Did airing Bristol Palin: Life’s a Tripp at the same time as Teen Mom kill its ratings?

Jun, 21, 2012 | AUTHOR: Darren O; | Related : Bristol Palin, Teen Mom

Just a couple of years ago ratings boomed for Dancing With the Stars when Bristol Palin appeared on the show. It was headline worthy as to whether or not her mom would be in attendance to cheer her on. Boy have things changed since then for Bristol’s draw power.

Lifetime premiered Bristol’s docu-series Bristol Palin: Life’s a Tripp on Tuesday evening and the ratings were bad, like, brutally rough. TV by the Numbers’ Tuesday night cable ratings top 100 breakdown had to make a special asterisk just to let readers know why the show didn’t even appear on their list!

Update: Lifetime’s Bristol Palin reality show ‘Life’s a Tripp” drew only 726,000 viewers and a 0.2 adults 18-49 rating.

For a comparison Roseanne Barr’s infamously disparaged and cancelled show, Roseanne’s Nuts, had a premiere viewership of 1.6 million viewers. And to further emphasize the tough opening, momma Sarah Palin’s show Alaska brought in 5 million viewers for its premiere on TLC.

What really blew my mind about the premiere was the day and time that Lifetime scheduled it for. Frequent starcasm readers know what Tuesday at 10:00 means for cable shows about young mothers… It’s when Teen Mom comes on! It seems to me that Bristol’s target audience would be aligned with the popular show so why would Lifetime schedule it at the exact same time while the final season of TM is airing new episodes?

The reviews weren’t great to say the least for Life’s a Tripp but that can be said about a lot of cable shows that have gone on to be highly successful. Many factors play into why a show becomes popular or not but I can’t imagine that putting Bristol up against Farrah, Amber, Catelynn and Maci helped.

Teen Mom’s ratings from Tuesday were 2.372 million viewers and a 1.3 adults 18-49 rating.

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ER

Not that I think the Teen Mom people are any better for being famous for doing nothing other than getting knocked up, but I’m pretty sure low ratings can also be attributed to the fact that at the end of the day, all Bristol Palin has contributed to the world is being the daughter of somebody who could have been vice president but didn’t win. And got knocked up. I’d be quicker to blame low ratings on general “not interesting, not famous” than Teen Mom.

I’m sure she is a nice enough person, but not fame worthy or worth tuning into.
Paula

That’s exactly what I was thinking; bad choice to put it in the same time slot as Teen Mom. While I don’t think her show would’ve drawn *much more* fanfare, it could’ve done a *little* better had it been on at a different time. It will end up with the same fate as “Sarah Palin’s Alaska”.
Kelly

I DVR’d it but haven’t watched it yet. I’m actually excited for it. They should have aired it on the same night but at a different time so as not to interfere with Teen Mom, and then people would be on a Teen Mom high and want more Teen Mom-ish viewing time, lol. I think Bristol looks like a nice girl, and I’ve always wanted to know more about her. I also think the name of the show is clever and adorable. In this day and age, I don’t think what someone has contributed to society (as posted in a previous comment) has anything to do with why people want to watch. Can anyone say KARDASHIONS? The fact is she’s famous. And in actuality, she HAS contributed by becoming an advocate for responsible sex. Just as Maci has been doing. I hope her viewership goes up, as I’ve been excited for a new show that I don’t have to worry about being canceled! One more thing, Sarah Palin’s Alaska wasn’t canceled. It was just a one time deal. She’s smart enough to know that becoming a full fledged reality star as a politician is ridiculous. I believe she did it to gain some interest in tourism for Alaska or something.
- MsEliza
  
  @Kelly – I very much doubt Sarah Palin did it to gain tourism interest for Alaska. She hasn’t done a damn thing for Alaska other than be governor & quit halfway through her first term. Many Alaskans, myself included, know that she doesn’t give a hoot about any Alaskans other than herself & her family.
Victoria

Nobody watched because nobody cares. I’ve been waiting for these Palins to just go away already and quit milking the 15 mins her mom got for being chosen VP candidate because she had a vagina.

Sorry Bristol but your life isn’t a trip. It’s just pathetic.
- ds
  
  My thoughts exactly. No, people don’t hate your family, they hate you guys begging for attention long after the spotlight has turned off. No one cared about you guys in 2008, we sure as heck don’t give a darn in 2012.
realityfan

I honestly don’t care, but I caught a piece of it on tv today and I was absolutely blown away by the fact that Bristol and her mother actually expect the younger sister to basically be Bristol’s live in nanny. I hope I missed a big chunk of the story and this girl isn’t seriously expected to be Bristol’s servant rather than live her life and go to college. They literally wouldn’t let the girl go home to Alaska. Messed up.
Anonymous

I watched this show today and I actually prefer it over anything with the Kardashians.
whoa

Nobody tuned in because no one cares about the Palin’s anymore. Who wants to sit and hear Bristol talk as if she is targeted for being the daughter of Sarah. Instead Bristol has been targeted for saying stupid things herself and acting like a brat. She is trying to hold onto anything she can to stay relevant but no one cares about her. She can act all high and mighty but she is no angel.
Diana

There’s something about Bristol that just plucks at my nerves like a freaking banjo.

I don’t watch either shows but if I was forced at gunpoint to watch one, it certainly wouldn’t be starring Bristol Palin. I’d rather pluck every single hair on my head one at time…that would definitely be more enjoyable than watching that sea cow whine and moan about how she lives in a fishbowl.
- noname
  
  lol! You took the words right out of my mouth.
AJ

If anything, her show seems to be like a wannabe Teen Mom. Bristol’s show also opens with a scrapbook (complete with pictures) and has those scripted voice-overs.
kayla

Who cares about this girl. Her mom is an idiot & was all against premarital sex and her daughter got pregnant. Total joke