By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Monday, March 16, 2015
Last year, I was flabbergasted AMC renewed "Halt & Catch Fire" for a second season after abysmal ratings. The word on the street was AMC's slate of original scripted shows at the time was thin so executives wanted to give it another chance.
Today, VH1 threw me for a loop by giving "Hindsight" a second season. The show is shot in Atlanta but is set in New York City.
While many of VH1's reality shows draw 1 million or more viewers, including its "Love & Hip Hop" franchise, "Hindsight" in overnight viewing struggled to draw 300,000 viewers each week. Heck, VH1 killed off "Atlanta Exes" after averaging a 1.6 million viewers a week.
What may have helped "Hindsight" is the fact the network only has two scripted shows in its lineup after giving up on "Single Ladies" last year. (Centric is bringing it back for a fourth season Thursday.) At the same time, VH1's "Hit the Floor" pulls in much bigger numbers than "Hindsight."
"Hindsight" is a scripted drama about a woman Becca who inexplicably time travels back to 1995 and gets to live her life again with the hindsight of knowing what had happened the first time.
I've watched every episode because this is the type of show I enjoy. I can't say I understand the motivations of the characters all the time, but the writing is good, the characters are likable and the "what ifs" are fun to ponder. Plus, if you enjoy mid-1990s music by the likes of Live, Alanis Morissette and Collective Soul, it's a great time capsule before smartphones, texting and ubiquitous web access.
But I figured as I watched the season finale a couple of days ago that the show was doomed and the cliffhanger would go unresolved.
"Our viewers have fallen in love with Hindsight," said Susan Levison, EVP, Original Programming and Production, VH1, in a press release. "From the characters and storytelling to the iconic music and fashion of the 90's, this is a quintessential VH1 show and we can't wait to see what Becca will do next. Congratulations to the cast and creative team behind this signature series."
I have yet to talk to VH1 executives but two other factors may have kept "Hindsight" alive: quality viewers (or what I call, the "30 Rock" effect) and DVR usage. I presume both were robust.
About the Author
