Page 29 - atoday

PEOPLE & ARTS A29
Tuesday 1 March 2016

Oscars get 34.3 million viewers, lowest rating since 2008

DAVID BAUDER in 1998 and 55 million peo- ings declines. The Globes, Host Chris Rock speaks at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016,
AP Television Writer ple tuned in. The paucity of which honor film and tele- at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
NEW YORK (AP) — Acad- minority nominees this year vision, were seen by 18.5
emy Awards viewership led to calls for a boycott million people, down from Associated Press
dipped to its lowest level among some black stars, 19.3 million in 2015. The
since 2008 in a year where including Jada Pinkett Grammy telecast hit a sev-
the movie industry’s ability Smith and Spike Lee. But en-year low in viewership.
to reflect the nation’s diver- Nielsen did not immediate- Many years, the Oscars are
sity was a central issue. ly have any ethnic break- television’s biggest event
The Nielsen company said down of Oscar viewership. after the Super Bowl.
Monday preliminary esti- Generally, the popularity The final half hour of ABC’s
mates showed 34.3 million of movies being honored pre-show telecast was
people watched Sunday tends to be the biggest watched by 22.2 million
night’s telecast, where factor in whether the audi- people, down from 23.8
“Spotlight” won best pic- ence for the live telecast is million last year, Nielsen
ture. Last year’s show was up or down. said. Twitter marked a
seen by 37.3 million people. Rock, in his second time milestone, however: Leon-
Since 1990, only two Acad- hosting, hardly stayed ardo DiCaprio’s best actor
emy Awards telecasts had away from the diversity is- award generated 440,000
fewer viewers: in 2008, sue. He peppered the au- tweets in a minute, the
when “No Country For Old dience with his first three fastest ever counted at
Men” won best picture, jokes on the topic within 25 the Academy Awards. The
and in 2004, when “Chi- seconds. previous Twitter highlight
cago” was honored. The The most recent awards came two years ago when
peak came when “Titanic” shows, the Golden Globes Ellen DeGeneres made her
won a boatload of awards and Grammys, also saw rat- star-studded selfie.q

Abe Vigoda’s daughter angry
that Oscars ignored actor

FRAZIER MOORE In an April 10, 2011, file photo, actor Abe Vigoda arrives at the
AP Television Writer 2011 TV Land Awards in New York.
NEW YORK (AP) — Fa- Associated Press
mously long rumored to
be dead, beloved char- four dozen industry figures Did the Academy pass
acter actor Abe Vigoda
died for real in January at honored in the segment. the buck to the Emmys to
age 94. But the Academy
of Motion Picture Arts and Although Tessio is likely Vi- honor Vigoda as a TV star
Sciences didn’t seem to
notice. goda’s best-known role, his when it airs its awards show
In any case, it omitted Vi-
goda from the “In Memori- stardom wasn’t limited to this fall?
am” package on Sunday’s
Oscarcast, and his daugh- “The Godfather.” He also “I’m sure the Emmys will do
ter is incensed.
“Abe’s family feels disap- played over-the-hill detec- it,” said Fuchs. “But that’s
pointed and cheated by
the Academy,” said Carol tive Phil Fish in the 1970s TV still no excuse. The Acade-
Vigoda Fuchs on Monday.
“Abe gave his life and comedy “Barney Miller” my made a mistake. It’s an
heart to acting, and a sim-
ple tribute in recognition and its spinoff, “Fish.” injustice.”q
of his devotion was over-
looked.”
Vigoda, of course, was un-
forgettable in “The Godfa-
ther” for his performance
as Salvatore “Sal” Tessio,
the doomed Mafia soldier.
So Fuchs wonders why the
Academy forgot him, even
as it paid tribute to Alex
Rocco, seen in the same
1972 film as Las Vegas ca-
sino owner Moe Green.
Rocco, who died last July
at age 79, was among the