Media: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Makes The News!

[ToxicUnicorn]

Another interesting article from Vulture on influences that have shaped Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Edited April 21, 2016 by ToxicUnicorn

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Rachel Bloom is the guest commentator for this week's episode of Gay of Thrones! The video won't embed, but click on it anyway!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTXQ8u_Jr2c

[allonsyalice]

For you lucky people in America, the first season is FREE on itunes

[plurie]

Rachel Bloom was the guest on WAIT, WAIT, DON'T TELL ME on NPR this week. You can get it as a podcast.

[Rhetorica]

13 hours ago, plurie said:

Rachel Bloom was the guest on WAIT, WAIT, DON'T TELL ME on NPR this week. You can get it as a podcast.

She was great. She's so quick witted, she could begin the panel. 

[Rinaldo]

She's also been a guest on Celebrity Name Game at least once.

[ToxicUnicorn]

Here's an article at Vulture that raves about Rachel and the show:

http://www.vulture.com/2016/05/emmys-2016-new-contenders.html

[Minneapple]

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is on the move -- to Friday nights, which looks to me like a really bad timeslot.

http://tvline.com/2016/05/19/the-cw-fall-schedule-2016-supergirl-mondays/

[Rhetorica]

Death knell...

[jjjmoss]

I mean, it's only coming back because of acclaim+awards. Its rock-bottom ratings certainly don't merit being alive.

And it's getting a fall timeslot. I assume that if the awards drop it, then it will be dropped. So Bloom better try for sustained quality.

Edited May 19, 2016 by jjjmoss

[Rhetorica]

I'm sorry for all the posts. I guess that bell kept swinging...

[taragel]

Ugh, what a terrible timeslot and pairing. I'm glad it's back but I almost wish they'd waited till midseason so they could give it a better slot. I wonder why they insisted it had to be on in fall. I mean I guess they don't want people to forget about it so that's admirable. But ugh. I would totally reschedule the CW's whole lineup, in fact. Such bad pairings.

[Minneapple]

Well, it's clear they want Supergirl to succeed. I just wish they had paired Supergirl with Flash and kept Crazy Ex paired with Jane on Mondays.

Also the CW's pilots look...not good. Well. Frequency looks interesting but it's a concept like Sleepy Hollow that could go off the rails fast. Notably they're holding Riverdale for midseason. 

Edited May 19, 2016 by Minneapple

[vibeology]

Their whole schedule seems very strange to me and I'm very worried about this show surviving. At the same time, expectations are obviously much lower on a Friday night so if it can maintain the numbers from the end of the season and maybe pick up a few more awards/nominations, I doubt the CW could do better with something else. It's going to be a very tight thing all season if the show makes it that far.

I get what they're going for; they want to set up a three night crossover event and use those shows to try to lead into new shows but the tone of the Supershows and the things each is paired with seems a little off. I don't know if I could do better considering they're clearly avoiding Thursday night for their big tentpole shows and they're only working with 5 days instead of 6, but its a strange schedule.

[jjjmoss]

While Jane is my favorite network show, objectively keeping a night together that almost never cracks even a million viewers is basically throwing money down the drain.

[theatremouse]

I actually don't think this scheduling signals death knell for this show. Friday is often the "the people who like this really like it and will follow it anywhere" slot. So there are lowered expectations in a sense. If a large proportion of its existing audience follows it, then in the context of "a Friday show" that could be perfectly adequate for what CW wants out of it.

[Trini]

I thought the show would get bumped to mid-season, so a Friday slot in the fall doesn't seem so bad to me. I'm going to have to watch it delayed, though.

[possibilities]

Clearly the Monday CXG/JtV combo wasn't working ratings-wise. I've never seen a show with ratings as low as CXG get renewed at all! I think pairing it with Supergirl, which has a much larger audience that will migrate over from CBS, might actually be a gift to our show.

Also, lots of oddball shows with "cult followings" do well on Fridays and stick around for much longer than they would have if left on more competitive nights that have higher expectations for the network. And with DVRs and streaming widely available, I don't really think a Friday timeslot will stop too many people from getting a chance to see it. It might even improve the live+1 ratings, because people have more free time on Saturday than on Tuesday, generally speaking.

