To avoid making us choose between the Sochi games and the Oscars, the 86th Academy Awards have been slightly delayed compared to previous years. But now that the bobsled races are over, Hollywood presents us with another, less physical race. It’s the battle for the gilded Oscar statuette.
If you’ve followed the Oscars before, you probably know the drill—there’s a lengthy pre-show, everyone’s dress and tux gets judged 10 times, stars from the past year’s biggest films enter a fancy theater, their speeches get cut short, and a select few emerge with an award—it’s simple.
Here are some basics you should know to get you through Hollywood’s biggest extravaganza.
Where and When
This is the 86th year that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is presenting awards for outstanding film achievements of 2013. The event airs on March 2, and is held at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood. The pre-show and ceremony will broadcast live on ABC.
The Academy has been with the network ever since 1976. (ABC was also the broadcaster for a 10-year stint from the 33rd to 42nd Academy Awards, in addition to its current run.) If you’re following the Oscars online, check out the ABC Entertainment page.
The Oscars will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide. Last year, an estimate of 40.3 million Americans tuned in to the show. This year, the Academy expects to reel in several hundred million viewers worldwide.
Important Twitter accounts to follow during the night include @TheEllenShow and @TheAcademy; and if you like sarcastic humor, or humor in general, also follow @OscarGoer, who will hopefully once again entertain us with his tweets.
Other entertainment media outlets will also be covering the show online with live blogging and tweeting. If you’re interested in all the buzz around the actual ceremony, including more red carpet coverage, check out E! Online, On The Red Carpet, Entertainment Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter, and Entertainment Tonight among others.
www.ontheredcarpet.com
www.eonline.com
www.ew.com
www.hollywoodreporter.com
www.etonline.com
The Epoch Times will have a live blog and a Twitter party for the Oscars. To follow, go to the Epoch Times website.
The Schedule
The official Oscars ceremony will start at 8:30 p.m. EST.
If you‘d like to watch the Oscars “Red Carpet Live” pre-show, tune in at 7 p.m., when four hosts will catch the talent as they arrive at the theater. They’ll be asked about their feelings, predictions, and of course the designers who made their gowns or suits.
This year’s hosts of “Red Carpet Live” will be “Good Morning America” anchors Robin Roberts and Lara Spencer, joined by Jess Cagle, editorial director of People and Entertainment Weekly, and actor-model Tyson Beckford.
Who You'll See
You can expect to see all the nominated actors, directors, producers, technicians, and writers who made the most-talked-about films of 2013. However, even though they have been invited, they might not attend. Expect to see pre-recorded video apologies for their absence.
