Social Wit List: March 2016

NEW YORK: Of all the new programs to launch globally in March, FOX’s The Passion stirred up the most buzz on social media, with some 166,000 tweets, according to The WIT.

A local adaptation of a Dutch format, this musical event focuses on Jesus’s final hours. Aired live from New Orleans, it featured gospel versions of pop anthems performed on stage while a giant screen projected scripted scenes filmed in iconic locations. On Facebook and Twitter, #PassionateViewers and #TylerPerryFans were commenting about the #DiverseCast of the #LiveEvent.

Number two on the list of the top ten most-buzzed-about new shows in social media last month is Soy Luna, which debuted on Disney Channel in Argentina. The teen telenovela about Luna, a gifted teenager who dreams of making it on the international music scene, generated around 61,000 tweets. Social media commenters thought the show was #Cute, #Funny and could be #TheNewVioletta (which was a Disney hit).

From Brazil’s TV Globo, Velho Chico drummed up about 54,000 comments in social media. The telenovela set between 1968 and 1988 tells a family saga and chronicles a love story between people of different social classes. Social media was buzzing about the #PromisingStart for the #Cinematic production from an #AcclaimedAuthor, hoping that the momentum can sustain, #WaitandSee.

The local version of Junior MasterChef on Canal 13 in Chile drew approximately 40,000 tweets. This junior version of the local adaptation of the cooking contest MasterChef had many people on social media talking about the #ImpressiveKids and #CuteKids that made the show #Engaging and #HeartMelting.

Number five on the list is CBS’s The Late Late Show Carpool Karaoke Primetime Special. This prime-time special featured an all-new Carpool Karaoke with global superstar Jennifer Lopez as well as highlights from past segments. Around 36,000 tweets were sent about the #Entertaining program, with many thinking the #AmazingJLo delivered #WOW moments.

Also from the U.S., NBC’s Crowded garnered around 27,000 comments in social media. The sitcom from Hot in Cleveland creator Suzanne Mills chronicles how things backfire for recent empty-nesters when their children and their parents move back home. There was much #LiveChat about how the show was #Relatable and made the audience #LOL.

A otro nivel, which debuted on Caracol in Colombia, saw some 27,000 tweets. The talent competition is for experienced singers hoping to take their careers to the next level. Auditions take place in an elevator, with candidates performing a song of their choice while the jury decides if they deserve to reach the next stage by pressing a button. There was a #DividedAudience on social media, with some saying it was #Cheesy and #NotOriginal and others commenting about the #TrueTalent and #NiceJury.

WGN America’s Underground had around 23,000 tweets. The period drama series is set in the pre-Civil War South, following a group of slaves who plan a daring escape from a Georgia plantation to cross 600 miles to freedom via the Underground Railroad. Many on social media gave the show a #ThumbsUp for its #GreatMusicScore and story that is #Shocking and #Engaging.

The debut of The Catch on ABC in the U.S. drew around 22,000 social media comments. Shonda Rhimes’s latest series fills the How to Get Away with Murder slot with a story about a successful fraud investigator who is about to be the victim of a scam by her fiancé. The #DividedAudience had a mix of #ShondaFans and others who thought it was #OverDramatic.

Capping off the list at number ten is Viral, from TVN in Chile, with 21,000 tweets. The society magazine show sheds light on atypical internet trends and phenomena such as sexting and how to protect kids from explicit content. The audience commenting on social media thought it was #EyeOpening, #CompulsoryViewing.

Want this info in your inbox every month? Sign up for the Social Wit List from World Screen and The WIT here.