Social Wit List: February 2017

NEW YORK: Of all the new programs that launched globally in February, TRT’s Payitaht Abdülhamid (The Last Emperor) stirred up the most buzz on social media, according to The WIT.

Across Facebook and Twitter, there were some 54,000 comments about the debut of The Last Emperor on TRT1. The period drama series is about Sultan Abdülhamid II, the 34th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and the last Sultan to exert effective autocratic control over the fracturing state. Many fans tweeting about the broadcast thought there was #GreatEmpireNostalgia in the show, which also saw many #ConservativeTweets and #NationalistTweets.

When We Rise on ABC in the U.S. ran as a week-long event and garnered some 43,000 tweets. The drama miniseries executive produced by Dustin Lance Black, Bruce Cohen and Gus Van Sant chronicles the personal and political struggles of a diverse family of LGBT pioneer activists in the 1970s. Those tweeting thought the broadcast was #Moving, #Powerful and an #EssentialWatch.

Lifetime debuted Britney Ever After, an unauthorized biopic detailing the tumultuous story of pop icon Britney Spears’ rise to fame, fall from grace and eventual triumphant resurrection. Around 42,000 comments went out on social media about the broadcast, which many thought was a #NoGo with the #WrongCast and #PoorProduction.

From BET in the U.S., The Quad debuted to around 36,000 social-media comments. The drama series centers on the newly elected president of the fictional college Georgia A&M. Upon her arrival, Eva finds a bold, brazen and diverse freshman class that promises to keep her hands full. Facebook and Twitter users gave it a #ThumbsUp for the #GreatCharacters and #ActionPacked premiere episode.

FOX’s debut of 24: Legacy saw some 29,000 tweets. The 24 spin-off features an all-new cast of characters while retaining the real-time, pulse-pounding, fast-paced format. The #DividedAudience was tweeting that the first episode was #Truetothe24Spirit and #Intense, but many have #NotDecidedYet how they really feel about it.

Around 27,000 social-media comments went out about Diversion on TF1 in France. The entertainment show follows as magicians and illusionists prank celebrities and perform acts such as guessing the word a viewer is thinking of at home in front of his/her screen. Many of the comments were that the show was #Impressive with #AmazingTricks and had #AmazingGiftstotheStudioAudience.

Legion on FX in the U.S. saw some 27,000 tweets as well. Based on the Marvel Comics, Legion is a fantasy series centered on the story of David Haller, who has struggled with mental illness since he was a teenager. There was much talk on Facebook and Twitter that the show is #Thrilling and #VisuallyStunning but some found the #NonLinearStorytelling to be a bit #Confusing.

In the Philippines, GMA Network’s premiere of Legally Blind garnered around 21,000 tweets. The telenovela follows a rape victim who loses her sight and becomes a lawyer to seek justice from her perpetrator. Social-media commenters were talking about the #Gripping and #Moving first episode, which features #StarActors.

Skaï in Greece debuted a local adaptation of the Expedition Robinson/Survivor format in which 12 contestants compete in games and must survive on a desert island. There were around 19,000 tweets about the premiere, with an #EngagedAudience talking about the #ContestantsReview. There were also many #LOLTweets and talk about #PoliticalSatire.

C8 in France premiered Dites-le à Baba !, in which Cyril Hanouna a.k.a. Baba and a co-host welcome singles with larger-than-life personalities and help them with the advice of a makeover expert and a sexologist. Some 16,000 tweets were sent about the show, which had a #DividedAudience thinking it was #Zany and has a #WeirdConcept, while others were asking #WhereistheCoHost?

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