Jess’s Take - Even on Streaming, Reality TV Rules the Roost (Somewhat)

 

Jess here, back with a new Jess's Take. Has it been over 2 years already since the last Jess's Take? 

Anyway, I'm back this time with an observation I recently saw on Netflix. Reality TV is ruling the roost.

Love is Blind

Going into its eighth season, Love is Blind follows equal numbers of men and women who hope to find love. For ten days, they are in pods where they talk to each other on speaker. They then go to a speed dating event, and the daters extend a marriage proposal when ready. Then, the engaged couples go on a couples retreat. Subsequently, they move into apartments and plan weddings, all of which take place within a month. 

The premise sounds very similar to Married at First Sight, except for the dating part. I also see similarities with The Bachelor franchise. Love is Blind makes me mourn for the days when scripted television ruled the roost with Orange is the New Black. 

Selling Sunset

Again, what's with all these reality shows and their mountains of spinoffs? So this show revolves around the Oppenheim Group and a group of real estate agents, similar to the Real Housewives franchise and Vanderpump Rules. 

It was quietly renewed for a ninth season on Netflix. 

Anyway, reality TV is ruling the roost on Netflix. 

Make sure to sound off in the comments below! 

Jess’s Take: The CW is Full of Woe, Can it Come Back?

Jessica here, back with another Jess's Take. 

Back in my podcast TV update, I went into detail of the CW canceling everything in sight. Here's a recap. 

The CW had canceled many shows from their lineup, including those with Netflix deals. Here are the following shows leaving the CW airwaves: 4400, Batwoman, Black Lightning, Charmed, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Dynasty, In the Dark, Legacies, Naomi, The Republic of Sarah, and Roswell: New Mexico, with Riverdale and Supergirl getting renewed for final seasons. One thing I am speculating with the whole slate getting canceled was nothing to do with ratings (although ratings on these shows were pretty much low the entire season, and 0.0 in the key 18-49 demographic on a regular occurrence doesn’t help matters), it has everything to do with the sale of the CW by network partners Paramount (when it was ViacomCBS) and Warner Bros. Discovery (before Discovery acquired WarnerMedia).

Let's start with January when Mark Pedowitz sent an internal memo to corporate headquarters about the sale. On January 5, word got out that Nexstar Media Group was negotiating with the two broadcast partners for a majority stake in the network. According to Variety, this was first reported in the Wall Street Journal. “Nexstar, based in Irving, Texas, is the nation’s largest owner of TV stations and the core affiliate group for the CW in major markets such as New York and Los Angeles.” – Variety. If you have not heard of the NewsNation channel, a recent news network, this is owned by Nexstar. The channel itself used to be known as WGN America.

In late June, Nexstar purchased the CW and now controls 75% of the CW, while Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount control the other 25%. This led to many cancelations on the network.

Fast forward to now, we have ratings from the now-Nexstar majority owned CW. And it's not exactly looking in the best shape. 

The highest rated CW show, All American is pulling in renewable numbers at a 0.13 with less than 500,000 viewers, but it has a successful Netflix deal on its side and a spinoff. Walker follows the spinoff closely behind with a 0.09, but skews older with 748,000 viewers. And that's in A18-49. The rest of the CW is closely behind in 0.0 territory. 

Realistically, I don't know if I can see the CW survive much longer in its current state, but with broadcast ratings down across the board, there has to be another way, and I'm not sure about the plans Nexstar has yet. 

And this concludes another installment of Jess's Take. Stay tuned for more installments. 

Jess’s Take: A Review of Wednesday, Episode 1 - Wednesday’s Child is Full of Woe

 

Jessica here, and I have returned. Recently, I started watching the new series Wednesday on Netflix. 

Jess’s Take - Not Caring About the 20-21 TV Season, Watching Some Anime, and Golden Globes Networkless

Hello peoples, Jessica here. It's been a while since I have written a piece on here. First of all, moderating Discord platforms can be pretty addicting. Plus, I am heading off to law school in the fall. Don't worry, I'm still here. And there's still TV to talk about.  

1. Why the 2020-21 TV Season is Boring Me Out

Sure, you got Walker on the CW plus a few bright spots, but is television worth talking about when everything seems to go fractional? The television landscape in general has been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic to the point where we've lost our sense of normalcy. Without that sense of normalcy, one tends to tune out from the television and try new things. 

