Neil Patrick Harris’s new show “Best Time Ever” rebounded tremendously in its second episode despite the first episode being deemed a failure by many critics. The show had a 22% increase in viewership among 18 - 49 year olds, and over six million viewers according to NBC. This was a 10-month high for the 10 p.m. time slot, excluding “The Voice.” That’s huge, as “Best Time Ever” faced competition from other major network shows like “Dancing With The Stars” and “Limitless,” which weren’t even airing on the night of the premier. Nevertheless, ”Best Time Ever,” which Neil Patrick Harris is both the host and executive producer of, will be moving to the 8 p.m. time slot.
“Best Time Ever’s” first episode was a bit of a disappointment. While the premier generated enthusiasm for this new variety show format, said to be modeled off of the popular British “Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway,” there were many areas where “Best Time Ever” didn’t quite live up to its namesake. The show appeared to be trying too hard at times with jokes falling flat, pranks feeling staged and shameless NBC cross promotion out the wazoo. Neil and sidekick Nicole Scherzinger also lacked chemistry, especially in comparison to their British counterparts Ant and Dec, but this will likely improve over time as both are seasoned hosts. Overall, the show was a huge adjustment, and it was a lot to digest.
However, despite the rough premier, viewers still turned out for episode two, and their dedication was rewarded. Just about every single segment was an improvement upon the previous episode. “Sing Along Live” was probably the only segment that didn’t tremendously improve with Gloria Gaynor’s performance in the first episode being as good as Bonnie Tyler’s.
Neil’s hosting of the show was also much better this time around. His jokes hit home, and he and Scherzinger fed off one another much better, especially when they chimed in during Bonnie Tyler’s performance of “Total Eclipse of My Heart.” The Britney Spears prank segment was another major highlight. It went much better than the obviously staged and poorly executed “The Voice” audition prank.
One thing that can’t go unnoticed is Neil’s talent, as a host and as a jack of all trades. In just two episodes he has climbed to the top of a building, sung, danced, executed Cirque Du Soleil style stunts and done back flips off a pogo stick. All of this combined with his charming personality makes him the perfect host for a large-scale variety show.
There is a lot to be said about a show that responded so well to criticism in a week's time. In just six weeks, we will see if this was “The Best Time Ever.” With Neil at the helm, the involvement of tons of celebrities, and the fast paced, action packed style, I doubt it will disappoint.
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