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Good night America: Paxman's US show axed after ratings flop

By Guy Adams in Los Angeles

The Paxman-anchored US Newsnight on BBC America was dropped in November, but the corporation only admitted it had done so this week

BBC

The Paxman-anchored US Newsnight on BBC America was dropped in November, but the corporation only admitted it had done so this week

It's been the Golden Goose for combative Brits such as Gordon Ramsay and Simon Cowell, but Jeremy Paxman has discovered, to his cost, that it takes more than a cut-glass accent and dogged questioning to make it big in America.

The Newsnight presenter's bid to launch himself across the pond has ended in disappointment after BBC Worldwide announced that it was axing its US version of the programme, blaming difficulties striking a chord with audiences weaned on a less acerbic breed of television anchorman.

Paxman's weekly Newsnight edition was launched on a wave of hype last February, with a coveted slot at 10pm on Fridays on BBC America. However, it was soon shifted to Thursday nights, after failing to make a splash, and recently disappeared from the channel's schedule altogether.

"We have to take tough decisions about where money is being spent," said a BBC spokesman yesterday. "This was purely based on ratings. People will say, 'Why didn't it work?', but honestly, if I knew that, I wouldn't be sitting here. Sometimes, even though people love the BBC news brand, you put something on and it just doesn't catch on."

The move was announced alongside a decision to drop three hours of international news from BBC America's morning schedule, again due to poor viewing figures. It has been replaced with re-runs of cheap but popular reality shows, including The Hotel Inspector, Kitchen Nightmares and The F-Word.

Paxman's failure to make waves Stateside, where BBC America is available as a commercial network in 63 million homes, marks a disappointment for his superiors, who had originally hoped he might become a Simon Cowell of the US news scene.

In 2007, the channel's president, Garth Ancier, told the Financial Times: "Jeremy Paxman is the sort of person that Americans will just eat up." Variety reported that the US version of Newsnight could even end up being called Paxman. "BBC banks on brash Brit as next US hit," read its headline.

The show that was launched in the run-up to the presidential election contained a weekly package of highlights from Newsnight's normal run of UK shows, most of which focused on international news. Paxman recorded fresh links, in tandem with co-presenters Gavin Esler and Kirsty Wark.

Viewers remained immune to their charms, however. Newsnight's US edition was actually pulled in November, after Barack Obama's election, but nobody noticed it had disappeared until the BBC reluctantly said so this week.

"This is being described as Jeremy Paxman failing to conquer America," said a spokesman. "That's a touch misleading. He never set out to make it in the US. He never moved out there, or did any interviews in the media. His role in the show was pretty minor."

Either way, BBC America, which carries advertisements and is run as a commercial station by BBC Worldwide, usually provides a useful transatlantic vehicle for British stars. It showcased The Office and Life on Mars, which were both later bought up by major US networks, and has also recently had success with the dramas Ashes to Ashes and Skins.

Meanwhile, Paxman's rival anchorman Matt Frei is enjoying considerable success in the US. His show, World News America, which airs nightly at 7pm and 10pm, achieved 9 per cent growth in its US ratings and boasts a monthly reach of three million viewers.

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Paxman's show being axed in America
[info]nantucketsunset wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 04:38 am (UTC)
I lived in London for 11 years and frequently watched and enjoyed Newsnight there. I have been back in the US for a year and I can say that I have not seen any advertising or mentions of BBC Worldwide - the station. I know that this channel is available on the more expensive package of my local cable tv provider, but it's channel number 114 in my area and my present tv only receives up to channel 99, so I haven't been able to watch BBC Worldwide except at a relative's house about 5 times in the past year.

It would be a mistaken impression to think that Newsnight actually had a fair airing in the US and that American people didn't like it - I would wager that more than 98% of Americans have never watched Newsnight on BBC Worldwide, nor had ever heard of the Newsnight programme.

I also think that most Americans would not naturally enjoy Newsnight because their nightly news is not the same type of offering at all.

BBC Worldwide usually shows re-run after re-run of shows like Cash in the Attic and How Clean is Your House? -- I doubt it gets many viewers at all in the crowded cable market here. Often it seems it will have 7 hours in a row of different episodes of the same show (like The F Word or Top Gear) - this is really off-putting, esp. when one is not interested in that show. One learns not to even channel-surf to such a channel when it seems that all it's doing is spewing out old, cheap re-broadcasts from several years ago like a broken record. When it offers options like that all day long, it is no surprise that people were not tuning into it for one hour in the evenings for relatively hard-hitting journalism.

I much prefer PBS, the "free" US public broadcasting station, for my Brit fix, even though the shows are even older usually -- Poirot, ITV's Sherlock Holmes, the Bucket/"bouquet" woman (can't think of the title) sitcom, etc.