2. Anime

Speaking of new things, time for me to make my first impression on an anime I've been seeing this season. There's one show I'm watching called The Saint's Power is Omnipotent. It looks to be a promising action anime, so I'll be watching more of it and give my take on it. 

3. Golden Globes Networkless

Speaking of Golden Globes, NBC decided not to air the awards next year, citing "lack of diversity" in the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. This led to a lot of protests among celebrities including Tom Cruise threatening to give back all his Globes. But there's something NBC is not telling you - ratings have dropped 68% from the year before. You'll find the ratings report for that somewhere. But nonetheless, Golden Globes are pretty networkless at the moment. 

And that concludes Jess's Take. Let me know what you think in the comments below! 

Jess’s Take - 0.0, How Do You Do?

Hello peoples! Welcome to a new overdue installment of Jess's Take. This is an editorial piece that gives a commentary on what's going on in television and the world of pop culture. Believe me, a recent Friday ratings post has brought some light. 

If you haven't heard lately, I have been increasingly critical of the CW as of late that I have not brought up the entire network on the August TV update for the Pop Culture Cosmos and the PCC Multiverse. Part 1 is available on the PCC Multiverse, and part 2 is on the Monday episode of Pop Culture Cosmos. 

If you haven't seen the ratings for Being Reuben, you would know that a 0.0 has become commonplace. Being Reuben follows young Internet sensation Reuben de Maid who is chasing his dream to become a makeup superstar in the beauty community. But on the CW, it has not caught up. 

On the CW, it currently is averaging a 0.04 A18-49 and around 200,000 viewers. If you haven't heard, Taskmaster was canned after one episode after posting a heavily rounded 0.1 in the demo (a 0.05 to be exact) and 212,000 viewers. So my question is, why is the CW going through the trouble of running a show posting 0.0s regularly? The jury is still out on that.

Will the CW post 0.0 in the future for the fall season regularly? Too soon to tell. But this does not look good for CW Friday. 

What do you think about this installment? Let me know in the comments below! 

Jess’s Take: FOX’s Twitter Spills the Tea, and It’s Fractional Monday For the Other Networks

Welcome to a long overdue Jess's Take, where I give my take on what is happening in the world of television. With a new season comes a new overdue logo for the column. Premiere week is underway, and a lot of news is going on. So, I will provide my take for what is going on.

1. FOX Twitter Account
Is anyone seeing what is going on with FOX? Case in point, here are some of the tweets.

.@CBS sup 😎

— FOX (@FOXTV) September 24, 2019

.@nbc this isn't us, but I guess we can still be friends!

— FOX (@FOXTV) September 24, 2019

We don't know what FOX is doing but we are living for this. This comes on the heels of FOX taking second place last night, plus it being the only network that did not have a single show premiering fractional. Do you, FOX. Do you.

2. The Other Networks
CBS Monday, y'all. What a mess. With The Neighborhood premiering fractional, Bob Hearts Abishola retaining that 0.9 in finals, and All Rise premiering to a 0.7, lower than anything Magnum, P.I. did in the seasonal average. ABC's Dancing with the Stars, or I should say Tumbling, tumbled to a 0.8, which is still somewhat solid on the network. The Good Doctor premiered to a 1.0. Let's see the week 2 numbers next week, folks! We're in for another decline. Bluff City Law on NBC looks like The Brave rather than a Manifest. Already, it's prime candidate for the first cancelation. And you can't blame CW on this, they are sitting this one out. It feels like this is a disaster movie waiting to happen, but honestly, let's wait long term. Relative ratings throughout the rest of the week are a better indicator of what the week is like. And let's wait on week 2 before making a judgment call.

If you have anything in the comments to say, sound it off! Make sure to catch my podcast Jessica's Show on Fridays for the tea on the rest of the week.

Jess's Take: The FOX Schedule Analysis

Welcome to another installment of Jess's Take. Today, I will tackle the FOX schedule. Here we go!

