knew all the acting winners, too.
The Oscars cannot go beyond February 28th. March 15th was a mistake.
It wasn’t Conan O’Brien’s fault, but even he felt subdued. After all, he was an unwitting part of the Rob Reiner tragedy that was not so long ago. In his promos, Conan seemed a little off. Who could blame him?
Not having five songs didn’t help. The Academy’s decision to feature only two of the nominated songs was nearsighted.
My other peeve about Sunday’s show was the set. It was so dull and lifeless. Where did Hollywood go? I felt like I was at suburban mall spa. Trees? What?
Still, TV expert Joe Adalian points out that the Oscars were held after the change to daylight sayings time, unlike previous years. They started early, and a lot of competitio including World Baseball Classic.
We can nitpick forever, but I do think the real issue is waiting too long. And, personally, maybe not rely on influencers for promotion. Social media didn’t help at all.
