LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The bitter separation between TV network NBC and late-night talk show host Conan O'Brien threatened to cast a dark shadow on Sunday over one of Hollywood's most glittering affairs, the Golden Globe Awards.
Entertainment | Film | Television
Sources with knowledge of those talks said a deal had yet to be signed Saturday night and talks would slip into Sunday. And Hollywood braced for what comedian Ricky Gervais, Britain's creator of hit show "The Office," might say about the breakup that has captivated TV viewers and made headlines in the United States.
The Golden Globes, which reach an audience in the hundreds of millions on NBC in the United States and various TV networks around the world, is among Hollywood's top film and TV awards shows.
This year, Gervais has been hired to host, bringing his off-the-cuff and often controversial humor to Sunday's show.
But even with A-list stars such as George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock turning up to accept acting and other trophies, talk on the glitzy red carpet and likely onstage from host Gervais will center on the acrimonious affair among NBC and popular talk show hosts O'Brien and Jay Leno.
Last week, NBC said it would move "The Jay Leno Show" to late-night TV and push "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" to a slot immediately after Leno. But O'Brien refused and talks began with NBC to end his contract, while he and Leno took verbal jabs at each other and at NBC on their respective shows.
In Hollywood, where bitter affairs often play out behind closed doors, NBC wanted to settle talks that would see O'Brien leave "The Tonight Show" and reinstall Leno as host before the Golden Globes to avoid further public airing of dirty laundry.
GET THE PARTY STARTED
The Golden Globe Awards, set to air live starting at 8 p.m. EST, are given out by members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and are closely watched for their impact on Hollywood's race for Oscars.
But they also are billed as one of Hollywood's biggest parties because as the champagne flows while awards are handed out, the stars loosen up and often strange things happen. In 1999, Jack Nicholson mooned the crowd, and this year speculation has soared over what Gervais might say.
After being named host, he told Reuters: "Everyone is sitting around drinking. I'm going to be drunk, and I'm not going to rehearse. So, it's the perfect gig for me."
Among nominees for best film drama, Iraq war film "The Hurt Locker," which on Friday was named best film by U.S. broadcast critics, will compete against director James Cameron's box office smash, action-adventure "Avatar."
Joining them in the best film drama race are Clooney's corporate downsizing movie "Up In the Air," dark tale of abuse "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" and Quentin Tarantino's World War Two fantasy "Inglourious Basterds."
Streep ("It's Complicated" and "Julie & Julia") and Bullock ("The Proposal") will square off for best actress in a comedy, and Bullock has a second chance to win in the category for best actress in a drama with football film "The Blind Side."
Awards will be given in roughly 25 categories and director Martin Scorsese will receive a lifetime achievement trophy.
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