Social Wit List: November 2016

NEW YORK: Of all the new programs that launched in November, Netflix’s Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life generated the most social-media buzz, according to The WIT.

In the top ten most-buzzed-about new shows in social media last month, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life was on top with some 247,000 tweets. It is a follow-up to the drama series Gilmore Girls that aired on The WB/The CW from 2000 to 2007, following a single mother and her daughter. Each episode of the four-part sequel takes place during a different season in one calendar year. #OverexcitedFans took to Twitter and Facebook to discuss the #EmotionalRollercoaster of watching the show, which for some had a #FrustratingEnding.

Number two on the list is BET Presents: Love & Happiness, An Obama Celebration, which aired on BET in the U.S. The concert special celebrating Obama’s presidency featured performances by Usher, Jill Scott and Common, among others, and special appearances by Samuel L. Jackson, Angela Bassett, Bradley Cooper and Jesse Williams. From the approximately 144,000 tweets, much of the talk was #Emotional and #Respectful in saying #ThankYouObama and discussing #PoliticalBalance.

A follow-up to the documentary series Planet Earth that aired on BBC One in 2006, Planet Earth II garnered around 92,000 social-media comments with its debut. The series tours spectacular landscapes around the globe, including mountains, deserts, wild islands and man-made cities. Tweets were about the #AmazingProduction, #GreatCameraWork and the #IconicDavidAttenborough, who presents the program.

From Canale 5 in Italy, Selfie – Le cose cambiano drew some 85,000 tweets. The factual coaching/makeover show sees a team of experts help people who are in psychological distress because of their looks. While social media was buzzing about the #PopularHost, some commenters thought the show was #TooTrashy or that the contestants had #TooMuchSurgery.

Also from Italy, Stasera Casa Mika on Rai2 comes in at number five. The variety entertainment show is based on performances and monologues in which singer Mika celebrates Italy and its artists. Around 81,000 tweets were sent about the broadcast, which some called a #MustWatch because of the #LegendaryMika and #GreatTributetoItaly.

Kev et Gad : tout est possible, which aired on M6 in France, saw some 72,000 tweets for its one-off broadcast. The show aired live in Paris and featured comedians Gad Elmaleh and Kev Adams delving into everyday quirks and extreme situations through skits and spoofs. The #EngagedFans were tweeting about the #StarComedians, and though there were #SomeNegativeReviews, the feedback overall was #MostlyPositive.

The debut of the Turkish drama Cesur ve Güzel on Star TV garnered around 65,000 comments on Facebook and Twitter. The romantic series centers on a powerful man feared and respected by everyone in town. His two children have mixed fortunes; his son is a big disappointment to his father, while he loves his beautiful daughter dearly. Viewers tweeting on social media were talking about the #GreatProductionValues and #StarCoupleChemistry.

M6’s premiere of Mariés au premier regard also had social media buzzing, with around 60,000 tweets. The reality dating show is a local adaptation of the format Married at First Sight in which singletons who tried everything to find true love but never succeeded agree to put their love lives into the hands of experts and to marry someone they’ve never met before. Some thought the #DividingConcept was #Intriguing and others #Shocking, and a few commenters noted the #SlowPace.

Around 59,000 tweets went out about the worldwide premiere of The Grand Tour on Amazon Instant Video. The motoring show hosted by former Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May had people talking about the #ImpressiveProduction, #GreatTeam and #FriendlyAtmosphere. Some comments on social media said that the show was #NotVerySurprising, though.

Coming in at number ten on the list is Chantez comme jamais, which aired as a one-off on C8 in France. The variety show featured ten singers performing their greatest hits of the year on stage in a duo with the commentators of the popular TV-themed talk show Touche pas à mon poste. There were around 45,000 tweets, some of which were about the #PopularHost and #FunConcept while others pointed out the #TerribleSound and #TechnicalFails.

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