With sketches that include strippers at a doggie bachelor party, a parody of 12 Angry Men incorporating sex toys, and a biting bit about the shelf life of Hollywood actresses’ sex appeal, no current ad-supported TV show combines raunchiness and ratings quite like Inside Amy Schumer.
On the back of those viral sensations, as well other sketches that deftly tackle un-comedic issues like rape culture, the third season of Inside Amy Schumer has been a ratings hit for The Comedy Network, with audiences up 70% over last season and audiences for the key A18-49 demo up 85%.
Airing at 10:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Inside Amy Schumer is averaging 171,000 viewers 2+ this season according to Numeris, up from about 100,000 viewers in its first two seasons. Its May 12 episode, “I’m Sorry,” attracted a series-high 260,000 viewers.
Even more impressive, said Rachel Goldstein-Couto, director of programming for Bell Media, is that the show’s breakout success is occurring in the midst of the NHL and NBA playoffs and the start of the Major League Baseball season.
“We typically go dark – our audience is gone to the playoffs,” she said. “And she’s still doing the best season she’s ever done, which is a testament to what’s happening with the show.”
Inside Amy Schumer’s season three premiere aired shortly after Schumer hosted the MTV Movie Awards, but overnight ratings were actually down from previous years. Comedy Network executives’ initial disappointment soon turned into excitement, however, as what Goldstein-Couto described as “massive” catch-up ratings suggested the show was destined for a breakout year.
Schumer had been doing stand-up since 2004, finishing fourth on season 5 of the summer reality series Last Comic Standing, but was a relative unknown when Inside Amy Schumer debuted on the U.S. specialty network Comedy Central in 2013.
Two years later, Schumer is a Variety and Entertainment Weekly cover star and viral video sensation, her show was renewed for a fourth season even before the season three premiere. Later this summer, she will star alongside former Saturday Night Life star Bill Hader in the Judd Apatow-directed Trainwreck, which she also wrote.
“It’s always been a smart and funny series, but I think to a certain degree she’s tapping into something that’s going on with women,” said Goldstein-Couto of the show’s breakout year. “She’s consistently brave.”
Goldstein-Couto said Inside Amy Schumer has been “a programming and promotional priority” for Comedy since its debut, but the show has taken on added significance with the loss of two of the specialty channel’s mainstays: The Colbert Report and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, which will air its final episode on Aug. 6.
The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore succeeded The Colbert Report in January, while Trevor Noah will replace Jon Stewart as the new host of The Daily Show in September, essentially creating two new franchises that will take time to find their footing.
Goldstein-Couto said The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, for instance, is “holding its own,” but acknowledged that ratings in the weeknight 11:30 p.m. timeslot have slipped since The Colbert Report went off the air in December.
“New talent is coming in, and they are talented and will build just like those shows did, but having something like [Inside Amy Schumer] happen right now is fantastic,” she said.
The only drawback to Inside Amy Schumer’s breakout success is that The Comedy Network is restricted to where it can air the show because, as Goldstein-Couto said, it is just “too filthy.”
“The great thing about Amy is that she’s no-holds barred and will say anything; the bad thing about Amy is that she’ll say anything,” she said. “We have a difficult time re-airing this show because of the language and subject matter.
“It’s kind of a double-edged sword. I wish we could air it in more places, but I also wouldn’t want to censor it.”
The show’s raunchiness can also make it a minefield for all but the most intrepid advertisers, which in the most recent episode included Toyota Corolla, Dairy Queen and (somewhat surprisingly) P&G’s Swiffer brand.
“It’s definitely not for everybody, but if the CRTC has allowed it to be on air, then it’s deemed appropriate for consumption by Canadians,” said Judy Davey, executive vice-president of activation at ZenithOptimedia.
Davey said Canadian advertisers are generally “not as fussy” about advertising environments as their U.S. counterparts. “It’s way more common in the U.S. to have a list of shows you won’t advertise in,” she said.
“That said, not every advertiser is going to want to be associated with controversial content,” Davey added. “What is deemed controversial for one client may be deemed totally appropriate for another, which is why it’s important to have context when doing buys and pay attention to the programs you’re buying to ensure that the environment enhances and augments your client’s product.”
No surprise, then, that not every advertiser wants to be inside Amy Schumer.
