Remember SNL
Before cell phones there was Saturday Night Live
"One of the skeptics was NBC Research chief Bill Rubens, who complained openly that Saturday Night wasn't, as he'd predicted all along, delivering enough
viewers to justify its budget. Nor did it seem to have much potential
for improvement. In December, Rubens's department finished a report on
the results of an opinion survey it had conducted on Saturday Night's first few shows. The report found several 'areas of concern' with the program. Viewers, the survey said, found Saturday Night 'terribly
disjointed.' It left them feeling 'bombarded by a constant stream of
short segments.' Another 'disturbing impression' was that viewers
expected more spontaneity from a live show than they were getting from Saturday Night: 'The
production should allow for or include the unexpected or ad-lib.' There
was 'a rather large negative response' to the [television] commercial
parodies. Weekend Update, according to the survey, 'has potential,
though not outstanding strength.' The report concluded that 'viewers
found the comedy inconsistent, often too slapstick and sometimes in poor
taste (mostly to older adults). It is also
obvious that some people are having problems adapting to the show and
that much of the humor was simply over their heads.' ...
Article source Delanceyplace.com
Comments