Social Wit List: March 2015

NEW YORK: Of all the new programs to launch globally in March, Comedy Central's Roast of Justin Bieber was the most-buzzed-about broadcast in social media, with some 1.15 million tweets, according to The WIT.

The new episode of the Comedy Central Roast series saw the controversial teen idol roasted by a dais that included Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Shaquille O'Neal, Martha Stewart and Roast Master Kevin Hart. Commenters on Facebook and Twitter were buzzing about the #Hilarious and #EpicJokes that were #KillingIt, calling it the #BestRoastEver. There was also plenty of #BeliebersPower from the fans of the music superstar.

Number two on the list of the top 10 shows to drum up social media buzz in March was Cameron & Miliband Live: The Battle for Number 10, on Channel 4 and Sky News in the U.K. In the lead-up to the 2015 General Election, candidates David Cameron and Ed Miliband were interviewed by Jeremy Paxman and answered questions from the studio audience. Around 335,000 tweets were sent surrounding the broadcast, with #EngagedViewers commenting about the #BiasedInterview and #ProCameronJournalists.

Brazil's TV Globo debuted Babilônia, which garnered some 97,000 tweets. The telenovela is about a woman married to an unscrupulous millionaire. She turns to several affairs with young men to escape boredom and won’t hesitate to kill them when they stop entertaining her. Social media comments referred to the series as #Thrilling #Bold and #Controversial.

On CBS in the U.S., British comedian James Corden made his debut on The Late Late Show with James Corden as the successor to Craig Ferguson, the critically acclaimed host of the late night series for the past 10 years. Some 94,000 social media comments went out about the premiere episode, with buzz talk surrounding the #BritishStyle of the #GreatHost, but noting that the #WritingCouldBeBetter.

Coming in at number five on the list is Channel 4's Drugs Live: Cannabis on Trial. The live special explored the effects of high strength ‘skunk’ cannabis on the brain, following the controversial factual miniseries Drugs Live: The Ecstasy Trial that aired in September 2012. Of the 63,000 tweets sent, many were talking about the #ProsVsCons it presented as well as the #Impressive #InterestingFacts.

Elin Oğlu on ATV in Turkey drew some 56,000 tweets in social media. The male-oriented talk show was adapted from the Korean series Non-Summit. In it, a panel of non-Turkish men, living in Turkey, discuss various topics and the Turkish culture. Much of the social media chatter was #Funny #CommentsonPanelists.

Around 42,000 social media comments were sent about Adam Recherche Eve, the French adaptation of the dating reality format Adam Looking for Eve, in which two singletons—both naked—meet on a tropical island and have three days to see whether they are a real match. There were #MixedReviews, with comments about the #BlurredGenitals and some calling it #AlmostBoring.

ABC's Secrets and Lies, the U.S. adaptation of the Australian thriller series about a family man who becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a young boy when he finds the body, had social media buzzing. Some 37,000 tweets were sent about the #Intriguing debut episode and the show's #GreatCast.

Your Face Sounds Familiar on ABS-CBN in the Philippines had around 36,000 tweets about it in social media. The local adaptation of the music-driven entertainment format, in which celebrities take on a new identity as an iconic music performer, was called #Entertaining by commenters loving the #StarCraze.

Capping off the top 10 list for March is HBO's Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief. The documentary is based on Lawrence Wright’s book of the same name about the controversial organization and its roots. Some 36,000 social media comments went out on Facebook and Twitter surrounding the broadcast, calling it #EyeOpening, #Creepy and #Insightful.

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