We must really like our televisions to be filled with crap. After all, as a country we continue to support it with nice, big, juicy ratings. Take NBC's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here debuted with 6.4 million viewers, enough for number one on the night, beating out The Bachelorette. I didn't watch it, but our own Jackie contributed to that number. I got enough of Sanjaya on American Idol thank you very much. Plus, I saw Stephen Baldwin being interviewed for this on Late Night and right there I'd had enough of the whole show.But not America, apparently. Maybe it was all the hoopla about Heidi and Spencer (The Hills) quitting after like 20 minutes because no one would rub their feet or whatever. Did those horrible promos featuring Sanjaya getting set upon by bees really make you want to watch? Was it the last addition of Frangelina? Mrs. Rod Blagojevich? Or is it the car wreck lookie-loo phenomenon?
These ratings will drop through the floor as fans follow Jackie's lead and realize there's no way they could watch every episode. It's already started, as night two of I'm a Celebrity saw a 19% drop in ratings, as well as the departures of Speidi. Now the race is on to find replacements good enough to bring people back. But who can we possibly care enough about to watch for a month who'd actually be willing to do it? Hopefully, they don't find anyone and ratings will continue to drop as we come to our senses.
It's on four nights a week for goodness sake. Do you remember what happened when we made Deal or No Deal a hit for NBC? They're already putting Jay Leno on five nights a week. You know they're looking for cheap programming alternatives. They might already be considering a regular season of I'm a Celebrity based on that first night. That way if a bunch of their shows tank, they can have a two-hour nightly block of Celebrity and Leno, leaving only one hour a night to program. They can stretch Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, 30 Rock, SNL and The Office to fill that gap.
They will do it, America. This is NBC we're talking about. They'll do anything at this point. And it will be our own fault.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-03-2009 @ 4:01PM
Fred said...
But, it's in high def. :) Just kidding, I've never seen it before.
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6-03-2009 @ 4:24PM
Canadianfoodiegirl said...
I agree 100%
In response to another blog today I almost made the comment that the only reason I know who Heidi and Spencer are is that the media keeps talking about them.
If the media (and, ahem, bloggers) keep talking about them.... You know where I'm going with this.
Not that I'm blaming TV Squad, or you Jason.
Are Heidi and Spencer even allowed to quit? Do their contracts allow it?
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6-03-2009 @ 4:49PM
Jon said...
Ok im guilty .. It is by FAR the absolute worst show on tv .. EVER .. But that makes it so great .. i have never seen 1 ep oh The hills in my life .. but watching those 2 idiots made my night .. i am sad they quit ... It is a horrible show but i think ill keep checking it out because it makes me smile
The shows i really enjoy the networks can care less about .. LIFE .. Journeyman ... Jericho ... Etc..... its pretty hard to be a fan of any shows anymore unless its a mainstay like CSI etc....
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6-03-2009 @ 8:54PM
R P said...
I watched about ten minutes and then deleted it from the DVR.
I was really only slightly curious about Sanjaya because I missed AI Season 6.
And considering it comes right on the heels of Susan Boyle's emotional breakdown after the stress from being on BGT..... seeing 'celebrities' being abused or anyone being put in these incredibly stupid and dangerous situations for our 'entertainment' just about made me wanna puke.
I'm also NOT watching Wipeout for the same reason. I don't care if that ridiculous obstacle course is made of foam rubber and water...somebody could still get seriously hurt or killed.
Stupid, stupid shows!
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6-03-2009 @ 11:51PM
nick said...
I remember the version of ABC a few years back, and after watching two episodes, vowed to never watch again. It's quite awful.
I think if anyone is watching right now, it's because they're absolutely NOTHING else on right now. I looked at the schedule tonight and then remembered why I'm hardly watching TV anymore.
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6-04-2009 @ 11:34AM
Libby said...
I know...I am sad....but I am watching it and it is like a train wreck...I have to keep watching for some reason. I am a Christian and it makes me cringe when I see Speidi talking about how they are saved and screaming out "Praise God" and "Hallelujah". Then in the next breath, they are bleeping out some sort of temper tantrum the two of them are having behind the scenes.
But anyway...I didn't watch in 2003 or whenever it was on before so I wanted to know who was on that one?
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6-04-2009 @ 9:59PM
deebopalula said...
Jason -- You hit the nail on the head.
I really think that the viewing public needs to unite and reclaim the appropriate use of the term "celebrity" -- although Merriam Webster is not of much help. They define "celebrity" as "a famous or celebrated person" and they define "celebrated" as "widely known and often referred to". By that token alone, Spencer and Heidi (almost) qualify as "celebrities" - even though it makes me throw up in my mouth a little to say that. And I say this not as some "scripted tv" snob - I readily admit that I thoroughly enjoy my reality tv - e.g., Survivor, Amazing Race, Project Runway, Top Chef, Biggest Loser, Hell's Kitchen, etc. Yeah, I realize the amount of "reality" in most of these "reality" shows is pretty non-existant, but I still find them enjoyable in an admittedly couch potato kind of way. But when the "reality" shows that purport to revolve around "celebrities" feature people I have never heard of - or WISH I had never heard of - I almost feel like I am being punked - or like I'm the subject of some "Wag The Dog"-ish bizarro kind of pop culture experiment.
Bottom line - there are reality shows that feature people with a talent (cooking, dancing, designing) or people who take on something truly challenging in an admirable or interesting way (Survivor, Amazing Race, Biggest Loser), and then there are those that employ C (yeah, we're WAAAYYYY beyond "B" now), D and even E through Z level "celebrities".
As "Canadianfoodiegirl" said (in essence), please stop writing about these people who have achieved nothing more significant in their lives than a truly unwarranted 15 minutes of fame.
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6-05-2009 @ 10:25AM
nytheatreguy said...
I would never waste my time watching this garbage.
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