Author Archives: Olivia Klayman

Weird Loners – Blog Post 9

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Surprisingly, Weird Loners has managed to stay fairly consistent in their numbers. The week of its premiere, it had a 0.7 rating with 1.91 million viewers from 18-49. This past week, it maintained its 0.7 rating with a slight decrease to 1.72 million viewers from 18-49. That’s pretty good given the reviews it got!

I know I have given Weird Loners a lot of grief, but I think it’s important to establish some factors that have contributed to the demise of this show…

  1. Competition:
    1. Not going to lie, its competition is pretty weak. The only real “competitor” is also a new show — One Big Happy — which has also been struggling to find a loyal audience. That said, Ellen has been promoting this show like no other (makes sense given that she is an executive producer on it). I can imagine the fan-base for Ellen may be more impressive than that of New Girl (which then leads into Weird Loners).
  2. Time Slot:
    1. It’s never easy to excel on a Tuesday night at 9:30pm c. I would argue that anywhere from 6-9:30 pm is a difficult time slot to fill. It’s, at the very least, a ‘transitional’ part of everyone’s day. The fact that it starts in the middle of the hour — at 9:30pm c — as opposed to 9pm c, adds an additional stress to this show. I can tell you, personally, that I would never watch a show in them middle of an hour for a half-hour if I didn’t like the show before it (New Girl). 
  3. Difference in Writing:
    1. As mentioned earlier, New Girl leads into Weird Loners. I think the network made this decision because they thought that both shows were very similar. Well, folks, these shows are NOT two peas in a pod. In fact, there is such a stark difference with regards to writing style and content that it would be unfair to clump these two shows together under the umbrella term “sitcom.”

As we near the season’s end, I will be curious to see if this show is able to make a comeback or if it will continue to descend to its imminent cancelation. Thanks for reading!

Weird Loners – Blog Post 8

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   At this time, I would like to extend my condolences to the people who believed in the success of Weird Loners, which premiered Tues., March 31st at 9:30/8:30 c.

The show’s rating was 0.7 for ages 18-49 with a share of 2. Approximately 1.92 million people watched the show’s premiere.

Before we dive into how depressing these numeric figures are, let’s take a look at feedback for this show…

According to various sources, they are almost certain this show will be canceled by May of this year. The Daily Free Press, for example, notes that this show is neither, “genuine” or “funny.” In fact, the critic found, “none of the protagonists of “Weird Loners” [to] have anything in common with each other except for the fact that they’re all single and decently annoying.” While he notes the show is not entirely “unbearable,” he does urge viewers to search out other programming if this pilot is any indication as to what the rest of the season may look like.

While many publications and critics agree with the Daily Free Press, there has been some positive feedback, as well…

The Michigan Daily, for example, believes the show effectively targets a demographic that is otherwise neglected in the entertainment industry: 30-year-olds. On the same note — however — the author does acknowledge, “a degree of predictability that at times runs counter to its message, making it a strength as well as a hindrance to a new series that must set itself apart in a crowded field of similar sitcoms.”

If the ratings the premiere received are any indication of this shows success, this show will not make it to May. Tonight’s second episode may put the nail in the coffin to this show’s season. Thus, Weird Loners — on some level — is a wolf in sheep’s clothing: neither delivering on its promises nor satisfying the needs of the demographic in mind.

Weird Loners – Blog Post 7

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Well folks, we’re off to the finish line.

   With less than two days before the show’s premiere, I was curious to see any development in how this show is seen in the industry. The jury is in and things aren’t looking very pretty for “Weird Loners.”

These three different news sources represent a whole sum of publications that have said nearly the same thing about this show…

   Forbes defines Weird Loners as a show that, “nowhere else in the schedule to go” and notes that, “the occasional sweetness isn’t enough to make one forget about the lack of interesting dynamic that currently exists.”

   The New York Times notes that while, “this is one show that you can drop in on just to grab a few laughs without feeling you have to invest your whole being in it,” the characters of the show, “will all soon be too old to carry the premise” if it becomes a hit.

