Posted on 08/15/2007 6:19:31 AM PDT by tlb
Fox News Channel is getting out of the comedy game, canceling its news parody "The Half Hour News Hour" after a 15-episode run.
Co-created by "24" producers Joel Surnow and Manny Coto, the show was an attempt to create a right-wing sendup of the news, a "Daily Show" for conservatives.
The first episode, which featured guest appearances by Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham, beat its cable news competition and drew 1.4 million viewers, which qualifies for hit status on Sunday nights on Fox News Channel.
But considerable buzz in the blogosphere and plugs on Limbaugh's show weren't enough to keep it around.
In a memo to staff, FNC programming chief Bill Shine said the skein could return in a different form. "We are considering ways to retool the show for future scheduling needs," he said. "There is still a chance you will see the program at some point in the future."
Well it was good while it lasted, now I guess I’ll have to go watch John Stewart fellate Hitlery every stinking night.
“Cancelled” (with 2 “ls”) is an accepted spelling of the word. I prefer it (not that that matters).
The best part of NNTN was the ad for “Mitsubishi Apple Pie”.
I still have my Sniglets book somewhere...
Part of the “joke”...comedy on a news channel since people consider “The Daily Show” real “news” and its on a comedy channel.
I did catch a little of the "Half Hour News Hour" a couple weeks ago and found it funnier than I anticipated. I agree wholeheartedly, though, that it did not belong on a news channel.
It had it’s moments, but too uneven.
They emphasized “message” over humor. When doing political comedy, the emphasis should ALWAYS be on comedy first, not message. When I do my DUmmie FUnnies I don’t even think about the message part. My main concern is the humor value. Trying to put a message in comedy is like getting slammed on the head by a hammer. Annoying. And NOT funnie.
Exactly. Jon Stewart is willing to take shots at all sides (even though his loyalties remain clear). The Onion makes jokes at everybody's expense.
It's okay to let art carry a political message, but when that political message becomes the sole reason for having the art in the first place, you get really bad art.
“The only thing it had to recommend it was its political bent.”
Imagine that....AND it was the only election coverage worth watching....Fox couldn’t have done it any better! It should have continued thru next November! The Dennis Kucinich, Obama, and Hillary ‘voters’ were priceless.
TDS and Colbert Report are both funny. This show was horrid.
Sure they could have - they could have made it actually, you know, funny.
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