OMFG: Sophmore Slumpocalypse
Discussed: Terrence McKenna’s ‘Food Of The Gods’, Heart Attack On A Plate, Franchised Frozen Drinks Taste Better, Verbal Prowess Of The Chinook Indians, Wisely Using The Unabbreviated Name, Nielsen Schmielsen, Thompson Twins: Trailblazers, Drunk On Deified Politicians, They Never Get Taken Home To Meet Mom, Overrated Documentaries
TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING?
Perhaps the CW was getting too greedy with their breakfast of hype smoothie, lunch of grilled critical buzz sandwich and dinner of fettuccine with drizzled delusions of ever expanding viewership.
But the release of Monday’s ratings came served as a 64oz Big Gulp of Ipecac for those same muckety mucks at the CW.
As the Huffington Post reported:
ABC Family’s “Secret Life of the American Teenager” smashed network rating records with its season premiere Monday night — and in the process, beat the CW’s similarly targeted “Gossip Girl” head to head at 8PM.
The season premiere of “Secret Life” averaged 4.4 million total viewers, 47% more than “Gossip Girl,” which averaged 3.0 million total viewers. The episode of “Secret Life,” titled, “The Secret Wedding of the American Teenager,” was ABC Family’s best-ever season-premiere and top telecast in teens 12-17, one of its target demographics.
Last August, “Secret Life” topped ratings for the first season of “Gossip Girl,” but its impressive ratings victory Monday evening suggests trouble for the CW hit, which is heavily buzzed-about but has never been a breakout ratings hit.
Really? “Secret Life of the American Teenager”?! This surely must be a sign of the apocalypse, as the preview we saw for that show looked horrendous and hilarious, the latter ever unintentionally so. Are these dreamy days of Obama optimism so filled with radiant do goodery that Gossip GIrl has lost it’s bad boy/girl charm? Or is it simply a saturation of the GG market with episode after episode - a virtual never ending season peppered with willy nilly scattershot hiatuses complicating its formal narrative consumption? You be the judge; talk amongst yourselves, but these are dark days indeed.
XOXO
January 8th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Ugh! Secret Life? Honestly? I detest that show. it’s soooo goody-goody and painfully idealistic…I can’t believe it beat out GG! It’s too preachy. I say it has nothing to do with Gossip Girl and everything to do with all the Palin s*** that’s been going on lately. Gah!!!!
January 10th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
This is an official call for the set designers and cinematographer for the show to please change things up. Pinkberry was a nice start, but I think the show is in desperate need of some new scenery. Thankfully this season we have only had a few shots in front of The Palace which was an issue that plagued season 1, but the foyer of B’s apartment seems to be taking its place. It is such a boring bland place, along with the halls at Constance and the foyer of Bart’s apartment. I understand this is not The Hills and they do need to use some sets but when the most realistic and believable looking place in the show is Chez Humphrey there is a problem.
January 11th, 2009 at 8:31 am
Man Bart Bass nailed it. I couldn’t agree more. Except the Pinkberry location. Maybe if they had done that in Season 1 it would have been more appropriate. I think most of us have gotten smarter about this $7 plus “Swirl of Goodness”? Such a rip off.
GG could use some better NYC location shots. Maybe they should slum it a bit a take after ‘nick & norah’s infinite playlist’. i mean that movie practically raped the Lower East Side. The shot at ‘The Box’ has got to go too. That or they need some decent looking women dancing on that stage. Even Chuck Bass has standards.
As for the “Secret Life of the American Teenager” well its just more proof that this country is going down the toilet. Religious right wing special interest groups are braining washing the youth of America and now have the power to reach them in our own homes. I think i’ll go v-chip block ‘ABC Family’ right now.
January 11th, 2009 at 8:31 am
‘Braining’ haha
January 15th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Isn’t ‘Secret Life’ just an after-school special in prime time? Parents are probably corralling their kids to watch it instead of ‘Gossip Girl’. Kiddies, time to claim a TV for your bedroom if you haven’t already. Instead, youngsters are embracing their Jonas Bros. cds and these crappy, syrupy television shows while ‘Gossip Girl’ twists in the wind. Shame. Teen rebellion? Don’t make me laugh. It went out the window a decade ago - at least.
I agree with the previous posters as well - let’s get more locations in NYC, exciting, cool places. Nice to see them in Dylan’s Candy Bar….let’s see more places that are fun to see. NYC is not being used to its full potential.
May 4th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
чето непонятно)…
преподаватель, заведующий кафедрой TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING?
Perhaps the CW was […….