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  • #1

    [Chat] Muppets/Lady Gaga Holiday Spectacular - Ratings Bomb

    I just read about this Lady Gaga/Muppet TV special that aired on ABC on Thanksgiving Evening 2013, and that the ratings for this only brought in 3.6 million viewers, for this 90 minute special, which also featured: Elton John, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and Kristen Bell.

    So just a few questions for all:

    1. Were you aware of this special that aired on Thanksgiving evening?

    2. Did you watch this special?

    3. If you did watch this special, what did you think about it?

    If you did miss is and want to see it, abc does have it available to view online: Lady Gaga & the Muppets' Holiday Spectacular Season 1 Episode 14 | Full TV Episode Online - WATCHABC.com

    4. Why do you think the ratings were so low? not aware of the special? out shopping those thursday night specials? doing something else other than watching tv?

    5. Do you think these poor ratings will this hurt the chance for any future Muppet TV shows or specials?
    Critter Country's a mess ev'r since the Country Bears were kicked out. Ya can't cover pooh with honey and 'spect people ta like it.
    An Adventurers It's Time to Put the Spotlight Back on Bring Back the REAL Disney Gallery
    Life for Me! ~ ~ ~ Melvin, Buff, and Max!!! ~~~~ Dump the Dream Suite!
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  • #2
    Re: Muppets/Lady Gaga Holiday Spectacular - Ratings Bomb

    1. Yes, I knew it was coming. I'm a Muppets fan, and heard about it through a few other sources.

    2. Yes, I watched it.

    3. Complicated. At one point I looked at my SO and started ranting "This show shouldn't exist! It went extinct in the 70's! THEY ARE RISKING RESURRECTING SONNY BONO!"

    I hate to say it, but it didn't seem like one unified show. There were Muppets sections, and Gaga sections, and the two didn't really mesh IMO. Plus, where they DID mesh there was a definite tonal weirdness. I have to admit that watching Kermit, Piggy and Gaga with Gaga apparently wearing a suit jacket and nothing else meant I probably wasn't paying attention to what I was supposed to. Plus they kinda implied that one or two of the Muppets have... er... a "special" relationship with her. I'm a little put off there.

    The Gaga sections... were what they were? Could have been from an SNL performance honestly, and with as much to choose from I'm not sure why they reprised "Applause" rather than any other song they hadn't already included.

    The Muppet sections, with a few really oddly pulled punches excluded, were overall pretty funny. I loved the Electric Mayhem's "Favorite Christmas Memory" and the near runner they took with it. Pepe and Gaga were both a little creepy and perfect for the character. The "carols" performed were perfect for the characters AND an awesome SNL callout.

    So I guess I mostly enjoyed it though recognized some severe flaws? Plus, for a "holiday" special there was a distinct lack of "holiday". I'm not a fan of Christmas overall, but this was touted as a Christmas special. For the most part they could swap a few scenes and sell this as the "Easter Special" or the "St. Swithin's Day Special" and it would not affect the show overall.

    4. It's a low viewing day overall. There's not a lot of competition - most networks seem content to rerun Rankin-Bass or their equivalent and call it done. Plus, I'm not sure Gaga was a good choice if they were trying to appeal to a wide audience. The Little Monsters will push for the show, but the parents still control the remote for the most part. I could also see legitimate complaints from the average family over the fairly adult concepts in some of the Gaga songs/choreography being in a "family" special, and the expectation that just such an issue might arise might also have kept people away.

    5. Hopefully not? Most of the Muppet-centric material worked well. Gaga didn't help - what strengths she has onstage as a musician and a performer did not translate to delivering lines convincingly or well. She didn't fail, but I can't help but think the schizophrenic nature of the show combined with her flat readings probably drove at least some viewers to other options. Putting them with a better television performer and creating a show where the elements are all connected rather than compartmentalized as they were would hopefully result in a better show.
    Account abandoned due to trolls

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    • #3
      Re: Muppets/Lady Gaga Holiday Spectacular - Ratings Bomb

      Let's run original content on a day...

      - people are largely out socializing and not watching TV (Same reason Saturdays are a dead night)
      - most TVs are tuned to live football
      - black friday distractions

      They must have done a horrible job promoting it too... no one around me had any clue it was even on or was coming.

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      • #4
        Re: Muppets/Lady Gaga Holiday Spectacular - Ratings Bomb

        I'm not sure I saw it would show or another of my family. We watched mainly because we were back hanging out at the house by that time.

        Questionable attire from what one would think to be a children's show.

        Appeared to me to be 90% a promotion for Gaga's new album.
        Be Cool Stay in School!
        Next year I'm trying for a summer internship at Stark Industries.

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        • #5
          Re: Muppets/Lady Gaga Holiday Spectacular - Ratings Bomb

          I was on a cruise and in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with very limited TV reception on Thanksgiving. I think I heard of the special before but forgot about it . (Didn't matter as I had no access to ABC.) I probably would have watched it because I am a huge Muppet fan but probably would have been shocked at Lady Gaga's attire. The clips I have seen have been questionable.

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          • #6
            Re: Muppets/Lady Gaga Holiday Spectacular - Ratings Bomb

            The problem was it had a very narrow audience: Little Monsters and adult or late-teenage Muppet fans who like or tolerate Lady Gaga's music because it aired at such a late time at night, plus her clothing choices were not family oriented. The exchanges between Gaga and the Muppets seemed wooden and forced, as if neither of them were really feeling the chemistry. However, Gaga performed very well, especially wither her duets, and the Muppets had their shining moments too, but not together. Lady Gaga's duet with Elton John was the highlight of the special.

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            • #7
              Re: Muppets/Lady Gaga Holiday Spectacular - Ratings Bomb

              If you wanted to watch more clips and highlights of the Thanksgiving special, then mosey on over to the first page of the forum below.

              http://micechat.com/forums/disney-media-networks-tv-industry-discussion/187732-lady-gaga-muppets-holiday-spectacular.html

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