A common complaint of the Oscars (other than Amy Adams going zero for six) is: why do they have to end so dang late? The 95th Academy Awards, for instance, started at 8 p.m. EST. The ceremony didn’t end until 11:30 p.m. By the time Everything Everywhere All at Once won Best Picture, many people on the east coast were fast sleep.
Thankfully, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is looking out for everyone who doesn’t want to look like tired Stimpy at work the next morning. The 2024 Oscars will air an hour earlier, at 7 p.m. EST / 4 p.m. PST.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, “the decision was driven by a desire to ensure that the show wraps within primetime hours on the East Coast. In years past, there has been a dropoff in viewership as the evening progressed, particularly on the earlier coast, given that most people have to get up for work the following morning.”
Even better news: immediately following Oppenheimer or Killers of the Flower Moon or the Adam Sandler talking lizard movie (fingers crossed!) winning Best Picture is a new episode of Abbott Elementary.
The 96th Academy Awards, which will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, is scheduled to air on ABC on March 10, 2024.
(Via the Hollywood Reporter)