Posted on 08/17/2004 7:56:35 PM PDT by mhking
Atlanta's Jeff Foxworthy is having a second life on primetime TV. The WB has given his midsummer sketch comedy show "Blue Collar TV" a 22-episode pick up for the 2004-05 season.
Originally, the WB had committed to eight episodes over the summer with another 13 as an option. But ratings were so strong, the network went beyond that, giving them a guaranteed 30 episodes in one calendar year.
"The most elusive thing in television these days is a hit comedy and in 'Blue Collar TV' we have one, which made the pick-up an easy decision," said David Janollari, the WB's president for entertainment, in a press release.
The first three episodes drew 5.4 million viewers, 4.6 million viewers and 4.8 million viewers, respectively. For the WB, that's a major hit on Thursdays at 8 p.m. The show, which did especially well among younger viewers, has also been repeated on Friday evenings, drawing another 2 to 3 million viewers. Comedy Central replays the show again on Mondays.
The original eight episodes were shot primarily at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre before boisterious audiences of fans of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. The show stars Foxworthy and two friends Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy. (The fourth Blue Collar Comedy Tour comic Ron White was under contract for a sitcom earlier this year and couldn't star on the show but he might show up later in a full-time role.)
Since the Alliance Theatre will be unavailable for fall production, the producers are scrambling to find a replacement site in Atlanta.
Engvall, who said he was naturally "thrilled" by WB's commitment, wasn't surprised that TV critics were generally negative toward the show, harping on the juvenile, unsophisticated potty humor. "We didn't do the show for the critics," he said. "We did it for the people who have been seeing us for three or four years" as the Blue Collar Comedy group.
Engvall said he expects several of the early characters will be reprised, including the toddlers and Weeble Knievel, the no-armed daredevil.
Foxworthy's first efforts at primetime success in the mid-1990s in a sitcom was a ratings bust on two networks. He came back to Atlanta from Hollywood, promising himself he wouldn't ever go the primetime route again. But this time, the WB wanted him so badly, they allowed him to shoot most of the show in Atlanta, so he could see his kids and wife regularly.
The WB purposely gave "Blue Collar TV" a soft opening in the summer to help it build an audience. It will begin facing serious competition next month when "The O.C." on Fox, "Joey" on NBC and "Survivor" on CBS hit the airwaves.
Just damn.
If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...
I watch that show. It's very funny.
I haven't seen to much of it, but I liked what I saw.
MUCH better than what SNL has degenerated into.
Rachel is trying to keep track of all the words in the "Hatfield-McCoy Redneck Dictionary (Words to help you 'git er done')"...
They left out Tater Salad!
Well, that's funny. I don't care who ya are that's funny!
Agreed.
It is funny hehehe. You're right about SNL. It's a shadow of its former self.
Here's a contest for it:
http://www.thewb.com/Contest/0,12896,177268||,00.html
Ron White is my favorite standup comic until the next one comes along.
They call me "Tater Salad"
That has to be one of the funniest comedy bits I have ever seen!
*giggle*
Suz
I especially love Ron's spiel about flying from Flagstaff to Phoenix.
"How far do you think this plane will get us?"
"All the way to the scene of the crash. I bet we beat the paramedics there by a half hour."
Sheer brilliance!
They call me tater salad!!!!! GIT R DONEEE!!!!
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