NBC is insisting that the Golden Globes will go on as scheduled on January 13th, but Hollywood insiders say differently. The Writers Guild (WGA) has not given the show a waiver, so any star that appears on the red carpet or at the event will have to cross the picket lines and be considered a strikebuster. Most A-list actors have stated that they won't be attending the event, which would make it a ratings disaster for NBC.
Speaking to the New York Times over the weekend, WGA strike coordinator Jeff Hermanson said the guild would position strikers along the sidewalks around the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
"If the Globes is telecast and it is produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is a struck company, we will picket the show," Hermanson said.
Such actions, of course, would likely prevent A-listers from attending, concerned that an appearance might garner them negative publicity as strikebusters. Publicists for many stars say their clients have already signaled they wouldn't turn out for any struck productions.
Further complicating matters is the Screen Actors Guild's own potential work action against networks and studios. SAG's current deal expires in June, and actors have threatened to follow the WGA and strike if their demands for a larger share of payments related to new-media growth are not met.
The Times quoted several unnamed insiders saying the Foreign Press Association has begun exploring ways to ensure nominees such as Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Keira Knightley, Denzel Washington, Katherine Heigl and George Clooney make the scene without incurring any sort of public backlash or embarrassment.
Among the ideas bandied about: nixing the dinner and trophy fest in favor of a Webcast or a private affair, the organization's first since 1979.
The People's Choice Awards has bowed to the inevitable and has scrapped the normal format. Instead the show will have pre-taped interviews with stars, which should be a big yawn. We don't see any way the Golden Globes can go forward unless NBC Universal goes back to the negotiating table immediately. The Screen Actors Guild's contract expires in June, and if a deal with the writers isn't inked by then (which would most likely be duplicated with SAG) the actors will probably also go on strike.