Monday:

8 PM: 9-1-1 (new timeslot!)
9 PM: Prodigal Son (new drama!)

FOX did the smart move and used 9-1-1 as the lead in to a new drama. However, with 9-1-1's ratings decline, I'm not so sure Prodigal Son will do well unless the promotion is right. Overall, Monday is a solid schedule.

Grade: B+

Tuesday:

8 PM: The Resident (new timeslot!)
9 PM: Empire (new timeslot!)

FOX is trying again with two veteran dramas on Tuesday. We got two tonally different shows and Empire is back at 9pm. This is not a pretty sight but this will keep the night warm at least for the fall.

Grade: C+

Wednesday:

8 PM: The Masked Singer (new timeslot!)
9 PM: Not Just Me (FKA Sisters) (new drama!)

FOX pulled another smart move and used its highest rated show on new drama Not Just Me. This will ensure that Wednesday is going to be their highest rated night at least for the fall, unless a Joe Millionaire-esque collapse happens. 

Grade: A

We do not have midseason plans for FOX, given that Thursday and Friday have football and WWE, so we'll continue with Sunday. 

Sunday:

8 PM: The Simpsons
8:30 PM: Bless The Harts (new animated comedy!)
9 PM: Bob's Burgers (new timeslot!)
9:30 PM: Family Guy (new timeslot!)

Animation Domination is finally back on FOX. But what fresh heck is this? Why is Family Guy being given the American Dad treatment? And what will air at 7:30pm? That's my question.

Grade: C

Overall Grade: B-

My biggest quip is, surprisingly, Sundays. The Simpsons ratings are declining. Unless Bless the Harts proves to be stable, then this night is going to be one of the lowest rated nights. My other complaint: benching Last Man Standing. My guess is that Tim Allen's salary may be a factor, but why treat a major success as the redheaded stepchild?

What do you think about this analysis? Let me know in the comments below! 

Jess's Take: The NBC Schedule Analysis

Welcome to a long overdue installment of Jess's Take. Today, I want to give my take on the NBC schedule and give my grades on the day by day breakthrough. This is going to be a long post, so here we go!

Monday:

8 PM: The Voice
10 PM: Bluff City Law (NEW)

As usual, The Voice is leading into a new drama, the drama being Bluff City Law. This is interesting to say the least. But I see this being a Law & Order: True Crime scenario. The last few procedurals that went after The Voice outside of the Chicago franchise have flopped. However, this Monday schedule is not bad. 

Grade: B

Tuesday:

8 PM: The Voice
9 PM: This Is Us
10 PM: New Amsterdam

Okay, we got some stability here. But The Voice and This is Us will be some question marks. However, a few minor ratings changes are not going to kill the entire night. That's a good thing, in my opinion.

Grade: A-

Wednesday:

8 PM: Chicago Med
9 PM: Chicago Fire
10 PM: Chicago PD

Not too shabby, NBC. Not too shabby. The all-Chicago night has returned. Why fix something that's not broken?

Grade: A+

Thursday:

8 PM: Superstore
8:30 PM: Perfect Harmony (NEW)
9 PM: The Good Place
9:30 PM: Sunnyside (NEW)
10 PM: Law & Order: SVU

As usual, I'm not a fan of this Thursday schedule. With Superstore and The Good Place broken up, that may cause some issues. Why fix something that's not even broken? Why break up two shows that have not declined as heavily as other veteran comedies such as Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Will & Grace? A plausible explanation would be to strengthen NBC Thursday. But I don't know if putting two new comedies is the answer. The other downside: keeping Law & Order: SVU. Yes, the 10pm show did okay despite a terrible lead-in, but I feel this will accelerate its decline, especially if Sunnyside turns out to be I Feel Bad 2.0. Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Will & Grace will be back soon enough at this rate.

Grade: D+

Friday:

8 PM: The Blacklist (new timeslot!)
9 PM: Dateline NBC (new timeslot, two-hours)

This is not a bad Friday schedule. In this case, Friday is used for veteran shows that can get ratings 20-30% lower than a typical Sunday-Thursday show. Thank God Manifest is not in this schedule or we're in for a bad season. In all seriousness, having a veteran show on Friday is better than having a sophomore get dumped on the night. My only quip is The Blacklist needs to stabilize itself.

Grade: B+

Heading on to the Sunday midseason schedule, here are my thoughts.