Matt Frei is the type of British guy who does much better in the US than in the UK. And "more power to him" for that. :-) However, I don't know anyone in the US who watches his show either. I would watch it occasionally, if I could receive the broadcast at home.
Paxo rules
[info]jaded63 wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 06:25 am (UTC)

I know that Paxman's private political views differ from mine, but there is nobody I could trust more to dish out difficult questions without fear or favour. The man is absolutely brilliant, and of such quality that I fear for our democracy should he take permanent leave from Newsnight or be replaced. There is nobody who comes near his authority or ability to conduct a probing interview.
Re: Paxo rules
[info]vhawk1951 wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 12:42 pm (UTC)
do we know Paxo's politics? I agree the the sentiment of this comment. He would have done well at the criminal Bar
Re: Paxo rules
[info]jaded63 wrote:
Thursday, 9 April 2009 at 03:29 am (UTC)

Paxo is left of centre, privately. The only time I have ever seen his private political stance affect his interviewing was when he gave Bliar an easy ride in an interview at Downing Street not long after the '97 election (I think it was then). Apart from that instance, possibly forgiveable in the flush of post-election euphoria, Paxo has always been rigorously impartial.
Re: Paxo rules
[info]vhawk1951 wrote:
Thursday, 9 April 2009 at 11:06 am (UTC)
yes I have always thought and foundhim impartial
Paxman...the ogirinal version
[info]nathalee1025 wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 08:28 am (UTC)
As a non-American who has a fairly high batting average assessing them, I would say that Newsnight, the original version, would be very successful in the states. Don't doctor a version for them, give them the real thing and put it on PBS or BBC World (if this is not on in the US then on BBC America...but publicise it). The ground is fertile for an even higher level of success than might have been obtained a few year ago as they go through a form of perostroika.


Ha Ha
[info]tominlondon wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 08:47 am (UTC)
Jon Stewart cut Paxman to pieces. In an American context, Paxman has no edge and looks weak.
Paxman should learn to make funny faces
[info]findempire wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 09:07 am (UTC)
Yanks watch John Stewart for their "news." If the beeb wants Paxman to make it in Murka, they have to get him a funny face coach and hire some stand-up comedians as his "correspondents."
Paxman fails on Beeb in US
[info]boscopolo wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 09:11 am (UTC)

The truth is that BBC America was a premium cable only channel with a very, very limited sphere of influence. The great fanfare you speak of exists only in the promotion department of the BBC. For example they didn't advertise Mr. Paxman on any of the cable news stations or have Mr. Paxman make the rounds of other news and chat shows. What the Beeb calls promotion I call keeping a secret. Paxman's show was a better-kept secret than the Ultra. And just what does three million viewers mean? In some ratings, this means a cumulative viewership. Break it down and Matt Frei reaches fewer than 100,000 on any single broadcast, probably far fewer. And Matt Frei is the leading personality of the news appearing on the vast network of free Public Broadcasting showing the BBC news reports nightly and in some cases several times a day. Matt Frei is a familiar presence, at least among the tiny minority of news watchers. Mr. Paxman was only know to those who had seen him on British TV. I think that Mr. Paxman has offended someone in the Beeb who helped him to fail.

While you're at it........
[info]eduardo_diaz wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 02:05 pm (UTC)


