LOS ANGELES — The 2023 Oscars is here, and it's looking for a comeback.
Ratings continue to be a struggle for the ceremony's telecast — last year was the second lowest in the show's history (15.4 million viewers versus 23.6 million in 2020 right before the COVID-19 pandemic).
And the specter of eventual lead actor winner Will Smith's onstage slap of presenter Chris Rock, which spoiled the show's return to post-pandemic normalcy, continues to loom over this year's ceremony.