Sunday (midseason):

8 PM: Little Big Shots
9 PM: Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (NEW)
10 PM: Good Girls

Hasn't NBC learned from Sundays? This is historically a low rated night (even lower rated than Fridays) and where shows go to die. Little Big Shots is not the hit it was when it first launched. Now it is at Hollywood Game Night levels. That's not going to bode well for the new show which will accelerate Good Girls' declining ratings. NBC punted on this one.

Grade: F

Overall Grade: B-
This schedule is solid, but with a few misfires. It may be enough to keep NBC as one of the top two networks in the Big 4. The biggest mishap is the Sunday midseason schedule from a ratings standpoint followed by NBC Thursday.

What do you think about the analysis? Let me know in the comments below! 

Jess's Take: FOX’s Friday Renaissance

Welcome to a new installment of Jess's Take, where I give my take on what is happening in television. This week, I have plenty to say about what is going on in the TV world, because it was Premiere Week for all the networks. For the most part, the networks were experiencing new lows and previous lows, with the exception of NBC.

On Friday, the game changed. In the Friday ratings report, Last Man Standing premiered to a 1.8 and The Cool Kids premiered to a 1.5 in the key adults 18-49 demographic. This has not been seen in years on FOX Friday. Now FOX has a chance to crack #2 this season with a high rated comedy block. Obviously, something happened.

Here is a plausible explanation:

1. Promotion
Sure there may be cases of which promotion backfired this week, but on FOX, cross promoting between the many different 21st Century FOX networks, including FOX News. And the angle in which it was promoted worked.

Any more plausible explanations? Let me know in the comments below!

Jess’s Take: Les is Out. So Who is In?

Alas, the end of an era at CBS.

While recording an interview with Gerald from Pop Culture Cosmos hours ago, the Les Moonves drama at CBS was unfolding quicker than you can say Bloody Mary three times.

Les Moonves is officially out as CEO of CBS Corporation after six women came forward with sexual harassment claims against him.

Not to mention, the corporate battle between Shari Redstone, the daughter of Sumner Redstone and CBS controlling shareholder, and the now disgraced ex-CEO is officially over.

With Les out, Redstone is pulling all the stops for greater control of the company.

For now, Joseph Ianniello will take over Moonves' duties as president and CEO until the CBS board of directors convene to search for a new chief.

I'd expect a renewal and cancelation shake up come May if this means CBS goes in a new direction on programming, like FOX is doing.

And that concludes a very special installment of Jess's Take. We'll have more coverage of your favorite CBS shows and more this coming season.

Jess’s Take: Domain Changes and the Reconstruction Movement

Welcome to a new installment of Jess’s Take. Today, we are highlighting some moves to reconstruct and rebuild the TVRG website after the website crash over the weekend. 

We got a new domain! The new domain, www.thetvratingsguide.com, is what we decided on for the rebuilding process. You can still find articles on every subject you can think of. 

We are continuing to update our ratings databases one step at a time. We revived our programming series Do Not Resuscitate, and I personally added two articles into the mix: ’Til Death and According to Jim. This was enough to compile a library of DNR articles previously written by past contributor Bridger Cunningham to form the Do Not Resuscitate library. I also contributed an update to the Beyond the TV Grave library with an article about Limitless.

In Do Not Resuscitate’s case, the two most recent shows highlighted were low rated shows kept around for unconventional reasons, such as syndication. Sure, ’Til Death did not last nearly as long as According to Jim, but the reasons were still unconventional. Unlike ’Til Death, According to Jim was not as much of a ratings joke (from season 5 onwards it was) as it was a seat warmer for ABC comedy, as ratings in the comedy department before Modern Family were near the cellar. It also actually made a lot of money in off-network syndication for ABC Studios.

But I rest my case. TVRG is back in business and in full force. Stay tuned for more great articles to come.

Jess’s Take: The Great TVRG Website Crash

Welcome folks, and welcome to a new installment of Jess's Take. I have to host this on a temporary host since the official TVRG website is still down as of last night. So here is my take on what went down.

So, I was preparing a Retro Recommendation for the site. All of a sudden, I noticed that the website was down. It crashed. Since we still don't know what caused it, we are parking our works on a temporary host. I am hosting this on Jessica's Blog as well as The Re-Up.

