Ratings info for the NBC Christmas Movie!

[murgatoad]

Just wanted to add that at some website called "Toughpigs" (?) the webmaster is saying that the ratings were "3 times what NBC expected". Oh, har har. Now that I know is a crock. Divide 5.7 (households rating) or 11 million (viewers) by 3 and what do you get? He even says the term used regarding the ratings was "spectacular" - methinks someone was misquoting the Hollywood Reporter article quoted here by our main man Phillip, in which the ratings were described as "respectable, if not spectacular". There's a good deal of wishful thinking or just plain misinformation going on here - or rather, over at "Toughpigs" (what the **** kind of name is that?).

I don't know if a second Muppet TV movie is in the works, as this Toughpigs guy also contends, or if the movie will re-air - but again, FWIW, according to my source at my local NBC affiliate, NBC, while not devastated by the ratings performance, was, shall we say, less than thrilled with it. We'll just have to wait and see if the stuff supplied to Toughpigs from its "Anonyfrog" source pans out.

But I wouldn't hold my breath...

 

[frogboy4]

Who is your source at the local NBC affiliate? Employees often have a much different take on the state of affairs than the brass does. NBC has aired Muppet programs before and knows what kind of ratings to expect. These weren't bad at all. The figures were not disappointing by anyone's standards. I see you on the negative side of arguments quite often. Just don't get it. I just don't think that your statement represents what all of NBC thinks. I tend to agree that the ratings were respectable for the network while being wonderful for the Muppets these days.

 

[Luke]

There had always been talk of a follow up movie, even before the first aired. I think NBC are looking to have some regular holiday special thing going on with Henson if things pan out for the company, certainly nothing's definite yet. As for the ratings being three times more than expectations ..... i think there's just gotta have been some misunderstanding there as it's plainly not true. You (especially NBC) don't spend $10 Million on a movie you expect only 3.6 million to watch - that's more in the range of cable TV in the states, not network.

It did very well for the Muppets and i would think as well as Henson would have expected. As for NBC i would think it was around their general expectation level - good, if not great.

 

[frogboy4]

What he said.

 

[sarah_yzma]

it's their fault!

i only saw the movie advertised three times...and once was right before it came on...i think NBC could have done better advertising myself....my parents didn't realize it until the day of it airing...so i blame them...why? cause it's easy to do!

 

[frogboy4]

Dixie Chicks (not so) special

I agree with you. It was definitely promoted, but they could have done so much more. They have been promoting the friggin Dixie Chicks for weeks now. Are they really that popular? I don't know anyone who listens to them myself, and I have friends in New York, California and Texas. Not really dissing them, but the airwaves are saturated with their NBC special and the Muppets received mild coverage. Yeah, Kermit did have the Macy's paracde, but the Chicks had commercials during that too and most people I know don't really watch the parade for very long. If I see another Dixie Chicks ad I'm just gonna scream.

 

[EmmyMik]

Dixie Chicks vs. The Muppets

Eeeeek! This is just like Family Feud (from last year).

**looks around for Louie Anderson**

PHEW!



**is not going to watch the Dixie Chicks thing. I've never heard their music, and because they beat the Muppets at Family Feud, I must avenge the losses!**

 

[frogboy4]

You're not missing much. The little I've heard is cute and fun, but totally forgetable. (Hopes there are no DC fans around) If I'm going to listen to kitchy stuff like that - gimme Dolly Parton or Reba. I'm not much of a country fan, but if I ever listen to it I go for the stuff that will endure.

 

[EmmyMik]

I figured I wasn't missing much. I mean if they had something that I *had* to hear, I figured that by now someone would have run up to me, put some headphones on my head, and forced me to listen to their songs. That hasn't happened... yet...

 

[murgatoad]

Originally posted by frogboy4
Who is your source at the local NBC affiliate? Employees often have a much different take on the state of affairs than the brass does. NBC has aired Muppet programs before and knows what kind of ratings to expect. These weren't bad at all. The figures were not disappointing by anyone's standards. I see you on the negative side of arguments quite often. Just don't get it. I just don't think that your statement represents what all of NBC thinks. I tend to agree that the ratings were respectable for the network while being wonderful for the Muppets these days.

The guy I'm in contact with is with the PR department, locally speaking. FWIW, he watched the special and liked it. But he told me it "underperformed". I wouldn't have come here yet again and argued this point - talk about beating a dead horse! - but the blatant lies over at Toughpigs (???) floored me.

I agree that the ratings were pretty good - for the Muppets. What my source told me is that NBC promised advertisers a better return for their investment than the special actually delivered. In that event NBC might have to give up airtime for free to those advertisers to air additional commercials in order to get their advertising dollars' worth. So NBC loses money on the film, essentially. That's why, even though the special beat the Brady Bunch in the ratings, and got good 18-49 ratings for a Friday, that's not as great as it sounds. It's all about dollars, not just who beat who.

But IMO the movie special was not a disaster - the Brady Bunch special earned that designation - and certainly it's a step up from "Muppets From Space". So you might say the Muppets are headed in the right direction. Of course it all depends now on who buys them...