On the lot: Pre-Oscars buzz and another look at the PR wars in Hollywood

In today’s edition: Academy Awards warm-ups with Conan O’Brien, the Rebel Wilson case with a Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni connection, a new Netflix docuseries from Liz Garbus that will make you glad you’re not a Murdoch, and this week’s recommendations from industry insiders.

Welcome back to ON THE LOT.

In today’s edition: Academy Awards warm-ups with Conan O’Brien, the Rebel Wilson case with a Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni connection, a new Netflix docuseries from Liz Garbus that will make you glad you’re not a Murdoch, and this week’s recommendations from industry insiders.

Got tips (on where David Zaslav will celebrate after the Oscars, or how to stay cool on an 80-degree red carpet)? You can reach me at rebecca.keegan@nbcuni.com or on Signal at thatrebecca.82.

It’s our Super Bowl. Our Olympics. Our World Cup. For the kind of people who have strong opinions about Leonardo DiCaprio and Michael B. Jordan, or “Sentimental Value” versus “The Secret Agent,” our day is finally here. Yes, the Oscars happen this Sunday, and I’ll be there at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, covering my 15th show, miraculously carrying the same handbag from my first (thank you, Michael Kors).

We’ve gotten some hints of what to expect from those who work behind the scenes to bring the show to life. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Lynette Howell Taylor and CEO Bill Kramer told me in a recent interview that one of their biggest challenges has been crafting the oft-discussed and debated In Memoriam segment, which inevitably sparks an outcry when someone is left out. This year, the Oscars producers have to fit a large number of industry greats, including Robert Redford, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall, Catherine O’Hara and Rob Reiner, among many others.