   The St. Louis Post-Dispatch called this show as a show, “struggling to make viewers laugh” as well as wanna-be “Sex in the City” and “Friends.”

   Well, the future of this show isn’t very bright. I’ll tell you myself once I watch this Tuesday, March 31st, 9:30pm.

 

Weird Loners – Blog Post 6

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Every week I address this shows lack of ‘presence’ on social media and the basic web.

Last week I noticed a trend that has begun. This show’s whole marketing campaign — from my understanding — is promotion from each actor’s following from previous shows. There is virtually no talk of this show minus it’s established hashtag “weird loners.” As of last week, the show has begun to launch these promotional interviews of each main actor. Last week was with Becki Newton and this week is with Nate Torrence.

My guess is that in the next two following weeks, the show will promote its last two actors (which coincides quite nicely with the launch of the show, itself).

Time will tell if this plan ACTUALLY works!

Until next week.

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Weird Loners – Blog Post 5

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The season premiere of Weird Loners is right around the corner!

Last time I addressed issues of this show’s social media presence. Well, I’ve been thinking more about it and I had an epiphany: this show may not need to try as hard to get the attention of its fans because of the following each actor brings. Notice that Becki Newton is from Ugly Betty, Zachary Knighton is from Happy Endings, and Nate Torrence is from Hello Ladies. Casting seems to be one advantage this show may have over others.

What incentive could these actors possibly have? 

Perhaps the actors of Weird Loners aspire to be the Friends of 2015. Time will tell!

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Weird Loners – Blog Post 4

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The launch date for Weird Loners on FOX is rapidly approaching! March 31st will come sooner than you may think.

With about a month before its premiere, I thought I would check out what FOX has done to promote Weird Loners via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

This is what I found…

Facebook: 

  • Since May of last year, there have been a total of 13 posts. 
    • 6/13 released within two days of Valentine’s day.

Twitter:

  • 30 tweets

Instagram: 

  • 10 posts

Ultimately, I think FOX is doing a poor job of promoting Weird Loners. This show may want to take some pointers from ABC’s American Crime whose promotions began over a year ago.

It was definitely smart for Weird Loners to take advantage of Valentine’s Day for promotional value but that simply won’t deliver FOX the ratings they are looking for.

Most of Weird Loner’s social media buzz relates with the audience’s ability to relate to the show’s title. Thus, if this show hopes to become a major competitor, they are going to need to step up their promotion game ASAP. 

 

Weird Loners – Blog Post 3

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Casting galore! Reports state that Becki Newton may also guest-star on the show’s sixth episode. Newton — known for The Goodwin Games, Ugly Betty and How I Met Your Mother — may make a meaningful addition to what may turn into a hit show.

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Something tells me FOX is shaking in their boots. All these “guest” appearances seem to be their primary publicity ploy. I can only imagine what are they trying to compensate for…

Why bother launching a show you think will tank? Time will tell!

For more information about Becki Newton and Weird Loners, click here. 

Weird Loners Blog Post 2

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According to the Hollywood Reporter, FOX aims to broaden its comedy shows this upcoming television season. Weird Loners will be one of the six pilots FOX will set into motion. This comedy will be shot in a ‘single-camera’ format. This pilot — featuring four relationship-phobic characters — may be the hit FOX needs to stay relevant in constantly changing world of viewer ambiguity.

 

 

Weird Loners – Blog Post 1

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FOX’s Weird Loners is set to premiere on Tuesday March 31st 9:30/8:30c.

While it is difficult to anticipate the success of the show, its popular cast members may prove promising for its initial ratings.

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In theory, featuring actors such as Katie Aselton – featured on The League – may account for a larger fan base starting from its premiere. Aselton will guest star as “April” during mid-season. April – a spontaneous, bisexual woman caught in a love triangle between Stosh (Zachary Knighton) and Caryn (Becki Newton) – will make for a compelling addition to the show’s sixth episode. Hopefully Weird Loners can reap the rewards of strategic casting and long-term planning.

For more information, please visit Variety