Thursday, June 06, 2013

Katie Couric's Show Is Bombing

Last year, I said I didn't think Katie Couric's show would last longer than six months. My reasoning for it is that I think that most people don't actually like her. I know she was really popular during her Today Show run, but you never hear people gushing about her or loving her and never hear good things from her staff about her. She is just too far removed from her audience to have any kind of connection which you need for a daytime talk show. Oprah gets around that because Oprah didn't used to be like that and built her ratings up to such a high level that it took years for the people to move away from her which they did in droves before she called it quits. Katie managed to make it much longer than I expected simply because she was able to get some huge stars and continues to get some, but, not as many as before so people would watch. Not because they liked Katie, but because they wanted to see the celebrity. Reports are everywhere that Katie's show is doing bad and that it is tanking and that it might not be long for the air. Bring back the soaps.

35 comments:

SusanB said...

Just as long as they don't replace it with Kris Jenner's show.

Seachica said...

I forgot that she had a show.

cdanluva said...

It seems that any time a celebrity aligns themselves so blatantly with a political party - as Katie Curic has consistently done (in this case Democrat) - they alienate half of their potential audience.

Btw, when Oprah stumped for Obama, that's when her ratings fell.

(just an observation)

Henriette said...

I tried to watch an episode, but it put me to sleep. It's really boring, and she seems insincere. She's not any worse than Steve Harvey though or Wretched Ray.

StewMcG said...

When my husband and I got married (back in '01), we stopped by the Today show outdoor plaza with our "Just Married" sign. Katie was the only one to stop over, congratulate us, and autograph our sign. For that reason alone, I'll give her a pass (even if she did "steal" my husband's pen - it was one of those astronaut pens that write in zero gravity and upside down. Definitely wasn't cheap but we got a cute story out of it.)

Henriette said...

@cdanluv
Actually, the Big O started falling when she went New Agey with her nutty guests like the chick from the Secret and Eckhart Tolle. A lot of people didn't want to buy what the Big O was selling. Her network is still not doing that well.

libby said...

Yeah, O was falling BEFORE her "Million Little Pieces" debacle. It would happen to anyone--she had so much money and power so long, she lost the connection with the audience, and they felt it.

Patty said...

"Wretched Ray" hahahaha, good one. I do not like that brash loudmouth.

libby said...

Crap---ON topic...I think Katie has the same problem as O. She has believed her own hype for too long now....can't connect anymore, and doesn't even look like she wants to.

uofazwildkitty said...

but she's so "likeable"...

cdanluva said...

@Henriette and Libby - Points taken.

I guess what I am trying to say is there are a lot of people out there who would never watch Katie Couric because of the fact that she is so openly liberal. And there are many other celebrities who have also alienated much of the population by espousing their political views.

I am not saying it is right or wrong or good or bad, it is merely a theory.

libby said...

I've never noticed Katie is liberal. But I'm a hippie.

I've heard people claim that she somehow sabotaged Sarah Palin, because SP couldn't answer basic questions---so they claim Katie is a 'liberal plant' to excuse Palin not reading or being able to name a newspaper.

I think Katie simply lost her charm because as I said above, she lost connection with real people. She got rich and snobby. Also NYC or DC or LA can be very insulating from us 'little folks'.

Pip said...

Palin is an idiot, it was Katie's fault that she couldn't answer simple questions. I rarely hear Katie going on about her liberal leanings. Oprah didn't do it until later in her shows run, and as above posters have mentioned, the charm was lost prior to that.

Henriette said...

@cdanluv
Hmm, I think you're referring to Couric's Sarah Palin interview, which I think was the best interview she has ever done. Couric asked her basic questions.

I don't find Couric any more liberal than other reporters. She's not as bad as Bill O'Reilly or Rachel Maddow. O'Reilly won't admit to being a conservative, and Maddow attacks anyone not leaning to the left.

I think Couric's niche is really in morning shows. She really has that format down pat.

Pip said...

Correction, it was not Couric's fault. Palin had no business running for VP, being so ill prepared.

Brenda L said...

"I think Couric's niche is really in morning shows."

And that's because people are still too sleepy to give much of a damn.

Anonymous said...

She's always seemed congenial, non threatening and tough at the same time in her own way. I hope she finds a good niche, maybe back to the today show and matt lauer?

Henriette said...

