Social Wit List: October 2015

NEW YORK: Of all the new programs to launch globally in October, Rede Band's MasterChef Júnior stirred up the most buzz in social media, according to The WIT.

Brazil's local adaptation of the children’s cooking contest Junior MasterChef, a spin-off of the format MasterChef, had around 285,000 Facebook and Twitter comments during the premiere episode. Many thought the talent of the kids competing was #Impressive (#KidsRock), but that perhaps the show was #ScheduledTooLate.

Number two on the list of the top ten most-buzzed-about new shows in social media last month is the Latin American Music Awards, which aired on Telemundo in the U.S. The first installment of the Latino version of the American Music Awards saw fans vote for their favorite in each category. Around 188,000 social media comments went out about the broadcast, with much #FanPower behind the #LiveVote.

The debut of Supergirl on CBS in the U.S. delivered some 89,000 tweets. The fantasy drama series, based on the DC Comics character, is about Kara, who, at age 24, decides to embrace her superhuman abilities and be the hero she was always meant to be. Comments on Facebook and Twitter were about the show's #ProductionValues and how the series was #Funny and #Entertaining.

Another U.S. series, Wicked City on ABC, also drew a good amount of social media buzz, with 55,000 comments. The anthology detective series is about notable eras in L.A. history. In season one, two cops search for a Bonnie & Clyde-esque serial killing team amid the rock-and-roll, coke-infused revelry of the 1980s Sunset Strip. A lot of buzz talk on Facebook and Twitter was from #EdWestwickFans and centered on the #GoodLooking cast and #Obsessive plot.

Lo que das on Canal 13 in Argentina came in at number five. It is a spin-off of the entertainment format A todo o nada (Step Right Up), which spotlights talents in various disciplines and gives the audience a chance to vote via Twitter to keep their favorite contestant in the running and increase their winnings. Approximately 41,000 social media comments went out during the debut episode, with fans #Engaging in the #TwitterVote.

BBC Three's We Want Our Country Back had around 39,000 tweets. The one-off saw documentary filmmaker Miles Blayden-Ryall spend the summer with Britain First party leaders Jayda Fransen and Paul Golding as they spread their agenda to ban Islam from the U.K. Those commenting on social media were #Cringing about the #OffensiveParty but found the doc #ThoughtProvoking.

From TVI in Portugal, A Quinta is a new version of the reality soap Quinta das Celebridades, a 2004 adaptation of The Farm. In the series, celebrities turn their backs on their city living to face the harsh realities of life on a working farm. There were some 37,000 social media comments about the broadcast, with many giving it a #ThumbsDown because of the #LameContestants and #LameHost.

Is Britain Racist?, which aired in the U.K. on BBC Three, drew approximately 36,000 tweets. The documentary sent a reporter on the streets to investigate (sometimes via hidden-camera experiments) if Britain is racist. The broadcast stirred up a #FierceDebate on social media, with many commenting that #BritainIsRacist!

The live broadcast of Exorcism: Live! on Destination America in the U.S. had around 34,000 social media comments. The broadcast revisited the house that inspired the iconic movie The Exorcist on its 66th anniversary. The cast of paranormal series Ghost Asylum performed a paranormal investigation in real time inside the house, joined by psychic medium Chip Coffey. The #DividedAudience on social media called the program #Creepy and #Ridiculous.

Coming in at number ten on the list is ¿Y Tú Qué Harías?, which debuted on TVN in Chile. Around 33,000 tweets went out about the local adaptation of the hidden-camera format Primetime: What Would You Do?, in which ordinary people are faced with moral dilemmas and their reactions are filmed on hidden camera. Twitter and Facebook comments were calling the show #EyeOpening, #Emotional and #QualityTV.

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