I'll let you know as soon as there are updates.

The site is now back online! We cannot express all of the details, but TVRG has been fixed!

Jess’s Take: Transitions

Welcome to a special installment of Jess's Take. There are a lot of things on my mind I wanted to address regarding a transition period that is taking place on the TV Ratings Guide, plus the many blogs I manage. 

To clarify things, I am not leaving the TV Ratings Guide. The TV Ratings Guide has been where I post television related articles, Cable Renew/Cancel posts, and CW Renew/Cancel posts. Since early this year, it has been the home of the comedy series Network (which has been renewed for a second season), and limited series Woah Folks, I Had Another Dream. These are the two TVRG Originals I write and produce. This is also the home of our Off Topic threads, where we comment off topic stuff and ideas (basically what is on our minds). 

As far as the blogs I manage, there is only one active blog I currently manage, and that is Jess's Journal: Life Unscripted. The blog is for my personal, faith-based posts - something that is not even entertainment related in the slightest. I've had it since December 2014, during my senior year of high school. 

As far as my other blogs go, they became inactive when I took on the position as a contributing writer. 

As of right now, moving forward, we are looking for new contributors for the upcoming season. Stay tuned for more updates! 

Jess’s Take: Some Changes

As I gear up for my fourth season on The TV Ratings Guide, there will be a lot of changes unfolding on my end. A lot of things happened during my third season changed my perspective in so many ways. What I have to say is this: real friends stick by you even in the toughest of times. I learned this the hard way this last season. I'm guessing that is part of the reason why I now have catchphrases.

I am glad I went through the toughest of times, because now, I am able to take writing and storytelling to a new level.

There will be changes coming to Renew/Cancel this fall. CW Renew/Cancel tables are getting somewhat of a makeover coming this fall. Plus, I am changing the logo.

I gotta say, this is a good start. But this will be refined in the coming weeks. I cannot wait to take things to the next level, and I will write again soon in a few weeks to discuss some more changes.

Jess’s Take: A History of Celebrity Backlashes and Controversies, Part 2

Welcome to a new installment of Jess's Take. Since the first article in the Celebrity Backlashes and Controversies series has gotten good responses, I have decided to make a part 2. Please note that this is an editorial and is not intended to reflect the views of TVRG readership.

The Roseanne controversy has definitely opened up a can of worms, noting a perpetual double standard on what is acceptable public behavior and the toxic display of vulgarity on both sides of the political spectrum. As we have learned, there are consequences to offensive and vulgar actions but the consequences themselves are not always proportionate to the offenses. We're increasingly hyper-aware in 2018 of every offensive action a person commits only to counteract with offensive actions on the other side of the political persuasion. As long as this phenomena continues, we're not going to be able to find a collective approach with what's acceptable in the entertainment and political culture.

Once again, we have a list of celebrities that have stuck their foot in their mouths entirely, and here's an ever-growing list.

1. Samantha Bee
Samantha Bee joins an ever-growing list of celebrities dealing with controversy as she called Ivanka Trump a "feckless c**t" live on air on Wednesday's episode of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. Controversy ensues, Bee apologizes in a statement: "I would like to sincerely apologize to Ivanka Trump and to my viewers for using an expletive on my show to describe her last night. It was inappropriate and inexcusable. I crossed a line, and I deeply regret it."

TBS released a statement: "Samantha Bee has taken the right action in apologizing for the vile and inappropriate language she used about Ivanka Trump last night. Those words should not have been aired. It was our mistake too, and we regret it." 

The backlash has continued as of today's writing, and advertisers are pulling out ads from her show. Please note that Bee still has her job as of today's writing and TBS has yet to make a decision on the future of her show. 

2. Bill Maher (continued)
I've written about Bill Maher in the previous installment while researching other scandals. This one may take the cake compared to the n-word backlash. During the September 17, 2001 episode of Politically Incorrect, during a roundtable discussion with Dinesh D'Souza as one of the guests, Maher agrees with D'Souza's dispute on Bush's designation of the terrorists responsible for 9/11 as cowards (D'Souza called them warriors) and quips: "We have been the cowards, lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away. That's cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building, say what you want about it, it's not cowardly." 

