Ratings

DID THE NFL MAKE TAYLOR SWIFT AN OFFER SHE CAN’T REFUSE?

Some NFL executives had a top-secret meeting with Taylor Swift. Now that she’s dating Kansas City Chiefs tight-end Travis Kelce, Taylor has become a fixture at many of their games. The NFL has NOTICED that the ratings go up every time Taylor appears at a game, and they’re reaching an entirely new audience – young woman! Behind very closed doors, Taylor recently met with some league executives and my source says they offered her anything she wanted, including private viewing suites, unlimited tickets, and even private JET transportation to any games she chooses to attend. The reality is, Taylor’s presence at these games has been the biggest thing to happen to football since Joe Namath posed in pantyhose in 1974 for a TV commercial!

Photo Credit: BACKGRID-USA  Taylor in NY with a friend

KIM CATTRALL HAS THE UPPER HAND

You might recall that we were the first to reveal that Kim Cattrall made a surprise cameo in the season finale of And Just Like That and just as we predicted, the episode is already shattering expectations, drawing HUGE ratings. The powers that be at HBO know a good thing when they see it, so they’re now negotiating with Kim (begging her) to make a few more cameos in the upcoming season 3. They know it’s unlikely Kim will film with Sarah Jessica Parker, so they’re hoping to get her to film some scenes with Kristin Davis. Kim and Kristin seemed to get along well during the original run of Sex and the City, so Kristin’s sweet character Charlotte is the likely choice to interact with Kim. It’s not a done deal yet, but if the stars align and the actors strike ends, we COULD see more of Kim on the popular series.

Photo Credit: MAX

WHAT REAL OC HOUSEWIVES WILL DO FOR RATINGS

We cringe at the word “housewife,” but fans of The Real Housewives of Orange County will appreciate this tidbit. Producers have been worried about declining ratings for a few years, and they tried bringing in new cast members, but that failed. So now they’re reverting back to storylines that worked in the past. Shannon Beador’s divorce from her husband David brought in huge ratings as the nastiness of the split sent shockwaves through the pricey OC community where they lived. They haven’t spoken for years, but this past weekend, Shannon conveniently ran into her ex-husband at The Quiet Woman, a restaurant in Corona Del Mar. She immediately posted a photo to her social media (dolled up in her best) and the story went viral. Our source says this was no coincidence – that meeting was planned. Producers are hoping to generate buzz for the upcoming season which debuts next week so expect more of these so called “random” encounters.

PHOTO: Bravo

NEITHER HIS BRAINS OR HIS BLUE EYES ARE HELPING RONAN FARROW GET RATINGS

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When it comes to looks, blue-eyed Ronan Farrow, 28, does look more like Frank Sinatra than Woody Allen, but when it comes to BRAINS, we think he’s definitely Woody’s son. It’s too bad Rhodes Scholar Ronan is estranged from his father Woody because Woody might be able to help him make a success of his MSNBC show. As it stands, the show, Ronan Farrow Daily, has not caught on with viewers and ratings are dismal. Only 312,000 people watched Ronan last Wednesday and most of them were over 50! A rerun of The Golden Girls did better. Sometimes being smart and articulate is just not enough.

EVEN RYAN SEACREST COULDN’T MAKE “THE MILLION SECOND QUIZ” WORK

We thought it was just US when we couldn’t force ourselves to get interested in NBC’s The Million Second Quiz. Heaven knows we TRIED. Host Ryan Seacrest described it as “The phenomenon that’s sweeping the country!” And why not – a live game show with loads of money floating around should be dramatic at least. But this show, which annoyed us with its rules and gimmicks night after night, was so confusing and nonsensical that we gave up early on. It was described as a “challenge of trivia and endurance.” The audience did NOT endure. Ratings went down, down, down, down, despite the fact that Ryan Seacrest tweeted like a madman to lure viewers. Mercifully, the finale airs this Thursday. There’s something to be said for simplicity.(Above, Ryan and the Money Chair)

ARE PEOPLE SICK OF THE SIGHT OF LINDSAY LOHAN?

SOMEBODY’S not as hot as they used to be. Despite relentless publicity, Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Lindsay Lohan was NOT a hit with viewers! According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 1 hour premier on OWN drew 892,000 viewers. In comparison, Oprah’s interview with Whitney Houston’s family in 2012 had 3.5 million viewers and her Lance Armstrong interview pulled in 3.2 million viewers. Lohan admitted lying about her cocaine use but avoided the subject of her real obsession, Adderall. Oprah might be having second thoughts about signing Lohan to an eight episode docuseries on OWN that will follow her acting career.

DID RACHEL ZOE GET PREGNANT TO SAVE HER FASHION EMPIRE?

Rachel’s timing is certainly impeccable. Her Bravo reality series has dropped sharply in the ratings, causing many to wonder if it will even be renewed. Rachel’s clothing collection isn’t causing a whole lot of excitement either. Many of her design deals came about BECAUSE of her TV exposure, so remaining on the air is a top priority. The easiest way to pull in reality viewers nowadays is to GET PREGNANT. The Kardashians paved the way. Maybe Rachel will finally get the little girl she wanted and cut Skyler’s hair!

Photo Credit: Pacific Coast News

RATINGS CHALLENGED AMERICAN IDOL IS REDUCED TO CHARGING CREW FOR SNACKS

American Idol’s ratings are down 18% compared to last year, and less ad money means fewer frills. This is clearly illustrated by the backstage craft service table at CBS where the live show is produced. A show insider told Rambling Reporter columnist Merle Ginsberg at The Hollywood Reporter that in early March crewmembers were surprised when they started being charged 25 cents to nibble on the previously free carrots and potato chips at the craft table. By April, the price to graze had gone up to a dollar! Why the crew people are being “punished” for low ratings remains a mystery.

ONLINE HATERS HAVE TURNED FROM ANNE HATHAWAY TO NICKI MINAJ

Anne Hathaway must be breathing a sigh of relief since Nicki Minaj usurped her role as “most Hated” on the internet. As ratings slip on American Idol, some viewers are happy to blame Nicki. They started website pages devoted to getting her fired from the show. Complainers say Nicki is “disrespectful, ignorant and self-centered.” Although Nicki is more fun to look at than she is to listen to, don’t blame her for low ratings. The show is just tired.

LOW RATINGS ON X FACTOR WIPED THE SMIRK OFF SIMON COWELL’S FACE

The always confident Simon Cowell, who can do no wrong, may have gotten a glimpse of the future and he doesn’t like it. We’ve had Britney Spears and Demi Lovato jammed down our throats for months in a huge publicity buildup for this season’s The X-Factor and we’re already overdosed on them. The show premiered this season to ratings a third LOWER than last year’s premier and the second show was even WORSE. Boo hoo. Maybe, just maybe, the public has had enough of overpaid, overhyped judges and mediocre talent. Prime time TV seems to have devolved into one gigantic continuous amateur hour. The novelty has worn off.