Posted on 02/22/2007 5:11:30 AM PST by IrishMike
Satire scores for Fox News net 'News Hour' pilot bows with 1.5 mil viewers
It got mixed reviews, but Fox News Channel's take on news satire scored with the only voters that matter. Heavily promoted on FNC and on conservative talkradio, the first pilot episode of "The ½ Hour News Hour" premiered with nearly 1.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. That's a big number for an unknown show in a Sunday timeslot.
First episode opened with some conservative star power, with Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter hamming it up as fictional -- or perhaps fantasy -- president and vice president in the Oval Office.
The show gained about 300,000 from its lead-in, "Hannity's America," and increased FNC's fourth-quarter average for Sunday at 10 p.m. by 69%. In the adults 25-54 demo, the show took 499,000 viewers, up 94% from its timeslot average.
FNC topper Roger Ailes is weighing whether to commit long-term to the series, created and produced by "24" creator Joel Surnow and co-exec producer Manny Coto.
Pilot for the conservative take on news satire took aim at Hillary Clinton, the ACLU, politically correct children's lit and Hollywood political activists. The Washington Post's Tom Shales summed up in his review: "In a nutshell: It isn't terrible."
But in terms of ratings, its opening number puts it in a league with Comedy Central's "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," which averages 1.6 million, and "The Colbert Report," which averages 1.2 million.
In a sign of the high number of viewers who tuned in specifically for the premiere, the aud dropoff for the following show, "The Line-Up," was nearly 50%.
A repeat of the first episode is skedded for Sunday. The second episode airs March 4.
(Excerpt) Read more at variety.com ...
Suggestion for Faux News: Hire Dennis Miller to host the program.
Then watch those numbers double and maybe even triple!
RonDog,
Thanks for the link -
Mike
If you want aggravated PC, try the Law and Order that has Detective Munch; he is simply horrifying. Also, I tried to watch reruns of The District - well, I got over THAT! Right in your face and down your throat PC, complete with degenerate "Rednecks", and they are called rednecks right on the show. I mean, I love Craig T. Nelson as much as the next guy, but I cannot watch this stuff. The other day one of the main characters was screaming about "driving while black" and the "bad guy" in this one was a DC cop, but he had a huge southern accent. Criminy!
The 1/2 hour news hour is a fun concept.
I hope it gets better. It came off as very amateurish - the actor's delivery could be a lot better, and the laugh track was absolutely horrid.
Joel Surnow said that these pilots were thrown together in haste and with a very small budget. I'm sorry to say that it shows.
But the concept does have potential. I hope Fox invests in improving it.
I agree with those critisizing Fox's cheezy tabloid aura. But I still give credit where it's due.
Brit Hume and Chris Wallace does remain a cut about everyone else though.
Hannity and Colmes, and Greta have become quite unwatchable in their banality. Biut a tleast they ask the quetions the MSM won't.
O'Reilly seems to have a voyeurism prob that he's in denial about. Laura Ingraham is quite correct to call him on the sleaze that has crept into his show.
Who do they expect to watch at this time slot? Certainly not working people.
Yup, I agree. Also in front of a "live" audience. Thought there was too much "canned" laughter. Dennis Miller: I really like the guy.
Great for them to repeat it!! I missed the first showing.
Because of FOX's wall-to-wall coverage of the Smith story, I have been reduced to channel surfing - even hit CNN for a few minutes. Discovered by doing that where Kiran Chetry went.
Skedded?
It's obvious what that means, but I've never heard it before.
I suppose if I were to regularly read Variety I'd have seen this term ... because I'd be all hip...
...n'junk
... ,Wally.
It was a lot like many other successful satirical shows -- some parts made me laugh, some parts didn't.
These days, a show that gives me an opportunity to laugh at the "antics" of politicians is very welcomed. I think the laughter is good for the heart and blood pressure of many Americans. It could be viewed as a mini-R&R from the stresses put on us by terrorists and Democrats. Along with his other health edicts, Mayor Bloomberg should make watching this show mandatory.
I hope the show lives on.
Viewership of 1.5 million for a pilot shown at 10pm on a Sunday is VERY respectable.
Beating Colbert and almost catching the Daily Show for the pilot is very respectable. IMO there were some very funny parts and the writing was good overall.
Sure there are some minor changes that could be made to improve the show, and once it gets picked up I'm sure they will have more to work with.
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