I think Matt Lauer is still in love with Couric. I don't believe they were not messing around when she was on that show.

I think it's hilarious that SNL used the exact transcript of the Palin interview to spoof Palin. Fey and Pohler didn't change a WORD of the original interview. That is priceless.

auntliddy said...

Not a fan of hers ir daytime tv, but i think ratings oroblem due to myriad of choices viewers have- dvr, netflex, pn demand- u want to sit dien to relax with a show you KNOW u gonna like. Talk shows are old farty and dated. Their time has come and gone.

Karen said...

Unfortunately, no one is unbiased. If I'm watching something for entertainment, I'd prefer not to know a person's political views. When I know that someone swings far to the right or left, I read way more into whatever they do or say, take everything with a grain of salt, etc. And when I look for those things, I find them and it diminishes my enjoyment. Even if I agree with them, I don't want them preaching at me.

Now! said...

@Kels, I've got to disagree. When I know that an entertainment personality has noxious views - left, right, anti-gay, anti-Christian, anti-white, anti-black, anti-American, anti-Arab -I don't want to invite him or her into my home. Attitudes are infectious, and I don't want hatred around myself or my family.

car54 said...

I think Katie's forte for so long was the short interviews she did on Today--that were just a few minutes long. Her show is an hour, and to be honest she just doesn't seem to be able to have enough to say to fill that. I do think she did her best shows when there was breaking news--she did some really good shows around the Newtown shootings--but some of her "fluff" interviews are not very good.

I don't know what her commitment is to ABC, but if she's under contract, I think the smart thing would be to clean house on The View and let her take over for Barbara. I think she would do a good job but I would like to see her with a different group of women on the panel.

Kels said...

This is common sense and those anti- things are not based in real politics, they are based on hate. She should be able to speak as long as she sounds educated, which she does. People support gay rights and it makes us want to watch their movies even more. But its ok to speak up for that because its PC. You cant pick and choose what celebs can say and what they cant. You can choose not to watch but they shouldnt have to censor themselves cause you dont wanna hear it. Seriously, where would gay rights be if celebs didnt get behind it the way they did?

Aly said...

Everone's dropping like flies. Bring back Ma-Boo. He is the best.

JoElla said...

I have only seen one one of her shows, because hubby dvr'd it when Howard was on. Meh..

I did like Jeff Probst show and kinda bummed when they Canceled it.

Car54 that would be a great idea for the View. I think she would be fantab for it. However, how would her and Whoopie get along? Would it be clash of the egos?

califblondy said...

She autographed my sign too and we chatted like two bff's about her hair and earrings! I've only seen her show a few times and I liked it. Her interview with the author of Fifty Shaded was good.

But, I gotta go with Entybaby, bring All My Children back to network TV.

ldylkng said...

Yep, bring back the soaps!Too Many Talk shows & They all talk about the same old stuff!

Boxes Little Boxes said...

Having political opinions is fine. Shoving them in the face of your viewers, not so much. Kirk Cameron's view on homosexuality fit with his religion, but calling an entire group of people "unnatural" and "ultimately destructive" is not fine at all. Even if you believe it, why would you hurt someone by saying that?

pegd said...

You are right cdanlove. I will not watch anything Katie since her Anita Hill comments. Everyone I know who is not Democrat makes the same choices. If it's an outspoken liberal, we do not watch them.

Let_Love_Rule said...

Times are hard, the world is a damn mess, and the last thing I want to watch are corny, frozen-faced, helmet-haired, multi-millionaires laughing it up and being "real." As for their political beliefs, give me a break, BOTH parties are completely corrupt and leading us down the merry path to authoritarianism, just slightly different flavors.

Bring back the soaps, not only because I'd like a diversion, but because there are talented writers and actors who are languishing in this era of 'unscripted' television.

timebob said...

I second everything @letloverule said.

Let_Love_Rule said...

Thanks, timebob, I've enjoyed your comments since I started coming here in 2009. You can always be counted on to be a voice of reason and common sense.

And I'm not just saying that because you're agreeing with me in this instance:)

OKay said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
OKay said...

Hell yes. Bring back the soaps! But let Prospect Park continue to produce them, because they are telling way better stories than the PC networks. :)

Henriette said...

I don't watch the View, but Katie would be perfect for it. Of course, that's not going to happen because Katie has to be the star and would never work in an assemble show again. If you've noticed, she does everything solo now.

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