Strike two for MTV’s renewed focus on scripted television. The Hard Times of RJ Berger, from Seth Grahame-Smith, is the second casualty for the network this year – following the dismissal of the controversy-courting Skins in June.
The Hard Times of RJ Berger, a teen comedy about a well-endowed high-school nerd, opened its second season to respectable ratings of 3.1 million viewers, giving MTV reason to think they had a solid performer on their hands. As the season progressed, however, Berger‘s ratings began to soften. The decrease was so significant that by the time the finale aired, less than a million viewers tuned in.
The loss of audience seemed to be the norm for the show. Despite strong premieres for seasons 1 and 2, The Hard Times of RJ Berger never finished with the same verve. In comparison, despite the controversy (or because of it), Skins regularly outperformed the show. And while Skins’ ratings might have led to another season, the complaints from the Parent’s Television Council and the loss of advertisers gave MTV little choice but to cancel the racy British remake.
Even though two of MTV’s scripted shows are now down, that doesn’t mean the network is giving up. MTV was once ruled almost entirely by reality programming like Jersey Shore and The Real World (and with a record 8.8 million people tuning in for season 4 of Shore, it’s no wonder), but even network executives know that those kinds of programs won’t stay fresh forever.
Former programming chief Tony DiSanto discussed MTV’s interest in producing more scripted shows by saying, “Getting into scripted shows is an important piece of the puzzle. The key to MTV’s success is not getting too homogenized and moving too much in one direction.”
Currently, MTV is enjoying success with its reimagining of Teen Wolf and the other high school comedy Awkward. Teen Wolf has already scored a second season order and the network is believed to be readying the same for Awkward.
That’s not all, though; MTV has plenty more original scripted series planned for launch this year and 2012.
First up is Death Valley, a horror/comedy following the LAPD’s Undead Task Force (UTF for short), which deals with all sorts of supernatural elements like vampires, werewolves and, of course, zombies. The series will premiere later this month on August 29.
October sees the launch of the animated series Good Vibes and the return of MTV favorite Beavis and Butt-Head.
Next year MTV will be adding another British remake with The Inbetweeners and the dramedy I Just Want My Pants Back – which will have a sneak-peek after the MTV Video Music Awards on August 28.
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Source: Deadline
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It was a hilarious show. I think the problem was it was trying to compete with Glee too much. Teen pregnancy, jock in the closet, nerd rising and falling with popularity every other episode. It shouldve just been like “Superbad: the tv series” which it was for a while. But somewhere along the line it stopped being that and just got generic and predictable
Even though I still liked the show, I mean The secret life became the same way after so long. But people still watch that. I think that them taking off Skins & The hard times of RJ burger is going to hurt there ratings.
Thank god.
Couldn’t agree with you more Silvergoat. Now if only they cancelled Teen Mom, 16 and Pregnant, and Teen Wolf, they may be able to go back to being a respectable tv station.
I do not agree with that at all, 16 and pregnant & Teen Mom are amazing shows. The only reason I stopped watching MTV was because of Jersey Shore.
The Teen Mom & 16 and Pregnat is really dumb. I can honestly say that after both of those shows aired I’ve seen more pregnat girls in my school than I’ve seen anywhere else.
Rj on the other hand was pretty good it’s just that with it being on during the school year I never had the time to watch it or it got beat on my scheadual of other shows I enjoy same goes for My Life As Liz.
Skinz was well ehh at best. There was some stuff I enjoyed while the rest was just way over the top for me. I mean aren’t these shows supposed to represent some form of reality of todays high school life. Yea everyone knows a few pot heads or drugies (wheather conciously or not), or the stupid/unlucky couple that didn’t use/broke some protection that would have prevented a pregnancy in the first place. But come on not everyone is on drugs & or trying to find someone to hump.
On top of that i’ve actually grown quite sick of the channels false advertizing, I mean the M stands for MUSIC. I’d like to be able to watch a video that’s not on digital cable, or on at the crack of a monkey’s ass. Instead of coming home to some crap of someone else’s life that I could give 2 hot damns about, I’d like to turn on my tv & jam to a good song while I do some home work. I wanna hear about up & coming artists wheather they be underground or mainstream. Album releases, top of the charts reports, music countdowns, maybe a show that describes the history a an old or new rising gener/gonra of music. I want a damn music channel to be a damn music channel! IS THAT REALLY TOO MUCH ASK FOR!?!
If they must have “reality tv” they should just create a second network that they would own & just put the shows on there maybe like an RTV, STV or something along those lines(even though it’s all really fake, pre-written, & scripted crap). Better yet take all the music related stuff from VH1 & swap it for all these shows on MTV putting everything as it should be.
That maybe true, but people make there own desions. The whole point of teen mom is to show you how difficult it is to be in there situation. No one should see that as anything different. you can always prevent pregnancy… But not all people pick to and thats there faults. I don’t think anyone should talk smack on the teen mom cast.
I agree completely with Holly; “Teen Mom” and “16 & Pregnant” are not meant for girls to attempt to get pregnant and get on TV.
It’s obviously not their fault those girls are pregnant at your school, maybe you have misguided young men and whores at your school.
