The 91st Annual Academy Awards, known as the Oscars, is taking place on Sunday in Hollywood from the Dolby Theatre and for the first time ever South African viewers will see Ryan Seacrest appear and doing pre-ceremony red carpet duty on both E! Entertainment as well as M-Net because of a fascinating broadcast contract twist.
Here's your comprehensive TV guide on exactly how, the channels, and the times, where you can watch the show as well as the surrounding red carpet coverage.
Two things are important to note - firstly, NBCUniversal's E! (DStv 124) for the 4th year in a row will again not have any actual red carpet coverage during the last hour of red carpet arrivals since those rights belong to the ABC network in America, so viewers will have to switch to M-Net Movies Premiere (DStv 104) for the live red carpet coverage done and simulcast from the ABC network in America.
Secondly, South Africa's Anele Mdoda is at the red carpet for a M-Net Movies Premiere (DStv 104) TV special that will be broadcast on Monday night. It's the second time in history that a South African TV reporter is doing red carpet duty at the Oscars, and the second time that South Africa will have its own red carpet Oscars TV special.
Here's your must-know rundown TV guide list:
On the Red Carpet: Oscars 2019 The Arrivals
▪ Sunday 24 February 23:30 - 01:30 (LIVE) M-Net Movies Premiere (DStv 104)
▪ Sunday 24 February 23:30 - 01:30 (LIVE) M-Net Movies Premiere (DStv 104)
The official red carpet coverage broadcast kicks off looking at the fashion as the stars arrive and interviews with the stars. Maria Menounos, Elaine Welteroth and Ashley Graham will interview nominees, performers and attendees as they arrive while Billy Porter will do fashion and glamour commentary.
Oscars: Live from the Red Carpet 2019
▪ Monday 25 February 01:30 - 03:00 (LIVE) M-Net Movies Premiere (DStv 104)
▪ Monday 25 February 01:30 - 03:00 (LIVE) M-Net Movies Premiere (DStv 104)
The official red carpet coverage broadcast continues with interviews with the stars.
Interesting to note is that E!'s Ryan Seacrest will show up from 02:30 in this broadcast on M-Net, joining the broadcast for the final half hour until the awards show starts at 03:00.
This is happening because Ryan Seacrest is the host of American Idol, showing in the United States on the ABC network, the same channel carrying the Oscars.
ABC asked Ryan Seacrest to present and can choose who it wants to, and in this case, wants to use Ryan Seacrest since he's a talent on ABC and it will help to create buzz for the upcoming next season of American Idol.
Also note that E!, besides not having Ryan Seacrest for the last half hour, will also again not have live coverage from the red carpet for the last hour from 02:00 since ABC holds the rights as the official broadcast partner. This show will remain live from the red carpet until it switches to the awards show.
Live from the Red Carpet: The 2019 Oscars
▪ Monday 25 February 00:00 - 02:30 (LIVE) E! (DStv 124)
While MultiChoice's electronic programme guide (EPG) is wrong and doesn't reflect the latest programming amendments of what E! will really be showing, this is what the televised coverage really will be for viewers in South Africa and across Africa:
E! for Africa will no longer show the usual Countdown to the Red Carpet preceding Live from the Red Carpet but will start at midnight with Ryan Seacrest and Giuliana Rancic headlining E!'s red carpet coverage and doing interviews. From 02:00 to 03:00 E! will do filler Oscar coverage not from the actual red carpet.
While Ryan Seacrest and Giuliana Rancic will cover from the red carpet The Real presenter Jeannie Mai, fashion and beauty expert Kahlana Barfield Brown, E! News style correspondent Zanna Roberts Rassi, fashion designer Christian Siriano, celebrity stylist Brad Goreski, and Very Cavallari star Kristin Cavallari will do commentary from The Roosevelt Hotel.
E! News correspondent and film expert Kristin Dos Santos and film expert Xilla Valentine will report live from Ripley's Believe It or Not! rooftop for a bird's eye view of all the action and the limo drop-off. E! News co-host Jason Kennedy and E! News correspondent Zuri Hall will also be at the Oscars red carpet.
The E! Glambot will also return to the Oscars with music video director and creative director, Cole Walliser, to capture one of a kind red carpet moments.
Red Carpet Rundown: Oscars 2019
▪ Monday 25 February 02:00 - 03:00 E! (DStv 124)
Presented by Jeannie Mai looking at the fashion of stars who've arrived so far for the ceremony since E! isn't allowed red carpet access during the last hour before the awards show starts.
91 Annual Academy Awards
▪ Monday 25 February 03:00 - 06:25 (LIVE) M-Net Movies Premiere (DStv 104)
The live simulcast of the awards show. Look out for South Africa's Trevor Noah of The Daily Show on Comedy Central and Charlize Theron who will both appear on stage during the course of the show as presenters.
M-Net will broadcast the Oscars across Africa in South Africa as well as with the following countries and territories covered by the M-Net Africa agreement: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Comoros, the Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malabo, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nambia, Niger, Nigeria, Reunion Island, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, St. Helena, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zaire, Zambia, Zanzibar, and Zimbabwe.
Anele at the Oscars
▪ Monday 25 February 20:30 M-Net Movies Premiere (DStv 104)
A pre-recorded half-hour with Anele Mdoda in Hollywood covering the glitz, glam and excitement of Hollywood's biggest night.
91 Annual Academy Awards
▪ Monday 25 February 21:00 M-Net (DStv 101)
The prime-time rebroadcast of the awards show.
Daily Pop: Oscars 2019
▪ Tuesday 26 February 14:30 E! (DStv 124)
Presenters Carissa Culiner, Morgan Stewart and Justin Sylvester will discuss the most unforgettable moments and hottest fashion from the Oscars. The panel will be joined by Very Cavallari star Kristin Cavallari and film expert Nikki Novak.
E! News: Oscars 2019
▪ Tuesday 26 February 19:05 E! (DStv 124)
Giuliana Rancic, Jason Kennedy and E!'s team of correspondents will do a special Oscars recap with all the insider secrets, surprises, snubs and backstage shockers, plus the biggest fashion risks and hottest after-parties.
