In a normal year, the Golden Globes show is the ultimate Hollywood shine: thousands of glasses of champagne, free acceptance speeches, backstage antics, numerous stars rocking at busy banquet tables.
As the Oscars show the film industry in its most self-consciously formal way, the Globes give us Quentin Tarantino who spits out his booze when he loses a directing award to Ben Affleck.
“It’s usually a big party,” says Anne Thompson, editor of the film publication IndieWire.
But this year, like weddings, office meetings and just about every other event involving people from outside your home, the Globes will be a largely virtual event. In socially distanced style, the co-host will appear from either side of the country: Tina Fey of the Rainbow Room in New York and Amy Poehler of the Beverly Hilton, the traditional home of the ceremony.
The Globes producers have sent camera sets to nominees that enable them to radiate to the broadcast no matter where they are. The mostly virtual Emmy Awards at the end of September tried a similar approach. Fey, Poehler, select presenters and other crew members will adhere to their strict Covid-19 safety protocols.
In an interview with Seth Meyers last month, Poehler joked about the unusual nature of this year’s honor. “The preparation is going so well. We have only a few final questions, namely: When, how, why, where and what? That’s all we need to find out, but we’re gonna find out. ”
The restrictions required by Covid-19 could mean that this year’s Golden Globes (8pm Sunday on NBC) lose some of the sparkling, spontaneity of the typical show. “Although people can drink at home,” said Chris Beachum, managing editor of the Gold Derby website for predicting awards.
In particular, the broadcast of the pandemic era could deprive viewers of ‘moments’ that have become more common over the past decade, said Joyce Eng, a senior editor at Gold Derby – as Leonardo DiCaprio’s viral GIF in 2016 shocked when Lady Gaga brushed past him to accept a statue.
The awards experts all said last fall’s Emmys, hosted by ABC personality Jimmy Kimmel, had a solid and largely flawless template for the Globes. Beachum said it’s especially entertaining to see winners like Zendaya and the cast of ‘Schitt’s Creek’ receive awards from remote locations, giving viewers a greater sense of personal connection.
“It was exciting to see someone win with their parents or spouse or children, right there in the room with them,” Beachum said. “You would not be able to see it during a normal television ceremony.”
The broader context for this year’s Golden Globes is also a challenge for producers. The country is grappling with social and economic crises that could make a Hollywood awards show seem particularly out of place, unless the gurus behind the scenes find a way to balance congratulations with seriousness.
“The question of how such a frothy and frivolous venture is going to present itself is interesting,” said Thompson, who has been covering awards contests for years. ‘I’m curious to see how they get it. Everyone will want to hit the right note. ”
In the past decade, when conventional linear television has lost ground to streaming services, ratings for awards have usually declined. (The ratings for the Globes broadcast last January, presented for the fifth time by Ricky Gervais, were at an eight-year low.)
Eng said she did not expect a replay for this year’s Globes, although she wonders if the Hollywood glamor could offer a welcome departure from the cruel reality.
“It’s been such a low year, so I think here’s some escape: three hours of your Sunday night where you can watch a fun awards show and mock celebrities,” Eng said. “Maybe there’s a curiosity factor, too.”
Thompson added that some casual viewers may be attracted by the large number of nominated movies and TV shows from popular streaming services – most notably Netflix, which has garnered a staggering 42 nominations. In a time of theatrical disruption, she said, most moviegoers at home watched new releases.
Two of Netflix’s highly acclaimed titles – “Finch” by David Fincher and “The Trial of the Chicago 7” by Aaron Sorkin – are considered precursors to the drama award, while the UK’s British royalty saga “The Crown” leads on the streaming platform . of TV nominees with six nods.