My Mom was shortly a ‘Teen Mom’ (at age 18 during High School). She didn’t get a lot of things and worked her hardest to support my older Brother being on the way. She said it was tough, but my Dad stuck around, before he left us to fiend for ourselves.\
‘Teen Mom’ shows how rough it is, showing you everything (some scripted) how life is. You have: low income, fatherless children, court settlements, etc.
your annoying. Honestly.
T.v. shows are just T.v. shows, no one makes you watch them. So don’t go around blaming shows for why you stopped watching MTV. That is THE lamest thing I’ve ever heard. Your, your own person. No one makes you watch anything. If you don’t like it close your eyes or shut up. Please grow up. Thankyou.
Thanks<3
Deadline reported that Awkward got a season 2 pickup. Two days ago.
awkward isnt that bad of a show. i think its kind of funny
Oh tell me that isn’t true. Awkward is a HORRIBLE show.
your annoying. Honestly.
T.v. shows are just T.v. shows, no one makes you watch them. So don’t go around blaming shows for why you stopped watching MTV. That is THE lamest thing I’ve ever heard. Your, your own person. No one makes you watch anything. If you don’t like it close your eyes or shut up.
Thanks<3
Learn to spell and use proper grammar.
Damn, this sucks. Such an awesome show.
I didnt really like the show. The jokes werent ever that funny and the characters were cliche and lame imo :-/
I hope Inbetweeners is even a fraction of how good the original series was. The British version is by far the funniest show to come out of Britian since Monty Python
Awww, I liked R.J. Berger, but I wasn’t all that interested in getting into the second season so, meh
I got into it a little bit, but I didn’t like how Season 2 ended. The cliffhanger made zero sense and I had no idea where the writers were going to take the show from there.
I did, just think about it… RJ finally got one of the most hottest senior chicks, and then he comes to find out that he got Lily pregnant. I mean come on, What do you think would happen, And how do you think his parents would handle it.
That’s probably why they stopped they couldn’t carry on the show without making it worse. By the end it was quite good but not as good as the beginning.
-.-’ Awkward got a second season? That show sucks ass. They show more sexual intercourse scenes than Skins. It’s sad to see decent shows like RJ Berger, Skins, and etc.
ToT MTV, you suck – nevermind, I take that back, I love Teen Wolf!
Teen wolf got more Sexual scenes then awkward. Duh
I have this crazy idea that maybe mtv should show maybe y’know MUSIC VIDEOS again? Instead of unfunny, talentless and mind numbing crap.
I totally agree.
man it suck i was a big fan of rg an i was hoping to see season 3 i always use to wach it online an now i dont have any reason to see anythin on mtv.
I’ve got a great idea for MTV. Start remembering what the M in MTV actually stands for!!!!!!
I am very disappionted that MTV took RJ Berger off the air. I am a 33 year old mum that loved the show. Why can’t it come back for one more season so it can be wrapped up. I really wanted to know how that shower scene was gonna end, and what RJ was gonna do about it.
All of these shows are CRACKEN!!!!!! Shins I didnt like a lot but my sister liked it so whatever…. Awkward is diffinately my favorite show series ever !!!!!!
I gotta say that the jersey shore, the hard times of rj berger, and skins are gr8 shows and all these crappy shows like akward, teen mom, and 16 and pregnant SUCK! no man would ever want to watch those crappy shows and they need to appeal more to the men other than these chick shows!
The reasons I stopped watching MTV is because of the jersey shore, 16 and prego, and teen mom sure I get it they want to show drama but then again we have enough drama in our own life . Sure the hard times did the same but it wasn’t based on a real person … So I say MTV bring it back …
Please Bring The Hard Times Of RJ Berger back!! It’s the best show ever!
damn..i really liked that show..it had EVERYTHING.
half of these are parents saying “oh this show is bad for their minds: yeah? what do they think highs chool is nowadays? preschool, wake up
All i can say is this show changed my life in a good way also i was getting bullied and chasing the girl of my dreams and meeted the girl i love
and i must say i learned alot from the show more then the other shows taught me things
All i wanna say is this show need to rise from the ashes
So please mtv please bring back the hard times of rj berger
MTV gets rid of Skins and RJ berger… but they keep akward and jersey shore and teen mom.. Whats up with that.
R J bereger was brilliant, cant belive you americans finally got a show thats actually funny, and you cancel it, why.. the fat guy was so funny, the period blood on his face bit hahah laughed so much, this was a greats how with a lot going for it
Please MTV bring back the hard times of RJ berger, that show was really inspiring to me and the 700,000 viewers that watched it, i’ve seen shows that have only 500,000 viewers and still make another season, in my personal opinion MTV gave up way to easily and still could of tried something new, and honestly i think that was one of the best shows that’s ever been done in a long time, MTV can go and make another season if they really wanted to, all i’m saying is please please MTV bring back the hard times of RJ berger, please.
This is the best show on MTV!! They are really stupid if they cancel this!!!
I love this show.! Rj Berger should have a season 3 I hate how it ended I wanna know what will happen next.!
“rj ganna be a dad! What happens next???