Oscars Will Be Aired, Even Without Stars

ABC is determined to make the Academy Awards happen, with or without striking writers and boycotting actors, the LA Times reports. “I don’t want to say, ‘Read my lips,’ but it’s not going to be canceled,” said producer Gilbert Cates, fresh from chairing successful Directors Guild negotiations with producers. “There are enough clips in 80 years of Oscar history to make a very entertaining show.”

Don’t expect the WGA to give the Oscar’s a special waiver, as they did for the upcoming SAG awards. Both sides realize what an Oscar cancellation would mean—$80 million in lost ad revenue and a publicity nightmare for the studios. “I pray the actors are there,” said Cates. “The strike could be settled by then. Four weeks is a long way off.” (More Academy Awards stories.)