I really love the network for giving Crazy Ex-Girlfriend not only a first year but also a second, and promoting it, and being proud of it in interviews. The ratings were really very bad, so we need to hope they do have a longer view, and know the show will sell DVDs or get awards or something like that, to keep being produced.

[Rinaldo]

Yes, I too am glad it's back, is clearly appreciated by the network despite its abysmal ratings, and I can see it again the fall, on the night that has become the domain of shows with small but intensely loyal audiences. I'm not trying to tell anyone else what to do, but I'm celebrating, not predicting doom.

[Trini]

Tidbit from the CW upfronts:

Quote

New Golden Globe winner Rachel Bloom revealed that season two of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” will have a new theme song. Teasing the new season’s storyline, Bloom spoke about her character, saying, “Rebecca went from lying to herself to now fully being in love with Josh so that’s a really big change.”

[taragel]

17 hours ago, possibilities said:

Clearly the Monday CXG/JtV combo wasn't working ratings-wise. I've never seen a show with ratings as low as CXG get renewed at all! I think pairing it with Supergirl, which has a much larger audience that will migrate over from CBS, might actually be a gift to our show.

I really wish they had paired it with Supergirl! I'm curious to see if that show can retain a fraction of that CBS audience (albeit low for CBS, it would be huge for CW) and bring them on over, which may then boost other shows too.

I think the idea of "lead-ins" are kind of silly in this day and age. How many people watch something because "they just left the channel on after that show they like" in the era of DVRs? I do, however, watch tv together that is tonally similar. My husband and I always waited to watch Flash so we could view it back-to-back with Arrow, and frequently we'd watch Jane/Crazy together because they kept that sunny, slightly surreal mood going. Then again, you could argue that why does what night/time something is on even matter in the DVR age.

I am actually surprised they didn't push it to midseason or even use it to launch a full summer slate, though I'm glad the hiatus won't be that long. 

The new shows look rough (especially No Tomorrow--oof).

[FurryFury]

Quote

ow many people watch something because "they just left the channel on after that show they like" in the era of DVRs? 

The majority of CBS' audience, I'm guessing.

[Bline]

CXG & Beyonce's "Lemonade"

Link to Vanity Fair's article on possible parody of Beyoncé's "Lemonade". 

Valencia would KILL this as the jilted lover.  And "Becky" would be...Becky.  =) 

HuffPost Entertainment Live Rachel Bloom Interview

At 17:50 Bloom talks about Season 2 and Josh's potential story arc. 

Edited May 21, 2016 by Bline
a

[Trini]

Gabrielle Ruiz Promoted to Series Regular.

So I guess the title refers to her now?

[FurryFury]

Oh, let's be real, it's just a matter of time before Rebecca becomes Josh's ex-girlfriend again. Probably (but not hopefully) crazier than ever.

[mamey2422]

'Supergirl' to air Mondays on CW, bumping 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' to Fridays

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend will air on Friday's when it comes back in the fall. Interesting. I've always associated Friday nights to a death knell but I'm sure that's antiquated thinking in today's streaming/on-demand world. I've read a few articles on this and they've all framed it as a good move since Friday's have lower expectations ratings-wise, giving the shower a better chance at succeeding. 

[femmefan1946]

And now for something completely different:

 Rachel Bloom sings "Seasons of Love" in Klingon.

 

[Bline]

On May 24, 2016 at 5:45 AM, mamey2422 said:

'Supergirl' to air Mondays on CW, bumping 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' to Fridays

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend will air on Friday's when it comes back in the fall. Interesting. I've always associated Friday nights to a death knell but I'm sure that's antiquated thinking in today's streaming/on-demand world. I've read a few articles on this and they've all framed it as a good move since Friday's have lower expectations ratings-wise, giving the shower a better chance at succeeding. 

And an Emmy nomination(s). A win would be better. 

[Trini]

Preview clip of Rachel on Lip Sync Battle!

[jjjmoss]

Only network show with multiple noms at the TV Critics Association Awards, following in the footsteps of Jane the Virgin as has been the case this season (though last year Empire joined Jane as a network show with multiple noms). 

