NBC’s White House-based situation comedy 1600 Penn was canceled by the network today after just one season. Why? Because nobody was watching it, that’s why …
The show’s season finale – which aired in late March – earned a dismal .7 percent rating and a 2 percent share among the coveted 18-49 year old demographic, according to Neilsen. A ratings point represents one percent of the total number of U.S. television homes (114.2 million, at last count). “Share,” on the other hand, represents the percentage of actual television sets in use tuned into a specific program during a given time slot.
Anyway, 1600 Penn popped on our radar precisely once – when we wrote about an episode of the show that portrayed Southerners in typical Hollywood fashion. Specifically, the show guest starred actor Stacy Keach as a wheelchair-bound U.S. Senator named Strom Thoroughgood – a thick drawled, pork barrel lovin’, bigoted caricature. Then there was his ditzy and equally intolerant wife, ‘Bunny’).
The episode, we wrote, reinforced “the tired old stereotype that Southerners are nothing but a bunch of spiteful intolerants who are in turn led by a bunch of spiteful intolerants – particularly those of us residing here in the Carolinas. And particularly those of us who dare to question left-of-center policies embraced by Hollywood’s chosen one – U.S. President Barack Obama.”
Of course there was a good reason 1600 Penn embraced Obama … one of his former speechwriters, Jon Lovett, was its executive producer.
Why did 1600 Penn have to resort to such stereotypes and thinly veiled political advocacy?
Because it wasn’t funny. Seriously, it was show about a fat kid goofing off, and when that shtick ceased to be amusing … well, not even the lovely Jenna Elfman made the show worth watching.
So good riddance to bad rubbish … and let’s raise a glass to the marketplace of ideas.
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14 comments
Yeah, and it’s because…………
You dont have to watch some damn tv show to see Southerners as they areJust observe real life South Carolina politics!No cable tv bill either!
Yeah, and it’s because…………
You dont have to watch some damn tv show to see Southerners as they areJust observe real life South Carolina politics!No cable tv bill either!
The fact that you KNOW it existed makes YOU look like a DOLT…
That said: Liberals are tired and worn-out. There is no life left in the brand, because it’s such a lie, compared to reality…and it will break upon itself, as they get all they swore would be Utopia. (see ObamaCare and/or the USSR)….
Liberals are Bigots, Close-Minded, Race and White-Male Hating, who are actually the corrupt, thieves, who work in secret, robbing the public in doing it…
You are EVERYTHING, everybody says they despise about an arrogant and elitist government.
Never heard of it… but I don’t watch anything on NBC.
Never heard of it… but I don’t watch anything on NBC.
not being uppity,but there ain’t shit on tv ,anymore,and too many fucking channels ,looking for good reruns;green acres,twilight zone,etc,,but we still have great music,if you’re willing to search around.and much of it can be found right here in cola town..
not being uppity,but there ain’t shit on tv ,anymore,and too many fucking channels ,looking for good reruns;green acres,twilight zone,etc,,but we still have great music,if you’re willing to search around.and much of it can be found right here in cola town..
Television is as much of a “marketplace of ideas” as a bowl of dead goldfish, a stagnant mass of very few brain cells that no longer function that results in the viewer’s pity more than anything else. So few shows are worth watching anymore.
Liberals own TV..and they’ve made it a Cesspool, to push Homosexuality, Whore-sex, (stressing it for teens) decadent Liberal men, abortion and hateful attacks on values and Conservatives…
It’s not worth watching…
Television is as much of a “marketplace of ideas” as a bowl of dead goldfish, a stagnant mass of very few brain cells that no longer function that results in the viewer’s pity more than anything else. So few shows are worth watching anymore.
dont disagree with most of your assessment of why 1600 penn was cancelled. but let me add that with house of cards popularity on showtime and the memory of the west wing viewers want some idea of how politics and dc operate and not some stupid dribble
dont disagree with most of your assessment of why 1600 penn was cancelled. but let me add that with house of cards popularity on showtime and the memory of the west wing viewers want some idea of how politics and dc operate and not some stupid dribble