Please take Russel Brand back as well
goodnight newsnight
[info]reprieved_soul wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 09:17 am (UTC)
Well done for trying. The loss is for America's - they should rue the day they imposed their 'ratings' farcical method of assessment at the expense of quality. A better advertisement for the age-old principles of the BBC and its universal licence-fee funding will never be seen
Paxman and Newsnight USA
[info]jeanninegr wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 09:25 am (UTC)
What a shame!
I watched Newsnight on BBC America on Friday evenings yet found it cancelled.
Now I read that it was moved to Thursday night? I doubt that - I checked listings and didn't see it on any evening. Seems odd to call it a failure when it only ran a few weeks.
What a loss!
Jeannine - London and California
Too straight.
[info]the_kegs wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 09:28 am (UTC)
Paxman is too straight for Americans, he says it like it is. America is more your 'say what you want them to hear and what makes them feel happiest about themselves' type of place, you know, full of shit.
Paxman is the sort of person that Americans will just eat up
[info]kerrygold wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 10:43 am (UTC)
And spit out!
[info]tevez82 wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 10:55 am (UTC)
Glad to hear this. Paxman is the hectoring voice of all that is wrong about aggressive, and irritatingly succesful, about UK journalists.
Paxman axed in US
[info]r_small wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 10:56 am (UTC)
Just goes to show that Americans are considerably less intelligent than us British ;-)
Estler not as good as Paxo
[info]ptstroud wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 11:03 am (UTC)
Newsnight with Paxman in this country is generally first class but I can see it might not be to Murkan's taste. However, it is not always as good when Gavin Estler is in the chair. I watched him give Chancellor Darling a very easy ride after the G20 summit where he was allowed to heap unlimited scorn on the Tories yet wax eloquent over his boss Brown. It seemed at one stage to be a party political broadcast by the Labour Party
I don't know if Estler has any say in the programme's content but a couple of nights ago Newsnight spent forty of its fifty minutes discussing cancer, not the current news. Dawn Primarolo represented the government on the subject but again there was no opposition spokesman present to give political balance.
BBC America's flawed programming strategy
[info]wu7025 wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 11:29 am (UTC)
I'll confess that I've been a long-term regular viewer of BBC America's World News (which, as of this Monday, was missing from the 7 and 8 AM wake-up slot only to be replaced by doubled-up episodes of Cash in the Attic and Bargain Hunt). This is nothing short of astounding given a) the lack of serious news alternatives in the US market except for PBS; and b) the 'premium' cable tier that BBC America inhabits. Something is seriously amiss -- and I should have known it when the commercial sponsors for the news were 'Sham-Wow' and a miracle nut-chopper and rather than high end brands like Porsche -- brands consistent with the 'golden' demographic that watches 'foreign' programming and news of the world. Whatever that 'something amiss' is seems to have killed off Paxman. Newsnight is a terrific program, but if BBC America promoted it, I completely missed it ... which is to say, its on-air promotions did not make it to that most likely of places: the morning news slot (I watch it addictively and can't tell you how many hundreds of Ashes to Ashes adverts I've sat through but *none* for Newsnight). And so we get endless reruns of Cash in the Attic (I twitch when I hear the theme song), presumably because it costs next to nothing. But it still makes me ask: what's the cost of yesterday's news? And if it's also next to nothing, why not give it more air time? Idem ditto Paxman: the show has been made and paid for and has a limited shelf-life. It *has* to be better than the 30th rerun of How Clean is Your House, if only because it brings a new demographic to BBC America, one that will take time to cultivate and grow.

In short, BBC America seems hopelessly caught in a contradiction between highbrow (news, Paxman) and lowbrow (the cheap but cheerful pathologies of programming such as How Clean is Your House and You Are What You Eat). In the American cable market, excepting PBS and HBO, there is competition to see how low one can go. BBC America should be carving out a market niche in the opposite direction where the competition is sparse and the BBC well-equipped to make a difference.

We Don't Need Jeremy Paxman
[info]emilia1976 wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 11:59 am (UTC)
We have Bill Maher. Also on Fridays at 10pm. Just as sharp, just as witty and intellectual. Just as combative. Two differences ... surprising as it might seem, Bill actually listens to other points of view and allows people he interviews to finish sentences. Secondly, when he doesn't get a straight answer to a question asked, he doesn't hector the person by repeating the same question fourteen times, as Paxman infamously did with Michael Howard; instead, he cleverly rephrases the question in a different manner and he usually gets the response he seeks. He asks questions, the likes of which, no mainstream political commentator would dare ask (including Paxman), and he gets results. It's always enjoyable and informative to watch Maher's Real Time program, as well as watching the mainstream dinosaur (Meet the Press) tank roundly under NBC's safe man, David Gregory - this was a job made for Maher, but NBC didn't have the cojones to pursue that one.
Gavin Estler
[info]britinbigd wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 12:23 pm (UTC)
With the cardboard cut-out that is Gavin Estler as a sidekick, this comes as no surprise. The format and content seemed to me to always lack the immediacy and parochialism of a news show that might appeal to even a discerning US audience.
Paxman in the States
[info]highstreet44 wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 12:28 pm (UTC)
I've seen Paxman's show a few times online. And while it is boring to see him beat the same question into the ground, consider a few other things:

What does it say about the States when most people prefer to get their news from comedians? If Paxman's show was successful here, would the BBC maintain the same edge to it? Or, would they fall into the trap of the neocon rubbish that's seen every night? How would most Brits feel if they got their news every night from Jonathan Ross?

FYI: during the past two Presidential elections, where did most people turn to get accurate news about this? To the BBC. Again, what does that say about the States? Martin Bashir (formerly of the BBC) hasn't exactly done well at ABC.
Paxman's show being axed in America
[info]morgan65 wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 12:55 pm (UTC)
The truth is that the show is not so much being axed because of Jeremy Paxman, as it is that BBC America is run by a bunch of clueless programmers.

