@hawkeye10,
I don't watch the Khardashians, but the format for that one may be less contrived than Duck Dynasty, and the family dramas more interesting. My impression is that the Kardashians offer an ongoing family saga/soap opera.
Because DD is "semi-scripted", and intended to be lightweight fluff, there is nothing at all spontaneous about it and, while it relies on stock situations, allegedly for humorous effect, there is no real comedy or interest here unless a viewer really enjoys watching these particular people kill time in rather maudlin, and sometimes, rather juvenile ways. The novelty effect is all in their lifestyle, with pretty much all evidence of their enormous wealth, and its impact on their lives, carefully hidden, other than the fact they have loads of free time, and a family-run business that seems to make barely any demands of them to interfere with that free time. And, certainly after a few seasons, the voyeuristic novelty of watching this lifestyle wears thin--as it does with most of these reality shows--and viewership drops.
I suspect that the numbers watching this show in the opening episode for the new season show an even bigger drop in regular viewers than is immediately apparent, given the fact that all the recent publicity must have attracted some new people just tuning in out of curiosity, and some who just tuned in to show support for Phil, and neither of these groups might be retained as regular viewers--and viewership did drop even more for the second episode of the new season. Given all the hype this show just received, it was a relatively lackluster season start. And my prediction would be that the decline will continue.
Quote:Duck Dynasty Ratings Fall Even Further in Second Episode After Robertson Controversy
by Matt Wilstein
January 25th, 2014
It looks like Duck Dynasty’s relatively low premiere ratings following the Phil Robertson controversy that swept the nation at the end of last year were not a fluke. In the second episode of the show’s fifth season, the show’s ratings dropped even further to 6.6 million total viewers, the lowest the show has seen since December 2012.
There were high expectations for season premiere on January 15th after the weeks of free publicity the show received due to Robertson’s comments about homosexuality and the subsequent, short-lived “suspension” he was given by A&E. But the notion that an even larger Christian conservative audience would flock to the show in support of Robertson was dispelled after the first episode of the season on Wednesday, January 15th drew 8.5 million viewers, a 28% drop from the fourth season premiere last August, which had 11.8 million. It was more on par with the third season premiere in February 2013, which had 8.6 million.
This week’s episode, with 6.6 million viewers, marked another large drop from the second episode of the fourth season, which had 8.5 million viewers. In the 18-49 demographic that is particularly attractive the advertisers, the show also saw a decline. While last season’s premiere had a 5.0 rating, this week’s episode was just 2.9. That put it below network competition like American Idol (4.5) and Modern Family (3.4).
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/duck-dynasty-ratings-fall-even-further-in-second-episode-after-robertson-controversy/
I don't really care what happens to Duck Dynasty, I found the few episodes I watched devoid of any amusement or interest. And I don't particularly care about what Phil Robertson thinks about
anything. If this alleged controversy was all a publicity stunt, it doesn't seem to have helped, and it might have even hurt, the ratings and appeal of this show.
Have you watched Duck Dynasty?
