The Anti-Trump Murphy Brown Reboot Has Been Cancelled
Bashing the right on television just isn't the ratings grabber it used to be (see Political Stunts at Grammys Backfire Majorly. Ratings Tank HARD. and Leftist ‘Comedian’ Michelle Wolf’s Netflix Show Cancelled). Something the reboot of Murphy Brown just learned the hard way.
For Murphy Brown, the rebooted series was always intended to be a closed-ended order of 13 episodes.
The multicamera comedy, featuring the return of star Candice Bergen and from original creator Diane English, has underperformed (6.2 million total viewers and a 0.9 in the key 18-49 demo) in its prime Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. slot and remains in consideration for a renewal.
Here's what Hollywood doesn't seem to get: they got a little reboot crazy after Roseanne brought in huge numbers. But Roseanne did well because it filled a void. It appealed to the lack of television programs for the half of the country Hollywood regularly ignores. It wasn't downright hostile to said audience either. Murphy Brown looked to fill the lack of TV shows bashing Trump. Of which there is no shortage. Murphy Brown flooded an already overflowing market.
Bashing Trump is one thing. He's the President of the United States. He's a fair target. But attacking half of the country that voted for him does nothing but alienate half of your potential audience. Or in Murphy Brown's case, not potential half, but actual audience. If that half of the country wanted to hear what terrible people they are, they can just put MSNBC or CNN as they're having dinner. Polishing their guns. Or otherwise creating Nazi swag. Or at least that's how most of Hollywood thinks of the audience they love to hate.
If Americans are looking to relax and escape with a fictional show, why chose the show that openly hates them?