When BBC America first premiered, it was highly anticipated, but then they proceeded to churn out a lot of tripe and outdated programming. I was stunned to see them broadcasting shows that I had seen when I lived in the UK twelve years ago and these are repeated minimum three times throughout the day.

Their programming lineup must be done by a chimp, because as it known here as the "Changing Rooms - Bargain Hunt - Cash in the Attic" network as that is what makes most of their programming line-up.

Then when BBC - A did introduce prime time programming that was of any interest, they would transmit it at irregular intervals; thereby losing any audience that might have attracted.

Due to the reasons cited above, most people in the States lost interest and no longer watch BBC America with the exception of the BBC News. I think the attitude was, "we have enough of our own vacuous tripe airing on our stations, why would we want to watch more in an import?"

It is a real shame because the BBC has had a history of airing tremendously interesting programs, which would capture the imagination and fascination of the American viewer, unfortunately, they only air their worst in the States.
Re: Paxman's show being axed in America
[info]ddcu wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 03:12 pm (UTC)
You hit the nail on the head! They totally underestimate American viewers. It's really annoying to see so many mediocre shows being repeated over and over throughtout the day..give us a little credit!
Over rated.
[info]junglehero wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 01:33 pm (UTC)
Paxman may have been a good interviewer 10+ years ago but he is now a pastiche of himself and is entirely over rated. He relies on his accent, loud voice and repertoire of disapproving looks to belittle and put down his interviewees every chance he gets. He is rarely if ever interested in hearing what an interviewer has to say, thinking about what was said and replying accordingly. Instead, his primary objective is to point score, interrupt and raise an eyebrow wherever possible. Granted, the first few times you see these performances they might be impressive in that the exchanges are hotter than elsewhere but eventually if you have a brain engaged you long for some proper dialogue and perceptive questioning. Paxman has regularly proved incapable of really understanding the issues in play and as a result most politicians find it easy enough to dance round him, while letting him think they're giving him a hard time. The worst of Paxman is when he's interviewing ordinary members of the public just trying to get a point across - he treats them like children, talking to them as if they have no right even to be speaking. The reality is that's he's all talk and no substance.
How sad... BBC America dumbs down and news suffers
[info]willscrlt wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 02:09 pm (UTC)
Replacing news with pseudo-reality shows like the Hotel Inspector, Kitchen Nightmares and The F-Word... Okay. Fine. BBC America just became another network no longer worth watching. The more you dumb down television, the less interesting it becomes, and the more time I fill with other pursuits that keep my eyes away from your advertisers.
[info]malkanna wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 02:20 pm (UTC)
Totally agree with most of the criticisms of BBC America here. When it first started - as an ex-pat and BBC fan we were very excited. We forgave the amateurish standard of advertising (you know like the Ronco ads of the 70's) but soon the programming followed suit. Reruns of the most embarrassing programming and content made to please those looking for light entertainment - and see not just once but in ad nauseum reruns.
On a visit to the UK recently I was shocked to see so many soap operas dominating BBC programming of a similar low standard.
It appears that programming on both sides of the Atlantic was dumbed down to grab the perceived market and suit the "don't rock the boat" desires on the current political administrations (Bush & Blair).
With the most exciting political season of recent years - when people like Rachel Maddow and Charlie Rose (CNN & PBS) can arrive and survive - why can't the BBC remain true to the quality programming which made it famous worldwide? Its deterioration in the US has been embarrassing. And I've never heard of Paxman - thats how far he got.
[info]saoir wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 02:44 pm (UTC)
Paxman is simply the best, no question. This problem in the US is more of a reflection on the level of political ignorance and of political debate in the US, where information and analysis is drowned out by uninformed slanging matches liberally (excuse the pun) sprinkled with personal abuse - illustrated by Bill O'Reilly's appalling program on Fox News.
Paxman returning from the USA
[info]jimwil wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 03:07 pm (UTC)
Please give Scotland's Gordon Brewer a chance to make it big in America. He has ambitions methinks and I for one will be glad to see the back of him and his extremely biased interviewing. A Paxman clone he is not.
[info]gyhrphy wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 03:09 pm (UTC)
Not a bit surprised, the man is too concerned about himself.
Paxman
[info]imagechalice wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 07:17 pm (UTC)
"The man is too concerned about himself" -Oh, and the Americans, the most narcissistic of people are not?!!!!
[info]jobestall wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 03:46 pm (UTC)
As an expat living in the States - BBC America is very disappointing. Back to back episodes of Cash in the Attic and Top Gear is a total turn off. It is lazy programming from the Beeb and makes a mockery of British TV. There is a huge market for BBC documetaries, comedies and other fantastic shows - why don't they show them over here? As for Paxo - there wasn't any advertising, fanfare to speak about, so no one knew he was coming to BBC America. The news is the only thing worth watching on this channel. I think the BBC should have a re-think about thier program stategies...there is a huge market that they could tap in to!!
paxmanmania
[info]sickparrot wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 05:55 pm (UTC)
It is a disgrace that the BBC should waste licence fee payers money on these futile macho exercise. Paxman is rubbish, and the BBC are idiots to think that the US will take to this self publicist.
Estler not as good as Paxo
[info]ptstroud wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 06:23 pm (UTC)
Error in my last posting. It was Lord Mandy not Darling who had the easy time, sorry..
Paxman
[info]fleshsheir wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 07:09 pm (UTC)
Sounds such a shame that this has been cancelled. I do not get cable. I watch BBC news a couple of times a week on local public television, but prefer programs such as Democracy Now! I would have loved to have had a chance to see this show, but like many who refuse to pay exorbitant cable fees, I had no access to it. Perhaps next time you could send out a sampler to public TV and build a broader audience base before going to cable-only. I hadn't even heard of the show. Sorry.
who knew Paxman was on- no-one watches BBC America
[info]amazed_at_bs_1 wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 08:02 pm (UTC)
I live in the US. The BBC programming is appalling. Who wants to watch reel after reel of "Cash in the Attic" or absolute garbage entitled "My big breasts and I." American friends ask what has happened to the BBC. The only decent BBC shows are on public television. Many Americans love good BBC dramas. Instead we have "Mistresses" complete with the token lesbian for titilation. Now we don`t even have news to watch in the morning.

