Last night, Sarah Palin’s “Real American Stories” aired—sans the interview with LL Cool J. The segment featuring country singer Toby Keith, who was also unaware he was scheduled to be a subject of the show, did air last night. But also notably absent, was the interview with former GE CEO Jack Welch. Reviews of Palin’s first hosting gig were mixed, to say the least.
The Washington Post writes, “Thursday night turned out to be like one of those shows that's on when nothing's on and yet there is air to fill -- like infotainment you sometimes see on empty channels in hotel rooms or the stuff that's playing on the little TV screen at the gas pump nearest the rental-car center. What are we watching exactly? (A commercial? News?)”
The New York Daily News wasn’t much better, saying: "Sarah Palin will have a career in TV, that's for sure, but "Real American Stories" isn't the show to make her a superstar.”
The New York Times Media Decoder said:
Sarah Palin’s new television special debuted on Fox News on Thursday evening and, despite the early controversy that preceded it, appeared relatively tame.
The show, “Real American Stories,” featured Ms. Palin, dressed in a red jacket and her trademark glasses, introducing and narrating heart-tugging profiles of various Americans, some famous and some heroic. The show’s format was similar to that of the “Oprah Winfrey Show” or another daytime talk series.
After all the hullabaloo surrounding this show, I was disappointed that more didn't come from it. However, Fox News and Palin did a fantastic job getting a show featuring no new content on the top media/political blogs on the web. I'm sure we'll see a ratings boost for the network, and despite the negative reviews, another episode of "Real American Stories" in the future.
I think it’s safe to finally put the spat between Fox News and LL Cool J to rest....
