It was Gil Cates‘ idea to have that soft prompt music play under the Oscar winners’ acceptance speeches, right? And what was that film noir reel about? And that pitch about movies being better served in a big theatre on a big screen? And that chit-chat between Leonard Maltin, Joel Siegel and Anne Thompson was smooth and smart but felt overly rehearsed, and this, I gather, was mandated by the Cates team. It was an irksome, not-terribly-enjoyed show, and I think it’s pretty clear that the 71 year-old Cates needs to be sacked and somebody younger (somebody in their 50s, maybe?….sopmeone who wasn’t old enough to vote in the 1956 Presidential election?) and more-on-the-ball needs to be brought in. Really. Just because Cates has produced the show all these years and knows everyone doesn’t mean he’s doing the show any big favors. I think it’s obvious to one and all that he isn’t.