On The Lot Not So Hot After All

Despite a relentless marketing campaign that heavily emphasized the big ticket names associated with the show, Fox’s ‘On the Lot’ is already showing signs of trouble, two weeks into its summer run. Bowing immediately after the ‘American Idol’ finale two weeks ago, to huge buzz, the show’s ratings plummeted in the second week, and plans are in the works to eliminate the second night’s half-hour elimination show and run a single hour-long episode each week.

On it’s first airing on a Monday, night, which was intended as its regular time slot, ‘Lot’ placed fifth among the major networks, coming in behind even reruns on CBS. Now the show will be moved to Tuesdays at 8 p.m. with the elimination worked into the episode. No telling how America will continue to vote for the winners if they have to vote while the show is airing, but with so few people watching maybe it won’t matter anyway.

'Lot' also replaced its host, Chelsea Handler, with Adrianna Costa. And adding insult to injury, celebrity judge Brett Ratner was mysteriously missing from last week’s episode, and rumor has it he’s gone for good. Not that keeping Brett Ratner away from impressionable young minds isn’t a bad thing, but honestly, how much money do you think he gave up by bailing?

So, seriously, what’s the problem? The timeslot shuffle can’t be helping matters, as the show has yet to fill the “same time, same place” promise that TV shows used to give you back in the day. The Futon Critic posted schedule explaining how ‘Lot’ will air for the rest of the summer, and really, if it requires a flow chart, a show is not worth watching (unless, of course, you are ‘Lost.’) The internet is also abuzz about the show but most people use one word to describe it: boring. It makes sense-- when the previews show young filmmakers slumped over editing stations for hours on end, moving nothing but their fingers, you know you’re in trouble.

With Bravo bringing back any number of its reality hits (including ‘Top Chef’) and Vh1 and MTV keeping up their constant stream of reality nonsense, it looks like networks might not be able to keep their hold on the reality TV game through the summer months. Maybe ‘On the Lot’ can kick it up a few notches with the cancellation ax hanging over their heads, but don’t count on it. You know those filmmakers, never wanting the studios to mess with their “creative visions”....