Not surprisingly, some ABC affiliates pulled the show from the schedule temporarily. Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer denounced Maher, quoting that "people have to watch what they say and watch what they do." Maher released a statement after the controversy: 

"In no way was I intending to say, nor have I ever thought, that the men and women who defend our nation in uniform are anything but courageous and valiant, and I offer my apologies to anyone who took it wrong. My criticism was meant for politicians who, fearing public reaction, have not allowed our military to do the job they are obviously ready, willing and able to do, and who now will, I'm certain, as they always have, get it done." 

The following June, ABC canceled Politically Incorrect due to many months of declining ratings and lack of advertiser interest. This may not be the first time ABC canceled a show after controversy (see Roseanne), but this was under a different Disney/ABC administration. 

3. Gilbert Gottfried
Back in 2011, comedian Gilbert Gottfried posted wildly inappropriate tweets in response to the Japanese earthquake and ensuing tsunami. Instead of drawing laughs, it costed him his job as the AFLAC duck. 

"Gilbert’s recent comments about the crisis in Japan were lacking in humor and certainly do not represent the thoughts and feelings of anyone at Aflac," the company said in a statement. "There is no place for anything but compassion and concern during these difficult times." 

Gottfried apologized in a statement: "I sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended by my attempt at humor regarding the tragedy in Japan. I meant no disrespect, and my thoughts are with the victims and their families." 

As a shock comedian, one of the lines he should have not crossed was joking about tragedy. 

4. Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen made headlines in 2011 when he made derogatory comments about Two and a Half Men creator and executive producer Chuck Lorre in interviews with Alex Jones and TMZ. As a result, CBS and Warner Bros. canceled filming for the rest of season 8 and terminated his contract in March. Sheen then sued Lorre and Warner Bros. Television for $100 million. This was after Sheen went to rehab and then came up with the catchphrase "Winning!". Sheen was replaced by Ashton Kutcher, and Two and a Half Men ran for four more seasons. 

For the most part, Sheen did not bounce back from the Two and a Half Men controversy aside from Anger Management, the 10-90 series that ran for two seasons on FX. 

Since this is a growing list of celebrities saying and doing outrageous things, let's remind the readers that any action morally reprehensible should be held accountable. Let's direct our attention to the comment section if we should discuss any more scandals. 

Jess’s Take: History of Celebrity Backlashes and Controversies

Welcome to another installment of Jess's Take. Due to the Roseanne news, I thought I would give my take on celebrity firings and backlashes. Please note that this is an editorial and is not intended to reflect the views of TVRG readership. But let's make one thing clear.

Roseanne's cancelation proved that actions do have consequences. The way I see it, even under the First Amendment, you are not free from the consequences of your speech. Private companies and corporations have the right to fire a person for tweets like Roseanne's, and ABC had the right to cancel her show even if it was the highest rated show on the network. In short, it was the right call. Not only for human decency, but also for mutual respect.

But let's not forget that other celebrities have overstepped their bounds and put their foots in their mouths, leading to backlash including suspensions and firings.

1. Kathy Griffin
Comedian Kathy Griffin brought on backlash last summer by tweeting out a photo taken from a photoshoot of her holding a severed and bloodied dummy head resembling Donald Trump, the current and 45th president of the United States. She apologized afterwards, saying: "I beg for your forgiveness." and "I went too far." In a statement, CNN said: "We found what she did disgusting and offensive. We are pleased to see she has apologized and asked that the photos be taken down. We are evaluating New Year’s Eve and have made no decisions at this point." 

As a result, CNN fired her as co-host of the annual New Year's Eve Live broadcast and subsequently replaced her with Bravo host Andy Cohen. Griffin has since rescinded her apology and is doing stand-up comedy tours, after Michelle Wolf's White House Correspondence Dinner remarks. However, she does not have the same amount of fame as she used to because of the backlash.

2. Bill Maher
Last summer in June, Bill Maher on his show Real Time with Bill Maher invited Republican Senator Ben Sasse for an interview. When Sasse commented, "We’d love to have you work in the fields with us.", Maher commented back by referring to himself as a house n-word. The comment got backlash on social media. The next day, HBO, in a statement, said: “Bill Maher’s comment last night was completely inexcusable and tasteless. We are removing his deeply offensive comment from any subsequent airings of the show.”

