The 90th Annual Academy Awards, known as the Oscars, is taking place tonight in Hollywood, marking the end of the 2018 awards season - 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, E! for a 3rd year in a row will again not have any red carpet coverage during the last hour of red carpet arrivals since those rights belong to the ABC network in America, so you need to switch to M-Net Movies Premiere.
Secondly South Africa's Lalla Hirayama is at the red carpet for a M-Net Movies Premiere TV special that will be broadcast on Monday night. It marks the first time in history that a South African TV reporter is doing red carpet duty at the Oscars carpet, and the first time South Africa will have its own red carpet Oscars TV special.
Here's your must-know rundown TV guide list:
Countdown to the Red Carpet: The 2018 Academy Awards
▪ Sunday 4 March 22:00 - 00:00 (LIVE) E! (DStv 124)
E!'s early Oscars coverage with early arrivals, trivia, banter, fashion lookbacks and possible fashion suggestions.
This show is done by presenters Kristin Cavallari, Brad Goreski and Josh Horowitz, along with E! correspondents Kristin Dos Santos, Zuri Hall, Jason Kennedy, Erin Lim, Nina Parker and Morgan Stewart.
It will include a performance by Fifth Harmony’s Ally Brooke and the Olympic athlete Gus Kenworthy will make an appearance.
Live From the Red Carpet: 2018 Academy Awards
▪ Monday 5 March 00:00 - 02:00 (LIVE) E! (DStv 124)
Giuliana Rancic and Ryan Seacrest will take turns to interview the stars arriving on the red carpet for the Oscars, along with coverage from Kristin Dos Santos, Zuri Hall and Josh Horowitz, celebrity stylist Jason Bolden, and Elaine Welteroth, the former editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue.
With Hollywood dealing with the #MeToo movement in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, issues like equal pay that has involved E! itself, and with controversy swirling around Ryan Seacrest himself over allegations of sexual harassment that isn't going away, this is the 2 hour coverage where there might be awkward moments if there were to be any.
Stars might call out E! live on TV or Ryan Seacrest, or there might be celebrities who refuse to talk to him after publicists earlier this week said they will advise their celebrity clients to rather steer clear this year and not talk to him, but to rather talk to Giuliana.
The Oscars: All Access
▪ Monday 5 March 01:30 (LIVE) Facebook
Facebook will again be the exclusive social network to live stream the Oscars red carpet and backstage coverage. This show also will be live-streamed on Oscar.com.
Returning as presenters are Sofia Carson, Chris Connelly, Ben Lyons and Adnan Virk, joined by newcomer Wesam Keesh.
The Facebook show will incorporate footage from more than 20 cameras placed along the red carpet, backstage and in the audience at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
This show will have red carpet interviews with nominees, presenters, and performers, as well as a glimpse backstage and from the audience throughout the live Oscars broadcast. This second screen experience excludes the official TV awards show broadcast, so be sure to use it to enhance your viewing experience, not replace it.
Red Carpet Rundown: Oscars 2018
▪ Monday 5 March 02:00 - 03:00 (LIVE) E! (DStv 124)
E! continues its Oscars build-up coverage with this hour long filler show until the awards show starts. Guiliana Rancic and Ryan Seacrest remain close to the red carpet but can no longer do live interviews, show live shots of arrivals, or be on TV and be seen at the red carpet during the final hour. In this show, using still photos, they look "back" at this year's Oscar looks of the stars who've already arrived.
Viewers need to note that for a 3rd year in a row E! isn't actually showing any live or otherwise red carpet coverage during this last hour before the Oscars and neither are any other broadcasters. For that you need to switch to M-Net Movies Premiere.
Broadcasters are allowed to record for later, but the live broadcasting rights for the last and most important red carpet arrival time has been given to the official broadcaster, in this case ABC. Viewers can switch over to M-Net Movies Premiere that has this live red carpet coverage programme from 01:30.
Oscars Opening Ceremony: Live from the Red Carpet
▪ Monday 5 March 01:30 - 03:00 (LIVE) M-Net Movies Premiere (DStv 104)
Exclusive coverage with access to the red carpet in the final hour leading up to the awards show.
The presenters of this 90 minute special are Michael Strahan, The Goldbergs’ Wendi McLendon-Covey, The View co-host Sara Haines, Vanity Fair executive West Coast editor Krista Smith and IMDb special correspondent Dave Karger.
90th Annual Academy Awards
▪ Monday 5 March 03:00 - 07:20 (LIVE) M-Net Movies (DStv 104)
▪ Monday 5 March 21:00 - 00:25 M-Net (DStv 101)
There's absolutely nothing - nothing - that Hollywood loves more than a good Hollywood ending.
Therefore, after last year's blooper when Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were given the wrong envelope for the final Best Picture category, both have been asked back for a redo and will again appear on stage at the end.
The accountants were fired but Warren and Faye aren't the only ones who'll be back. The show producers Jennifer Todd and Michael De Luca are back as well, as is Jimmy Kimmel as the host.
▪ Monday 5 March 20:30 - 21:00 M-Net Movies Premiere (DStv 104)
Produced by HomeBrew Films for M-Net Movies, Lalla Hirayama is next to the red carpet for this recorded half hour Oscars special.
Whether you've watched the Oscars live at 03:00 on Monday morning or are going to watch the recorded version during prime time, this show will serve as an excellent close-out or lead-in show companion piece to the awards ceremony.
What makes it notable is that this show marks the first time that a South Africa entertainment TV reporter got a spot at the Oscars red carpet, with the first TV special done from there for this awards show.
Spare a thought for the daunting and amazing logistics behind-the-scenes. Interview footage is uploaded and sent to Cape Town where it will be quickly edited to package, and then to MultiChoice in Johannesburg from where it's will be broadcast on M-Net Movies Premiere.
E! News 2018 Oscars wrap-up
▪ Tuesday 6 March 19:05 E! (DStv 124)
Tuesday's edition of E! News with Jason Kennedy will as usual be a special comprehensive Oscars look-back episode with the notable news, interviews and fashions from this year's awards show.