Got in for New Program, Comedy, and Comedy Performance.

http://www.indiewire.com/2016/06/tcas-nominations-2016-mr-robot-people-v-o-j-simpson-1201691609/

[Trini]

At Vulture: Rachel Bloom and the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Creative Team Break Down 5 of the Show’s Songs:

Quote

MCKENNA: One thing I want to say about the songs is that they are the egg, and the show is the chicken. We form the show and we figure out the story and the songs have to adhere. It doesn’t go the other way around, it rarely does. Once in a blue moon, a song is so funny that we insist on finding a spot for it. But most of the time the songs have to suit [the plot]. For this one, the particular character dynamic, this relationship between Greg and Rebecca, was shaped a little bit by the song, too.

...
BLOOM: When I was originally writing the song, I think the first thing that came into the song was the bridge. Here is a list of all the objects I can put under my boobs. I was writing it in the office and so I actually did this. I took off my shirt and I started going around the office and just picking things up. That’s why all the things are things you could find in an office. [Laughter.] I really did stick a stapler, ten pencils, and there was a paperback copy of Catcher in the Rye, but we couldn’t clear using the title Catcher in the Rye [Laughter.] Literally, like, and then my dog’s dog bone I think I did that, remote control, I literally can actually fit all these, and it’s under the boobs. I could very easily fit these under my boobs.

[Trini]

Also Vulture: the case for CXG as the Best Show on TV.

[Turtle Wexler]

Happily stumbled on The Hollywood Reporter Comedy Actress Roundtable with Ilana Glazer, Lily Tomlin, Niecy Nash, Gina Rodriguez, Allison Janney, and Rachel Bloom.  I don't know if they leave the videos up for a long period of time?  

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/comedy-actress-roundtable-ilana-glazer-903627

[Minneapple]

Ausiello says that Rachel is going to be nominated for an Emmy!

Quote

But Thursday’s announcement is also poised to feature some pleasant surprises, including the CW’s first-ever acting nod (for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend‘s Rachel Bloom) and an impressive showing for Aziz Ansari’s rookie Netflix Comedy Master of None.

http://tvline.com/2016/07/13/emmy-nominations-2016-predictions-game-of-thrones/

Eta: And damn you Ausiello, for getting my hopes up.

Edited July 14, 2016 by Minneapple

[Stuffy]

17 hours ago, Minneapple said:

Ausiello says that Rachel is going to be nominated for an Emmy!

http://tvline.com/2016/07/13/emmy-nominations-2016-predictions-game-of-thrones/

Eta: And damn you Ausiello, for getting my hopes up.

Yeah she's handicapped by it being a CW show. It's like that channel doesn't exist to the voters, and it's been that way going back to the Gilmore Girls, Felicity, and Buffy days. At least it made it in the technical categories. 

Edited July 14, 2016 by Stuffy

[Trini]

While not in the 'big' categories, CXG still got 4 Emmy noms:

Quote

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY

OUTSTANDING SINGLE-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL MUSIC AND LYRICS

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL MAIN TITLE THEME MUSIC

[Trini]

The specifics and who the show is up against:

Quote

Outstanding Choreography

America's Best Dance Crew • Routines: Runaway Baby/Take U There/Summer Thing • MTV

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend • Routines: I'm So Good at Yoga/A Boy Band Made Up of Four Joshes/Settle For Me • CW
Kathryn Burns, Choreographer

Dancing With The Stars • Routines: Footprints In The Sand/Grace Kelly/Cry Little Sister • ABC

So You Think You Can Dance • Routine: Dibidy Dop • FOX

So You Think You Can Dance • Routines: Beautiful Friends/November/Gimme All Your Love • FOX

Quote

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend • Josh Just Happens To Live Here! • CW
Kabir Akhtar, ACE, Editor

Silicon Valley • Daily Active Users • HBO

Silicon Valley • The Uptick • HBO

Veep • Inauguration • HBO

Veep • Mother • HBO

Quote

Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend • I'm Going on a Date with Josh's Friend! / Song Title: Settle For Me • CW
Adam Schlesinger, Music & Lyrics by
Rachel Bloom, Lyrics by
Jack Dolgen, Lyrics by

Empire • A Rose By Any Other Name / Song Title: Good People • FOX

Galavant • A New Season aka Suck It Cancellation Bear / Song Title: A New Season • ABC

