# Whoopi's new show -- worst since "Baby Bob"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 9, 2003, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoopis-new-show-worst-since-baby-bob/200481 "2003-09-09T08:22:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoopis-new-show-worst-since-baby-bob/200481/41 "2003-09-10T06:49:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > \*\*As he keeps telling people, he’s not an Arab, he’s a Persian. \*\* Well, luckily for NBC, most of the stereotypes carry over. ---
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoopis-new-show-worst-since-baby-bob/200481/42 "2003-09-10T12:39:46Z")
I watched the first 5-10 min of Whoopi and had to change the station. It was awful. The canned laughter in the back of the poorly written jokes really hit the wall. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoopis-new-show-worst-since-baby-bob/200481/43 "2003-09-10T13:49:51Z")
The problem with the show, other than it wasn’t particularly funny, was premise overload. Too many “twist” or “reverse” characters. He’s black, and he’s _conservative_. She’s white, but she _talks black_. He’s Iranian, but he’s _afraid of terrorists_. I do give the show credit for taking chances with the Iranian character, but other than that it was pointless. Happy Family was also pointless, and I weep for Christine Baranski. ---
**Author:** ![International\_Playboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/48db29/32.png) [@International\_Playboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/International_Playboy)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoopis-new-show-worst-since-baby-bob/200481/44 "2003-09-10T14:02:05Z")
After seeint this thread last night, I noticed Whoopi’s show was on. From what little I saw, I won’t watch it again. The “hip” talking girl really put me off to the whole show. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoopis-new-show-worst-since-baby-bob/200481/45 "2003-09-10T14:07:22Z")
I liked “Whoopi.” I laughed out loud more than once. As for “Happy Family”, Christine Baranski’s character needs to drink more and rant about Dr. Dick. As a pair of self-absorbed, smug Boomers, I thought I saw glints of self-parody. If they’re going to play it dead straight, then I will not be very interested. ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoopis-new-show-worst-since-baby-bob/200481/46 "2003-09-10T15:43:40Z")
I tried to watch it last night. Whoopi just grates on my nerves after a while. The Persian guy was funny for a short bit but eventually it just became to much to bear and I left the room. My wife was able to sit through it, but she might just have been reading her book. ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoopis-new-show-worst-since-baby-bob/200481/47 "2003-09-10T15:43:48Z")
I tried to watch it last night. Whoopi just grates on my nerves after a while. The Persian guy was funny for a short bit but eventually it just became to much to bear and I left the room. My wife was able to sit through it, but she might just have been reading her book. ---
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoopis-new-show-worst-since-baby-bob/200481/48 "2003-09-10T15:48:53Z")
If I am not mistaken Whoopi is in a commercial (one of those FYI commericials) that says we should look at everyone as individuals and she holds up a cut out of different colored people. Isn’t she feeding fuel to the fire about sterotypes with this show? How is that looking at people as individuals? ---
**Author:** ![Capri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@Capri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capri)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoopis-new-show-worst-since-baby-bob/200481/49 "2003-09-10T16:01:23Z")
I keep waiting for Comedy Central to do this. In something akin to Dinner and a Movie - Have a really funny, sarcastic comedian introduce and give commentary during an episode from a horrible sit com every week. There certainly would be no shortage of material. The show I would nominate for the first airing would be that Terri Garr bomb that featured her as both good and evil twins. I blocked the name of the actual show. Now that would be funny. ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_Heart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Angel\_Heart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_Heart)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoopis-new-show-worst-since-baby-bob/200481/50 "2003-09-10T17:51:24Z")
This makes me happy to have access to satellite TV–I just watched a rerun of Law and Order: SVU during that timeslot. [Homer Simpson] 150 channels…drool [/Homer Simpson] ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoopis-new-show-worst-since-baby-bob/200481/51 "2003-09-10T17:52:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Capri \* > The show I would nominate for the first airing would be that Terri Garr bomb that featured her as both good and evil twins. I blocked the name of the actual show. I think it was called _The Bus That Couldn’t Slow Down_. Just kidding. The show you may be thinking of was named _Good & Evil_, and while it only lasted for about six episodes in 1991, Garr didn’t actually play twins in it. You may be conflating it with _The Patty Duke Show_, which was so evil that Satan himself looked away in disgust. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoopis-new-show-worst-since-baby-bob/200481/52 "2003-09-10T20:52:35Z")
I’m sad. There was a time when I really liked Whoopi. Her original one-woman show was terrific, I thought she was absolute perfection in “The Color Purple” (even though that movie had serious flaws, she wasn’t one of them), and she’s done some good works since. But something happened along the way and she lost it. I watched the teaser opening of the show and couldn’t take it. That’s supposed to be your absolute strongest stuff…first few minutes of the first show should be killer, to capture people. And if what I saw was the best they had, well, it could only blow harder from there. Too bad. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoopis-new-show-worst-since-baby-bob/200481/53 "2003-09-11T04:40:42Z")
Have you folks seen the Reuters article? > **[Breaking International News & Views](https://www.reuters.com/)** > [@](#): > > Debuting two weeks before the official start of the fall TV season, “Whoopi” averaged more than 14.7 million viewers on Tuesday, the biggest audience of the night and more than double the season average of its defunct time-slot predecessor last year, “Just Shoot Me,” according to Nielsen Media Research. But!! How many of us just tuned in to see how terrible it is? > [@](#): > > “This is a premiere surge, a premiere against no competition,” one NBC official said. “We’ll be happy to be doing 60 to 70 percent of these ratings” during the next several weeks. If he believes it, that’s a better joke than any of the ones that were on the show 😃 ---
**Author:** ![supervenusfreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@supervenusfreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supervenusfreak)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoopis-new-show-worst-since-baby-bob/200481/54 "2003-09-11T04:45:45Z")
Saw the show. Liked it a little bit. But LOVED the BIG BEEFY HUNKY MEN IN IT! WOOFI should be the new name. lol. Get those guys shirtless and sweaty. Will certainly increase the ratings and my pulse! ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoopis-new-show-worst-since-baby-bob/200481/55 "2003-09-19T06:47:08Z")
So…does anyone know of a reliable source for Tuesday’s ratings? I’d love to know how many of the 14.7 million of us who watch last week gave it another go. I know I didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoopis-new-show-worst-since-baby-bob/200481/56 "2003-09-19T19:52:03Z")
She went from a [9.5 rating/17 share](http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,617%7C83421%7C1%7C,00.html) the first week to a [7.8 rating/13 share](http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,617%7C83550%7C1%7C,00.html) on Tuesday. Not a huge drop. But it’s early yet. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoopis-new-show-worst-since-baby-bob/200481.md?page=2)