Oscars are here; so is a flurry of alternatives

There was a time when networks froze in the shadow of the Oscars.
Academy Award night on ABC drew swarms. Some 39 million viewers watched “Annie Hall” win best-picture in 1978 … 48 million watched “Forrest Gump” win in ‘95 … 55 million watched “Titanic” win in ‘98.
Other networks ducked away, sometimes offering reruns or bad movies or such … but not any more. Flip the dial Sunday (March 2) and you’ll find strong choices everywhere.
This is CBS’ best night, led by two ratings-leaders. “Tracker” is at 8 p.m. and “The Equalizer” at 10,
It could also be NBC’s best. At 8 p.m. is a beautifully filmed “The Americas” hour, visiting the West. That’s followed by “Suits LA” (sleek and smart, if sort of cold and one-note) and the offbeat “Grosse Pointe Garden Society.”
Even cable is tough. At 8, Showtime has “Yellowjackets”; at 9, HBO has “White Lotus” and AMC has the potent season-finale of “Mayfair Witches.”
How strong is the competition? Two of the music performers at the Oscarcast have shows competing against it: Queen Latifah stars in “Equalizer”; Lalisa Manobal co-stars in “White Lotus.”
And Turner Classic Movies continues its Oscar marathon, right into the heart of the show. Some viewers might miss the first hour of the ceremony, because they’re catching the final hour of “An American in Paris,” which won six Academy Awards, including best picture.
What happened? A convergence of events crippled the Oscars:
— The nominees (and winners) became increasingly obscure. It’s one thing if the likely winner is “Gump” or “Titanic,” another when the top prize goes tp “Moonlight” and “The Shape of Water” in 2018 and 2019. This year, many viewers will be aware of “Wicked” and the Timothee Chalamet films (“A Complete Unknown,” “Dune: Part Two”), but not the others.
— The pandemic meant there were fewer movies, seen by fewer people. It also crippled the ceremony itself.
— And for three awful years, the Oscars had no-host/no-fun telecasts.
That “Shape of Water” year had 26.6 million viewers – less than half the “Titanic” total. The next three, hostless and dreary, had 29.6, 23.6 and 10.4.
That last crash brought a return to sanity and to hosts: There were three hosts in 2022 and the always-excellent Jimmy Kimmel for the next two years; viewership edged up slightly tp 16.7, 18.7 and 19.5 million.
Now comes the latest attempt to get viewers back. It includes:
— An earlier start, at 7 p.m. ET. ABC will confine itself to a half-hour of red-carpet coverage, at 6:30. The E cable channel will be there at 4 p.m. ET and will have other Oscar previews at 2.
— A new host, Conan O’Brien. Also, a new announcer, Nick Offerman.
— A fresh approach to the music. Instead of doing the nominated songs, producers say, there will be ones that celebrate filmmaking and its legends.
That brings a chance to have music stars – Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Doja Cat, Raye, Queen Latifah and Lisa (the name Manobal uses as a K-pop star in Blackpink and, in this case, solo).
Maybe that will work. Or maybe people will be elsewhere.
They might miss the first hour while watching one of those Hollywood legends (Gene Kelly) in “American in Paris.” And the second while watching “Americas,” narrated by an Oscar-winner (Tom Hanks). Or the final parts because they’re watching Manobal and Latifah.
It could be a good Oscarcast … but not one that overshadows the TV world.