Surviving R. Kelly Tops January Social Wit List

Lifetime’s Surviving R. Kelly doc series generated the most social-media conversation out of all the new premieres across the globe in January, according to The WIT.

The four-part series, featuring interviews with women who allege sexual, mental and physical abuse by the R&B singer, generated some 260,000 mentions across Twitter and Facebook last month, with viewers finding it #Emotional and #EyeOpening for its #DisturbingRevelations.

In a distant second on the Social Wit List with about 150,000 mentions is the Korean reality series GOT7’s Real Thai, featuring members of the popular K-Pop band. Audiences responded to it being #FunnyAndAuthentic and delivering #GreatInsightIntoOurIdolsLives, but some were upset that not all of the band members participated.

FOX’s buzzy new talent competition The Masked Singer, based on a Korean format, came in third with about 146,000 mentions, with conversation around the #OddPremise as audiences found it #BizarreYetCaptivating with #EntertainingPerformances and it being a #FunGuessingGame. The U.S. network’s meant-to-be-live broadcast of the musical Rent had about 94,000 mentions. Despite a cast injury that resulted in the network having to air some pre-recorded segments, fans were pleased, calling it an #OutstandingShow with #AmazingCastAndProduction.

Audiences were also happy to see Brooklyn Nine-Nine make its comeback, relaunching on NBC after five seasons on its previous home, FOX. The 74,000 social media mentions focused on how the sitcom remains #SmartAndInsightful and #Hilarious in seasons six.

A new Turkish drama from TRT1, 
Halka, lands in the top ten with about 56,000 mentions about it being #ActionPacked with #GreatCinematography and a #CatchyPlot.

The Spanish version of The Voice launched on a new network, Antena 3, last month after several seasons on Telecinco. While audiences offered #KudosToCoachPaulinaRubio and were pleased with the #ImpressiveStudioSet, some complained about there being #TooManyAdBreaks and wanted #MoreSingingAndLessTalkingPlease.

With about 27,000 mentions, Globo’s new novela Verão 90 is in eighth place. The ’90s-set production is #NostalgiaPacked with an #AmazingSoundtrack and audiences are #Hooked.

America’s Got Talent: The Champions on NBC, featuring previous contestants from Got Talent from the U.S. and elsewhere, generated about 26,000 social media mentions, with audiences #RootingForMyFavCandidates, enthused that #OMGSusanBoyleIsBack and #LaughingAndCrying over the performances.

Rounding out the top ten of buzziest premieres on social media is the Italian animated sci-fi series Adrian, which for the most part bemused audiences with its #NonsensicalPlot and #PoorProductionValues.