Comedy Central has canceled both of the sports-related programs it debuted this year: “Onion SportsDome” and “Sports Show with Norm Macdonald.” No one’s going to weep over the loss of “SportsDome,” but I think “Sports Show” should have been given another season to grow, if only because it’s Norm F’n Macdonald, who aptly described himself as “Comedy Central’s fourth most popular host.”
Macdonald quipped to EW that he had not been “officially” informed of the bad news, noting, “A Minute with Stan Hooper is still officially on hiatus,” a reference to his short-lived 2003 Fox sitcom. He also said that he was open to hosting a similar-style program (“I like doing a funny show where I don’t have to act and fall in love with a girl”) and talked up “an Internet campaign to save the show, almost like they do with shows about witches and vampires and aliens from outer space…. Maybe I’ll call [the network] and ask them to bring it back. I’ll say, ‘Just bring it back. How much could it hurt television, really?’” [EW]
Macdonald averaged 1.1 million viewers in his slot behind “Tosh.0,” which isn’t terrific but isn’t bad, either. I figured that the cachet of certain bits and stunts — like the Blake Griffin sketch and Macdonald’s $25,000 wager on Manny Pacquiao — would have been enough to get him another season. But I was wrong, and that’s why I’m a blogger and not a television executive. Because my head’s not inside my ass.
Further reading: The Very Best (and Last) of ‘Sports Show’; In Defense of ‘Sports Show’
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The segment about the Korean women golfers was great. Too bad, especially with all the shit on tv during the summer.
this is bull shit! why wont people realize the Genius of Norm?!
I guess this is God’s response to Norm’s taunt after making the trick shot.
Mind of Mencia gets 4 seasons and Norm gets this.
I honestly laughed out loud more at this show than Tosh.0
Wait, what? What the H? I wonder how Sad Bill Cosby feels about this.
Good. How is it that people still think this guy is funny? He’s not funny, and the only guy who could mix sports and humor successfully was Craig Kilborn. Where’s he been lately?
At least he can take solace in the fact that Dick Ebersol also got fired this year.
this is a fucking travesty. As the illuminator of the Michael Jordan Hitler mustache, Norm has more than earned a second season. That Blake Griffin sketch was comedic gold. I just got Pau’d!
At least he can take solace in the fact that Dick Ebersol died horribly in a fire this year. What’s that? Still alive? Then there is no God.
people are more upset about this than SportsDome? i thought i knew funny, apparently i am mistaken. i lol’d hard at sportsdome several times. a dying girl’s last wish is to tell david wright he sucks…what’s not to like?
What is not to like about Sports Dome? How about the fact it wasn’t current or that it was the Onion
The show was pretty damn funny and it was drawing decent ratings. Sometimes I think Comedy Central just likes to throw as much shit as they can against the wall, and only renew the ones that draw great ratings.
i’m sorry, is good writing too much to expect other people to get? guess i should go back to watching norm and never being sure when to laugh…oh wait…i can’t
i am disappoint.
Decent ratings, so I’m guessing it was Norm’s salary. I’m not saying he’s costing a lot, just that when you compare the show to Tosh, who was an unknown, standing against a green screen, you can afford to let that build an audience, then raise his salary as it builds. Norm comes in with name recognition and probably more pay, so it has to pay off quicker.
Poor Norm. This always happens. Is Mad TV still on? They could probably use some help. Or maybe he could be on a sitcom, just not in the lead role? Maybe play the wacky neighbor who always walks in without knocking?
Is Gil from The Simpsons based on Norm MacDonald or is it the other way around?
Damn, another good show goes down in flames.
Onion SportsDome was actually a great show. It had more clever jokes per minute than any other show on Comedy Central. And Norm is Norm. That show was perfectly executed, so if the numbers weren’t there, I don’t know what could have changed. Still, when your highest-rated show is 50% clip show, the production monies look as if they may be better spent elsewhere.
I think I know a thing or two about television, guys. I do have two of them.
Damn, that show was really good and I am of the belief that TV just isn’t right without Norm MacDonald somewhere on it.
Those bits with his “nephew” acting really awkward around people were great.
This bums me out.
The other thing is that he seems to really love sports. He was livetweeting the Hell out of the US Open for crying out loud.
The problem with the Onion SportsDome was that in their attempt to parody the rapid-fire pacing of Sportcenter and its ilk they sacrificed the most vital component of comedy, timing. The show had clever writing but never was able to work for me or anyone I knew as every sketch just felt flat and rhythmless.
We’ll be back with more “Sports Show with Norm Macdonald”
Blows, Norm is a top 5 funniest living human
What the H?! Comedy Central announced they have cancelled Sports Show with Norm MacDonald. Total crap, I know. Let’s push to save the show. Here’s the Facebook petition to save the show. Please “like” the facebook petition and spread it around [tinyurl.com]
gay.
*sorry* I meant, “super gay.”
this is bullshit, i loooovvvveeddd this show
I only caught SportsDome once, found it quite funny but it didn’t hook me. Watch Sports Show every week though. Bummer that it’s gone; was definitely funnier than most of CC’s programming. Look out, Jon Benjamin; you’re probably next.
Yet, total garbage fratire shows like “workaholics” gets picked up for a second season. Comedy Central’s audience is 20 year old white dudes who are currently stoned and dropping out of community college.