April 2, 2010 11:41 AM

Sarah Palin Fox News Show Gets Mixed Reviews

By
Brian Montopoli
Topics
Republicans

(Credit: Fox News)
The Sarah Palin-hosted "Real American Stories" debuted on Fox News last night, and the reviews are less than glowing.

In the New York Times, Ahahad O'Connor writes that the "relatively tame" broadcast featured the Fox News contributor "clearly reading from a teleprompter at times, but appeared relaxed and natural -- almost more comfortable than she sometimes appeared on the campaign trail -- when interviewing guests."

The Times' Alessandra Stanley said Palin "retreated into canned television formula," deeming the broadcast a letdown.

"Ms. Palin, who mostly narrated taped stories about inspiring Americans -- a war hero, a philanthropist, a boy with cerebral palsy and his service dog -- gave a competent, but generic performance, as cheery and bland as any news anchor's in the mainstream media she deplores," wrote Stanley.

In the Los Angeles Times, Mary McNamara writes that "surely only the most jaded among us could object to a television show devoted to inspiring tales of "real Americans," among them a heroic Marine and a millionaire who paid for the college education of thousands of children.

And yet: "As a host, Palin brings little besides her name and all that it has come to mean. Despite her time on the campaign trail and in front of often-unfriendly cameras, Palin still has an eyes-locked-on-the-teleprompter stiffness."

In the Washington Post, Hank Stuever writes that he wasn't sure what to make of the show.

"The debut on the Fox News Channel of Sarah Palin's 'Real American Stories' 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," he writes. "What are we watching exactly? (A commercial? News?)"

Deeming the show a "letdown," he adds: "No hopey-changey. No missed cues. Palin's show, which Fox News will air 'periodically,' is innocuous, flat and political in only the most coded of ways. It's like a Barbara Walters special for that particular media consumer who always complains that they never report any good news."

In the New York Daily News, Palin's show got two stars out of five, though the low rating was ascribed to the production, not the host.

"Palin is disconnected from the show," writes Richard Huff. "Having her follow the taped pieces with interviews gives the production the feel of a telethon, without the pitch for money." (Many of the interviews were taped a year ago or more; LL Cool J complained when he learned that an interview with him would be used, and he was subsequently dropped from the show.)

In Entertainment Weekly, Ken Tucker called the show "no worse than a Barbara Walters special."

"The canned quality of Real American Stories -- tales of uplift about people who help others -- seemed designed to showcase Sarah Palin as a good reader of the TV-studio teleprompter and a sympathetic listener to guests in the studio," he writes.

If Palin Ditches RNC, Will Money Follow Her?


Add a Comment See all 31 Comments
by farmersdaughter April 8, 2010 3:30 PM EDT
She quit the govenorship, she isn't even loyal to her party by speaking at the Tea Party events, she goes on tour, she campaigns for McCain....on and on and on. She is making money, and that is what she wants to do. She talks like a duck, quack, quack and more quack. There is no substance in her talks at all. She only knows how to blast Obama. She has not ideas herself, just put down anything she thinks the American people will buy.
Reply to this comment
by dwiff April 3, 2010 3:29 PM EDT
The Liberals I know are almost always the unhappiest people I know.......November will be tough for them......
Reply to this comment
by Dire Wolf April 2, 2010 5:01 PM EDT
Why the left gives only 2* out of 5*?
deduct 1* for no sex
deduct 1* for no violence
deduct 1* for not anti-American
that leaves the 2*
Reply to this comment
by Justiceserved April 2, 2010 8:35 PM EDT
Deduct 1 for being a dimwit.
Deduct 1 for being a money wh***.
Deduct 1 for being unethical & a quitter in Alaska (the on the dole state).
Deduct 1 for never having anything to say & needing to always be in the spotlight.
Deduct 1 for being a reactionary/radical whose words will have dire consequences.
Your math is wrong. It & she is a waste!
by Former_Liberal April 2, 2010 3:29 PM EDT
....is there A SINGLE REVIEW ABOVE from a media outlet that is NOT FAR LEFT LEANING? how 'bout posting a review from someone other than the radical left liberal socialist commie publications like Huffington Post, WP, LA Times, NY TImes et al?

Gimme a break - a liberal article written by a liberal writer for liberal readers...no wonder CBS "news" (tongue in cheek)'s ratings are in the tank

LOL
Reply to this comment
by tonyatq April 2, 2010 3:47 PM EDT
Say it aint so, Joe she uses a teleprompter. Oh, I know it ok for her to use one but Obama can't. Typical Sarah Palin.
by punadave April 2, 2010 8:15 PM EDT
Cool. Now explain yourself. Seriously. Let's pretend for the moment that YOU'RE writing an editorial about Sarah Heath Palin. How does she represent your values? Your concerns? Your faith?

We've gotta' get past this name-calling nonsense. Here's your chance to begin a dialogue that MAY open the eyes of those "radical left liberal socialist commie"s you hold in such low esteem.

Are you up to the challenge?
by mjwilstein April 2, 2010 3:29 PM EDT
the first 30 seconds of Palin's debut are just about all you need to see to know this show is going to be very stupid:
http://******/deZgH7
Reply to this comment
by sngore April 2, 2010 3:25 PM EDT
I was going to watch it, but I decided to follow Palin's cue and not do the legwork. Then I gave her program three stars out of five.
Reply to this comment
by anOPINIONATEDsob April 2, 2010 3:21 PM EDT
Just what part of this show is NEWS? Sorry, but generic is not qualified to run the "REAL AMERICA" and if Alaska was to hard to handle what would she have done with the diaster Obama inherited? Cream rises and if POTUS just happens to be chocolate cream he's still the cream of the crop from the last political offering and by a fairly wide margine at that! Nice to have a level head with the ability to learn running the show.
Reply to this comment
by gig76 April 2, 2010 3:09 PM EDT
Unfortunately for her, she doesnt' have a tv voice. She has a high pitch that notes out of control rather than in control journalism. She reaches only to her base and that's it. She really won't gain more than her base, and she won't gain much of RNC funding. The numbers won't move more than 33% and that will be her funding amount as well. She will eventually spiral down to her own base and won't ever be an Opray, not even a Barbara Walters, but possibly will be a Huckabee since he speaks to his base. Same with Beck and Limbaugh, they have a base and really don't gain many more than those who think alike. For Palin to have received a BA in Mass Comm, she didn't learn much. But since it's the money she she is after and overcompensate to make sure everyone sees her, is a self serving attitude. It's unfortunate she is unable to graciously lose, and get into her own groove to really help others than incite violence and hatred just because she lost. That's very unAmerican and inhumane.
Reply to this comment
by bcpats April 2, 2010 2:12 PM EDT
Ahhh -- the dislike for anything the has anything to do with Fox, Palin, conservativism - - the bashing, name-calling etc. that spews from the dems that cannot get past or see through the smoke and mirrors pouring out of the whitehouse. Ignorance is bliss, so they say.
Reply to this comment
by rickwar April 2, 2010 2:50 PM EDT
The only ignorance and bliss is the Faux News channel, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, Republican leader Steele, Hannity and the deluded followers.

With less than 25% of the electorate indentified with the Republican party it makes you wonder why Faux News is on the air.
by splam April 2, 2010 2:08 PM EDT
Anyone who doesn't like Sarah or her show or anything about her hates Merca and should be deported.
Reply to this comment
by bcpats April 2, 2010 2:13 PM EDT
get real
by anOPINIONATEDsob April 2, 2010 3:26 PM EDT
One must assume that multi tasking is also beyond the abilities of the mindless ditto heads. Try to type and think at least during the same day please!
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