NBC cancels Neil Patrick Harris variety show
Best Time Ever was based on Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.
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NBC has cancelled Neil Patrick Harris’ live variety show Best Time Ever after one season.
The show was an adaptation of UK variety series Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, which is to have an Australian adaptation on Seven as Sunday Night Takeaway.
Deadline notes it debuted in the US with a big fanfare and OK ratings:
Best Time Ever, which featured a mix of stunts, taped segments, pranks by Harris and celebrity guest appearances, saw its ratings perk up behind The Voice, leading to the network delaying its move from 10 PM to 8 PM by two weeks.The show’s numbers slid in the 8 PM slot. While the finale posted a four-week high in adults 18-49, that proved not to be enough for a second cycle.
“So @BestTimeEver happened. Super grueling yet exuberant fun. I’m proud of what we did – live! – and still believe in variety. Stay tuned,” Harris tweeted.
Seven is yet to announced an Australian host/s.
4 Responses
“a mix of stunts, taped segments, pranks by Harris and celebrity guest appearances”. Sounds a bit like “Ellen”. Why on earth would Seven have to adapt a UK variety show. Can no one here actually produce variety shows anymore without cloning something from over there somewhere?
Ten were trying to make this years ago. Another classic example of a format built specifically around hosts (Ant & Dec) that just doesn’t translate once you take them out of the picture. Would it kill the networks here to take a risk on something locally generated?
I watched a couple of episodes when I was in the US in September. It was pretty awful and I am a fan of Neil.
Doesn’t bode well for Seven’s version planned for 2016.