Maher released an apology, stating the following: "Friday nights are always my worst night of sleep because I’m up reflecting on the things I should or shouldn’t have said on my live show. Last night was a particularly long night as I regret the word I used in the banter of a live moment. The word was offensive and I regret saying it and am very sorry." 

The backlash continued for about a week and rapper Ice Cube came to the show and conversed with him on white privilege. Maher did not get fired, but one thing is for sure, he probably would not say that word again. 

3. Michael Richards
In 2006, former Seinfeld star Michael Richards went on a racist rant after being heckled on stage at The Laugh Factory by African American audience members during his stand-up routine. He made references to lynching and repeatedly said the n-word multiple times. He apologized in a strange manner, multiple times. As a result, he fell off the celebrity radar and his career was never the same. 

He starred on Kristie Alley's show Kristie, which was canceled after one season on TV Land. He appeared on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee with Jerry Seinfeld, and has since retreated out of the spotlight. Unlike Maher, the racist rant will haunt him forever. At least Maher said the n-word once. 

4. Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin stuck his foot in his mouth when he went on a foul-mouthed, homophobic rant against a New York Post photographer back in 2013. Baldwin called the photographer a “c–k s—cking f-g.”, and MSNBC responded by suspending him for two weeks, and then fired him by canceling his weekly show Up Late with Alec Baldwin. 

The rant drew fire from many gay rights organizations afterwards prompting the response. Baldwin had a history of anger issues so it is no surprise homophobic rants would be included in the mess. 

Whether it is from Kathy Griffin's severed Donald Trump dummy head from last summer, Alec Baldwin's homophobic rants from eons ago, Bill Maher and Michael Richards saying the n-word, and so on, any action that is repugnant and contrary to human decency should be held accountable regardless of political persuasion. These are some of the celebrities with controversies similar to Roseanne, but the list goes on and on with Gilbert Gottfried getting fired as the voice of the AFLAC duck for making crude and racist jokes against Asians and so on.

If I missed any other controversy, let's direct our attention to the comment section.

Jess’s Take: A CW Schedule Analysis

Welcome to Jess's Take, and this installment will cover the CW today as I analyze the schedule. We will start on the new night, Sundays! 

SUNDAY
8-9 PM — Supergirl
9-10 PM — CHARMED

Somehow, the CW managed to mess things up by putting a newbie at 9pm. Plus there are two incompatible shows, so I thought that was messy. Some of the biggest hits in CW history (Arrow, The Flash, The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, DC's Legends of Tomorrow) started at the 8pm time slot. This may not work out well. 

Grade: D

MONDAY
8-9 PM — DC’s Legends of Tomorrow
9-10 PM — Arrow

At the expense of Monday, the CW put their two weakest DC shows on Monday. I'm guessing to fix 9pm, but Arrow is declining. At least we won't get 0.2s for the fall as much as we did with Valor, plus both the later Monday run of Jane the Virgin and Reign in separate springs. And iZombie. 

Grade: C+

TUESDAY
8-9 PM  — The Flash
9-10 PM — Black Lightning

Tuesdays remain unchanged from midseason with Black Lightning returning to the fold at the 9pm time slot. This is okay and guarantees 9pm will have solid ratings, even when The Flash is in decline. 

Grade: A

WEDNESDAY
8-9 PM — Riverdale
9-10 PM — ALL AMERICAN

And another 9pm show after Riverdale likely biting the dust after 13 episodes. Based on the ratings trajectory of Riverdale, can they justify keeping it as a lead in? 

Grade: B

THURSDAY
8-9 PM — Supernatural
9-10 PM — LEGACIES

I gotta say, this is a really good move. This almost ensures stability on advertisers' night. 

Grade: A+

FRIDAY
8-9 PM — Dynasty
9-10 PM — Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Friday nights remain CBS night, where low rated CBS shows are housed in the least desirable time slots, allowing them not to damage the Sunday-Thursday night schedule. Constant 0.1-0.2 ratings likely. 

Grade: A-

Aside from a messy Sundays and likely weakened Mondays, this mostly conservative looking schedule is slightly better than the F grade I gave CBS Mondays. Not by much.