News Corp’s new TV network dubbed MyNetworkTV, which is comprised of English-language versions of telenovelas (like that would work?), is attracting about as many viewers as some of the lowest-rated cable channels. As a result, the network is losing an estimated $2 million a week. “The biggest current challenge we face is turning around MyNetworkTV,” News Corp. President Peter Chernin said in yesterday’s earnings conference call. News Corp. is moving to revamp the network’s programming, so stay tuned. (WSJ sub. req.)
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Well who didn’t see this coming? Raise your hands.. any body..?
Not Fox, apparently, who didn’t seem to realize the investment of time the telenovela format would require — it’s different from offering programming that would make a MNT affiliate indistinct from any other independent station, but it’s also different enough that viewers would need time to understand the format. Mix that with poor promotion (MNT’s marketing needed to focus on the viral and trying to get their equivalent of the Flavor of Love spitting incident on YouTube) and it really looks like Fox didn’t understand what it would take to make MyNetwork TV work out.
Um, “Ugly Betty” is an English-language version of a telenovela. That seems to work.
Even though it sucks.
Yeah, but Ugly Betty is also aired once a week, as opposed to five nights a week. Bit of a difference there.
The idea of trying to get most americans to buy into the idea of devoting an hour or two each night for several weeks? Ummm… yeah.
Exactly, Ugly Betty isn’t the same at all. They took the original telenovela and converted it into the traditional American style weekly drama format, they didn’t try to convince people to watch every single night of the week.
I disagree with the comments here,I enjoy watching “Watch Over Me.The fact that it is a series that has a short run,and then finale is a good idea.Keep up the good work,you have my support.
If you like Watch over me, you’re gonna love the real thing, Resistire. Why watch a remake anyway.