Marketing is clearly the problem. All over the world people watch 24 hour BBC news. Why isn`t it available here? Americans complain bitterly about their awful news programmes.

A great place to start is with "Edge of Darkness" and "State of Play"- two superb BBC dramas which are being knocked off by Hollywood. The shows could be screened to coincide with the movie releases. How many other incredible dramas are sitting on shelves. Americans love historic dramas- that`s why public TV is always showing them.

The BBC needs to spend the money, and advertise effectively- on the rival channels, as well as on the regular stations. Paxman didn`t fail- this time we need to shoot the messenger.
Stuffing!
[info]kodak321 wrote:
Wednesday, 8 April 2009 at 11:04 pm (UTC)
Paxman's a lefty liberal.... I'm an oh so important cunt. Dinner party chatter and upper class twatter....get him off our screens (UK), and put him to bed. Makes me sick. Probably his wife too...children, dogs, cats and goldfish....depressed insomniac....no wonder.....but don't bring us all down with you......
Paxman
[info]xnagendra wrote:
Thursday, 9 April 2009 at 12:42 pm (UTC)
Paxman is a typical anal retentive, oxbridge, establishment figure. Unfortunately thanks to the BBC (which wouldn't exist without our compulsory license fee) such people are forced on us. Noone would pay for it!
bbc america
[info]ozus wrote:
Sunday, 12 April 2009 at 12:17 am (UTC)
I think in general BBC America is very poorly programed with re-runs of old and sterotyped programs. The only good things were the worldwide news and the evening news that provide a well informed and in depth evaluation of both US and World issues. Something that is sorely lacking on US networks of all shades. I doubt however, that it would appeal to most Americans - As to comparing PBS with BBC America in reference to the "Brit" series is rather ridiculous - the limited local intellectual content on PBS is well worth watching - however, it is constantly interrupted by the need to "BEG" for funding from the public. What a system!!!!!!
The quality series that have been on BBC America such as MI5(Spooks in Australia), all the Robson Green series, Dr Who, Life on Mars - seem to be swamped by the crap 'comedy' that appeals to what can only be described as halfwits.
Maybe BBC America should just pipe in BBC direct and stop subjecting us to mindless re-runs as the other cable channels do -

As to Nantuckets comments about what goes down well in the US v UK well maybe you should widen your horizon a bit - there is so little diversity in the US and so little imagination I think BBC is just trying to mimick existing cable stations - well that hasnt worked has it.

Newsnight
[info]bigbrandjohn wrote:
Friday, 17 April 2009 at 05:46 pm (UTC)
I am not surprised nobody watched it. It was never promoted on BBC Worldwide or anywhere else. Even some youtube teassers might have helped. Instead we are stuck with re runs of the FFINg Chef and the absurdly camp house improvement shows. No wonder the few Americans who tune in think we are bonkers as hell. Actually maybe they are right.

In any case better promotion and a better time slot would have meant catching me and other potential Newsnight junkies for the long term.

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