Garfunkel and Oates: Trying To Be Special • Song Title: Frozen Lullaby • Vimeo

The Hunting Ground • Song Title: 'Til It Happens To You • CNN

Quote

Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend • CW • CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television
Rachel Bloom, Theme by
Adam Schlesinger, Theme by

Marvel's Jessica Jones • Netflix

Narcos • Netflix

The Night Manager • AMC

Sense8 • Netflix

The Whispers • ABC

Edited July 14, 2016 by Trini

[vibeology]

That's a shame. With the ratings so low some awards love would have been very helpful. I'm glad it got what it got, but if Rachel can't get credit for her amazing on camera work I can't help but feel disappointed. I do actually like it's chances in that Theme Music category. It's so different from everything else nominated that it might be able to win.

[Rinaldo]

I think it has decent chances in that category, and also in original song, and choreography, depending on voters' tastes. And while it would have been nice to see Rachel's name listed (and hear it called on the air), I don't think she ever had a prayer of winning. The Emmys aren't the Critics Choice awards, alas.

[vibeology]

I don't see it winning song. It's up against 'Til It Happens To You. I still don't understand how that failed to win the Oscar but since it has a chance at an Emmy, I don't think voters will let it lose again. Gaga's performance was so memorable and I think it stuck with people.

[TheOtherOne]

'Til It Happens To You has lost at both the Oscars and Grammys, so I don't think there's that much love for it. Especially since Gaga isn't nominated since she didn't write enough of it to qualify for Emmy consideration (you have to be credited with at least 20%; she has 10 to Diane Warren's 90. Warren is the sole nominee).

I knew better than to expect any major nominations, since the average age of the Emmy voters is something like 70, and more youth-oriented shows seldom do well (outside of Girls, which had a mountain of hype behind it). But then, if Rachel and company go to this much trouble to woo the voters and still come up with nothing, then screw the voters:

Edited July 14, 2016 by TheOtherOne

[Ohwell]

Man, the Emmys really threw 'em some bones.

[jjjmoss]

Well, I think an Editing nom is the biggest a CW show has gotten so far. Its competition are the two comedies with the most major love. It would be great, though unrealistic, if the HBO shows split their vote and CEG won.

Back in the WB days, Buffy got into the main-ceremony category Writing. And Everwood got a Guest Actor nom for James Earl Jones.

Looking more carefully, if you look at network shows primarily designated as Comedy, Drama, or Limited Series, Crazy Ex Girlfriend is tied for the 2nd most noms after Big Bang. It’s tied with Modern Family, Good Wife, and American Crime, so even though it didn’t get a “main” category, still impressive.

I’m undecided on possible upward mobility, given that 3 of the noms are for song and dance, which obviously most shows don’t put a ton of emphasis on. Maybe it’s mainly the Emmy voters in that field who found good reason to seek out this musical show.

Rachel Bloom & co. could try to use this as a shield next season against the likely quite low ratings.

Edited July 15, 2016 by jjjmoss

[Trini]

On 6/22/2016 at 0:54 PM, jjjmoss said:

Only network show with multiple noms at the TV Critics Association Awards, following in the footsteps of Jane the Virgin as has been the case this season (though last year Empire joined Jane as a network show with multiple noms). 

Got in for New Program, Comedy, and Comedy Performance.

http://www.indiewire.com/2016/06/tcas-nominations-2016-mr-robot-people-v-o-j-simpson-1201691609/

... And Rachel Bloom won Individual Achievement in Comedy!

[jjjmoss]

Congrats to Rachel. 

Looking more carefully, it appears that the show is tied for the 5th-most Emmy noms for a comedy this year with Master of None, Modern Family, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. For her noms: 

Main Title Theme Music - The WB's Everwood got a nom here. UPN's Nowhere Man (?) got a nom, while Star Trek Voyager won though that did follow on the heels of previous Emmy-winning predecessors.

Music and Lyrics - Only UPN's Gary and Mike (?) got a nom here. Which is total BS given how Buffy's musical is pretty much perfect, but whatever. 

So in theory the former is more likely.

[megwhite]

I was late to the party discovering this show but this show is awesome, and all its emmy noms are well deserved! I'm so glad its getting a second season. I can't wait to see what she does next.

