No one is watching the debate over Michelle Wolf’s performance at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner closer than Netflix CEO Reed Hastings.
While conservatives and democrats continue to debate whether the comedienne went too far, Netflix sits on pins and needles as it prepares to roll out a new comedy/variety series starring the Daily Show veteran on May 27.
On paper, Netflix’s debut of the first trailer for The Break, a weekly talk show starring Wolf, couldn’t have been better. As she hosted the dinner, the streaming service rolled out the trailer for the show.
If she killed at the dinner, presumably the interest in her would lead to people tracking the show. Even if her performance wasn’t as strong as other comics, there would be increased interest in her. But no one could have anticipated the truly divisive reaction to her job as host.
That could either make the show a bigger hit that expected or tank its chances. It could be an interesting examination of the service’s political demographics.
The Break is described as a light-hearted comedy/variety series, though one that goes a bit further than basic cable rules will allow. Rather than airing in one block, the show will air new episodes each Sunday.
That discourages binge watching, but as Netflix has learned with David Letterman’s My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, fans are willing to view the streaming service as a source of appointment viewing as well.