JON STEWART - END OF STRIKE SAVES OSCARS

The tentative agreement between the writers and producers reached over the weekend appears to have rescued the February 24 Oscars telecast. At a news conference on Sunday, WGA chief negotiator David Young suggested that keeping the Oscars hostage, in effect, helped the union leverage a settlement. "It was going to be a huge thing for the industry to lose the Oscars," he said. Nevertheless, with less time to prepare, Academy Awards producers are likely to simplify production numbers and entirely eliminate customarily elaborate filmed pieces. And as the principal entertainer of the night, Jon Stewart is expected to face even greater pressure than usual to keep things light and lively.

11/02/2008