[sneakypete]

Ok flamers,I posted this here instead of on the vanity threads because it IS a editorial. MY editorial. I think it may also be a case of leftist "dirty pool",with them silencing Norm because the left is terrified of having a popular tv personality with charm identified as a Republican and a conservative. Drew Carey gets away with stuff because he claims to be a Libertarian. Norm is a straight-out self-proclaimed proud conservative. This is the left's biggest nightmare,a conservative who is seen as "cool" and funny by the young adults. They only want conservatives and Republicans portrayed as Nixon with stubble and a attitude.

[Chemnitz]

I recall a SNL episode when Norm was doing the news portion. He referred to Clinton as a murderer. He then looked at the camera and said, "You know he's a murderer, don't you." I figured that was the end of Norm.

[Skywalk]

I'm not sure what did the show in. Were its ratings that high? I don't know, which is why I asked.

I hadn't heard about his appearance on the view. I always liked Norm's style, and hearing about that makes me like him more. I'd hate to find out his show isn't on because of that...

[Frapster]

i recall the Norm/View incident and knew then that he had written his own death sentence. I would expect fully that his comments got him pushed right out the door. Who knows. But you raise an issue I haven't researched... I'll see what I can dig up. In the meantime, if anyone else has any info I'd love to know why his show was nixed as well.

[WillaJohns]

I just checked on TVGuide.com--Nothing. Then checked ABC's website and did a search--Nothing. It's like the show never existed.

[Salo]

I won't swear to it, but I think they moved the show from following Who Wants to be a Millionaire/Drew Carey to Friday night, where it tanked.

[He Rides A White Horse]

No. Hollywood doesn't work like that. Ask Ellen Degenerate.

[xp38]

Hmm now here is a Canadian Freepers would love who could replace Jennings. After all he has news reading experience.

[Cicero]

I know nothing whatever about this, but I do know that clinton got a number of people fired from media jobs because they broke the boycott on certain news items about him. So if this took place while clinton was in office, it wouldn't surprise me at all. If they essentially fired him back then, they would be unlikely to reverse themselves now.

On the other hand, if it took place after clinton left office, then it would just be the usual case of media bias, which is not all that unusual either. Most of them act like lemmings, and are genuinely offended if someone gets out of step with them.

[Salo]

According to one Norm MacDonald fan site, Adam Sandler's production company is creating a new show for Norm. The old one is gone forever.

[opinionator]

Norm was kicked off of SNL for political reasons.

[Hessian]

Barking up the wrong tree, Pete. It's always all about the numbers when it comes to network TV.

According to thefutoncritic.com, "the long dead comedy "Madigan Men" actually finished the season ahead of "Norm" in the rating race."

ABC tried to shore up Friday night with Norm. His numbers fell 44% with the move from Wednesday - AND Friday night went down 35% with his arrival.

Norm was cancelled. The show's ratings were in the tank.

It's happened to much better programs much less deserving than this one.

[F16Fighter]

I saw the same show where McDonald lit into Bubba. And WOULD NOT stop -- all you FReepers would have loved it!

Starr (Where are the donuts?) Jones and BaBa were extremely agitated and annoyed.

Did Wawa have that much pull to have Norm knocked off the air? Who knows.

As an aside, by chance I once met a female "producer" of the show 'The View' -- the word was Starr Jones not only reeked of BO, but is an obnoxious Prima Donna. WaWa came off as cordially aloof, if there is such a thing.

[Roscoe]

http://norm.tktv.net/news.html

[TheUglyAmerican]

never saw his show... but think Norm kills -

Espy awards:
congratulating Heisman trophy winner: "hey you earned it and nobody can take that away from you.... unless you kill your ex-wife and a waiter and then all bets are off"
on Dallas Cowboys [I think]: "the coach said he'd return the team to the formula that made them great.... hookers and crack!"
[paraphrased - couldn't find exact quotes, but picturing Norm's delivey helps]

we won't even get into his "I'm proud of my gay son" routine

[good_ash]

David Hasselhoff bump.

(germans love david hasselhoff)

[July 4th]

Norm may have been a Republican, but he was also a huge drunk. There was never a ton of stuff in the press about it, but over the past few years he had several public appearances where he was noticeably wasted. If you show up to tapings like that, you're going to get fired. Too bad...I thought he was pretty funny.

[L.N. Smithee]

Norm was roll-on-the-floor-in-pain funny in his final season on SNL. He was the last great "Weekend Update" anchor (Colin Quinn? Gimme a break!). I laugh just thinking of his uncanny Larry King and David Letterman impressions, and his Bob Dole is the stuff of legend.

However, while he is a great impressionist, he is a horrible actor, and "The Norm Show" was plain unfunny. A social worker with an attitude problem? That's a situation for a comedy? Not in the hands of Norm, whose acting skills are little more than remembering lines. IMHO, it's a miracle that it made it to its third season. Here's a tip: any show that depends on Laurie Metcalf for laughs is in trouble big time. It's not like they didn't try to fix the show, either -- they even brought in Murphy Brown's beauteous Faith Ford as an unlikely love interest.

I don't think Barbara Walters could have killed Norm's show if it was any good. The hot water he's gotten into have burned Bill Maher, but he would have been gone a long time ago if his ratings were taking a pounding -- instead, ABC extended his contract. Dr. Laura Schlessinger is a superstar in radio, but she didn't have the necessary Judge Judyesque edge for a daytime talk show (Click here for a Real Video sample), which is what I bet the suits at Paramount were counting on (I knew better -- click here).

I love DLS, but her show was as ill-conceived as it was well-intentioned. Gay-stapo or no Gay-stapo, the Dr. Laura TV show as we know it was not entertaining enough to survive. Her pretentions to take a bite out of Oprah's domain weren't realized, but she is hardly alone in that department. Look for Oprah's old pal Iyanla Vanzant and MTV host Ananda Lewis to be doing something else next fall, too.

[Plummz]

Norm sorta faked a apology,and then said something like "Ok,ok. He is a ALLEGED rapist and murderer,but we all know he did it. Is that any better?"

Actually, what I recall from reading about it on FR he said something more like, "Okay, fine -- manslaughter."

Anyway, I was thnking about this the other day. ABC moved his show to Friday where it was indeed tanking. (They had just stopped running their kiddie block after 15 or so years -- no one knew the show was there.) The murder thing was the final nailmost likely. Followed a pattern -- he lost SNL's Weekend Update for calling OJ a murderer too many times. (NBC LAte Night VP at the time was OJ buddy Don (Dan?) Ohlmeyer.)