| 
| 
Regular readers of my column (thank you!) should know that “America’s Got Talent” is one of my go-to shows when it is on during the summer months. Indeed, it is so for NBC as well. Up against very little else during the off-season, “AGT” is able to provide the network with a fair supply of solid ratings. Unfortunately, if net execs get their way, a good chunk of those faithful viewers will spin their crocheting needles to the tune of another show. Just on the heels of news that Piers Morgan had quit his job as judge of the show, talk has circulated that his replacement could be Howard Stern (you know, that guy who helped Brett Ratner lose his Oscar job). Famous for his radio vulgarity and outspokenness, Stern completely seems like the ideal choice for a family-oriented talent show, just like it would be a great idea for Jerry Sandusky to head CAPA (ahem, the Child Abuse Prevent Association).
Undoubtedly, execs are interested in the headline grabbing-controversy (and thus publicity) that such a decision would draw, as well as a change in viewer demographic. Naturally, the Parents Television Council is against Stern judging, validly claiming that “…they [America’s Got Talent] have a family brand there, and they would destroy the program for family audiences by adding Howard Stern.” In an age where even sitcoms push the envelope on the content of their programming, is an edgier talent program what we need? Nope. If the Peacock is smart, they will target in on a judge who is both qualified to judge talent (can I put my bid in for Regis?) and able to continue to keep the show wholesome family entertainment. If not, they risk further ostracizing the audience that helps them keep their summer numbers up.
But summer is a long way away and the network is sort of in desperate need of a ratings boost soon. So to help they have decided to pull a fan favorite sitcom from their Thursday night line-up. As of December 8th, fans of “Community” will need to wait an unannounced length of time to see the remaining episodes of the show’s third season. It will eventually be replaced with new episodes of “30 Rock” in January, which is good for the network, because despite increasingly ridiculous (in the bad way) storylines and rapidly declining viewership, the show is still popular. However, so is “Community.”
Comparing viewership numbers from last season’s “30 Rock” finale and recent episodes of “Community,” one may notice a difference of about 700,000 viewers. Meanwhile, “Whitney” inexplicably remains on the schedule while “Community” is benched. “Whitney,” however, will no longer be able to rely on spillover from “The Office” as the show is being swapped with Wednesday night’s “Up All Night.” Given “Whitney” does not have the fanbase following that “Community” has, it seems almost suicidal for NBC and each of the shows to try such a move. However, at least when “Whitney” is put on hiatus due to poor ratings sometime next year, as is likely to happen, the network will be able to swoop in with the remaining episodes of “Community” and save the day. But will casual viewers who were not fans care? Just like Rick Perry’s chance of being Republican candidate, it is doubtful.
The final, recent poor decision that NBC hopes will help them regain a shimmer of the glory they had perhaps twice in the last decade was the decision to pick up a new pilot by “Pushing Daisies” creator Bryan Fuller. Welcome back, “Munsters.” Clearly everyone involved in this decision failed to see how quickly “Charlie’s Angels” crashed and burned. The reimagining (oh, that word) of the half-hour sitcom will now be an hour long, darker version of the old show that will focus on how the Munster house came to be and will also be less campy (read: less fun) than the original.
The show has already had one remake since its original run ended in 1966 called “The Munsters Today,” but is the time right for yet another remake of it? I suppose the decision is based in part on the success of supernatural fantasy shows “Grimm” and “Once Upon a Time,” but with a rumored series based on Frankenstein also in the works, might the Munsters make the field a bit too crowded? Does it even matter if there are a zillion almost similar shows? No, the buzz around the Internet is that nobody wants this or any other old show remade.
To offset all their terrible choices, NBC has finally announced what everyone has suspected since ratings came in from last year’s Golden Globes: the brilliant Ricky Gervais is back as host! After ripping Charlie Sheen, Mel Gibson, Robert Downey Jr., organizers of the show and others new ones in the 2011 telecast, the president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association claimed over and over again that Gervais would not be returning as host, for he was too offensive. But Gervais is back and ready to make sure he lives up to his own controversy. "I don't think anyone had the right to be offended but they were. This year I'm going to make sure their offense is completely justified," Gervais said on his blog on Thursday. Though celebrities and event organizers might not be thrilled about the possibility of having all their flaws picked out, spread forth, and vehemently ridiculed, NBC is likely to reap the benefit of the high ratings that such controversy will likely produce. Now if only they had such a strategy for the other 364 days of the year.
Josh Walbert is an entertainment guru with a passion for film and television. He lives south of Orlando, FL, with his dog Nikki and relatively extensive DVD collection. His column appears every Saturday.
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