[Trini]

From the TCA tour: 13 episodes for Season 2; and hope for more viewers:

Quote

It is not lost on anyone at The CW that the network's two most acclaimed shows are also its lowest-rated. Pedowitz noted that all the talk of sophomore dips for Jane the Virgin was not necessarily true — "Its C3 ratings were basically the same" — and that he's optimistic about bringing a bigger audience to Crazy Ex. "In terms of Crazy Ex, I'm waiting to see the Netflix number," he said of the show's first year recently dropping on the streamer. "I don't have the numbers. I want the numbers. I'm praying for the numbers." What he did see, though he admitted he wasn't sure what it meant, was more online mentions of the show once it started streaming. In terms of getting rid of either, that's not something he seemed willing to entertain: "What's the bar? A show like Crazy Ex deserves to be picked up. A show like Jane deserves to get picked up."

[Coconuts]

We binge watched it on Netflix after a friend binge watched it (and pretty sure he heard about it from a friend who binged watched it once it was streaming, too). I think it's the first show I've ever watched on the CW, the whole network's just generally not on our radar.

[Eolivet]

On 7/14/2016 at 4:08 PM, TheOtherOne said:

I knew better than to expect any major nominations, since the average age of the Emmy voters is something like 70

If that were true, I think we'd see a lot more broadcast network shows being nominated.

I think the Emmy voters are hyper image-conscious -- even moreso than the Oscars or Grammys. They desperately want to be perceived as "cool" and "with it." So, they nominate streaming series they've heard of before, or actors that other people think are cool (you cannot tell me with a straight face that 70-something Emmy voters watch Orphan Black -- but they have certainly heard of Tatiana Masalny).

I also think, to them, the CW is desperately uncool. Since it started as a younger audience-oriented/"junior" network, I'm convinced Emmy voters think it's not worth their time. It's not "cutting-edge" like streaming, and there's nothing so original on there that they would be patted on the back for nominating it.

I believe Gina Rodriguez broke through last year, but again, she was cool (I imagine those 70 year-old white men patting themselves pretty hard on the back for nominating her once). But Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is just Feminist Glee (likely, in their eyes), but without the Ryan Murphy pedigree or the actor name recognition of someone like a Jane Lynch. Most of the press Crazy Ex-Girlfriend seemed to get was how it was a miracle it even got renewed. That's not something with which Emmy voters are going to want to be associated.

So, it gets mainly singing and dancing nominations. Like Glee did, after Glee was no longer cool.

[TheOtherOne]

On 8/14/2016 at 10:38 AM, Eolivet said:

If that were true, I think we'd see a lot more broadcast network shows being nominated.

Why? Old people have cable, and can figure out streaming. For anyone who loves television--as people who work or have worked in the industry presumably do--that's where they have to go for the best, or at least most interesting, shows these days. And it's still the shows that have more appeal to older viewers than younger ones that come out on top, regardless of where they come from.

Quote

I think the Emmy voters are hyper image-conscious -- even moreso than the Oscars or Grammys. They desperately want to be perceived as "cool" and "with it." So, they nominate streaming series they've heard of before, or actors that other people think are cool (you cannot tell me with a straight face that 70-something Emmy voters watch Orphan Black -- but they have certainly heard of Tatiana Masalny).

 

I couldn't disagree more. If anything, the Emmy results over the years have demonstrated the Academy doesn't give a damn about buzz or what's cool, or we wouldn't see so many of the same nominees and winners year after year, long after their shows' buzz have faded, while much more acclaimed and talked about shows are ignored. Maslany was buzzed about from the very first season of Orphan Black--and was ignored by the television academy its first two years, only breaking through in its third, presumably when the voters finally got around to watching the show, which was actually when the buzz had slightly diminished. If they did care about what was cool, she would have been nominated from the start.

Quote

I believe Gina Rodriguez broke through last year, but again, she was cool (I imagine those 70 year-old white men patting themselves pretty hard on the back for nominating her once).

As mentioned above, nope. She won the Golden Globe, but the television academy ignored her. Bloom received even more awards, acclaim and media attention this year, and was just as ignored in the end.

Edited August 21, 2016 by TheOtherOne