TVSquad

In a somewhat unprecedented move, Reuters details a shift in format for the People's Choice Awards. The January 8th broadcast was to be the typical awards show fare, people make bad jokes, struggle to read teleprompters with bad jokes written on them, accept awards by making bad jokes all interspersed with snippets of bad jokes from a host.

This year, in response to the ongoing writers strike, Queen Latifah will be "hosting" a magazine-style show (think Entertainment Tonight). She will introduce pre-recorded segments and clips from nominees to be followed by pre-recorded "I'd like to thank my mom"s from the winners. With waivers being denied to awards shows and celebrities admitting reluctance to attend awards show in the wake of the strike, this move makes sense though I'm not sure it will make for good television. I think the excitement of seeing celebrities live and interacting is the appeal of an awards show and this will just feel like a long episode of one of those celebrity newsmagazine shows like ET.