The 1/2 Hour News Hour

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Season 1
Season #: 2, 1
User Score
2.8

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 380 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 97 out of 380
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 380
  3. Negative: 273 out of 380

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User Reviews

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  1. ChrisE
    Mar 28, 2007
    3
    Jokes and satire not very witty, predictable most of the time. Wish there could be a funny right wing show that could make fun of the other side while poking fun at themselves. There is plenty of material out there and "1/2 Hour" seem to miss most of it
  2. JamesA
    Feb 21, 2007
    3
    The show really didn't poke fun at the news, but seemed to be a hitjob for the US Democratic Party. In contrast, what I like about Stewart and Colbert is that they poke fun at both political parties, and use actual news events to bolster thier jokes (thus the Emmys). Granted, some of the jokes were funny, but there is a reason why the show has only been slated to three episodes.
  3. TimH.
    Jul 9, 2007
    2
    What's comedic about this: Apparently Al Gore's son's drug use is the result of a traumatic experience from his childhood (his parents kissing). How is that humorous political commentary? Marching to the same drum of Ann Coulter's dead son comments about John Edwards, and Limbaughs family dog comments about Chelsea Clinton, this show avoids issues and just takes shots What's comedic about this: Apparently Al Gore's son's drug use is the result of a traumatic experience from his childhood (his parents kissing). How is that humorous political commentary? Marching to the same drum of Ann Coulter's dead son comments about John Edwards, and Limbaughs family dog comments about Chelsea Clinton, this show avoids issues and just takes shots at irrelevant things (family, looks, appearance). But hey with the right doing such a screwy job with the county, what really do they have to joke about?… Expand
  4. AldousT
    Feb 22, 2007
    2
    Okay, I watched the whole thing, which was hard to do, but I wanted to be fair and give it a full chance. I am giving it a 2 (as opposed to a 0), because I did smile ONCE. With better writers, this show MIGHT stand a chance, but as of this pilot, it looks pretty grim.
  5. Lance
    Mar 15, 2007
    2
    The satire is pedestrian and lame. It's "Weekend Update" at its very worst. It's very sad to know that people actually think this stuff is funny and that this show is getting good ratings. I knew conservatives had bad taste in comedy, but not THIS bad. Along with "Red Eye", another example of FoxNews' decline.
  6. R.Skelly
    Feb 19, 2007
    2
    this is an awkward, desperate and ultumately woeful attempt at political parody.
  7. KrisK
    Feb 19, 2007
    2
    relegated to the hellish hours of 3AM and plugged between other boners like Girls Gone Wild and Enzyte, it might do wonderfully. Some of us get punchy enough to laugh at anything, even this, at 3 AM.
  8. dare-as
    Feb 21, 2007
    2
    (2) for concept, (0) for execution, neither news nor entertainment
  9. SteveM
    Feb 21, 2007
    2
    Sophmoric, ancient jokes given a "new" spin. If it was remotely funny, why the canned laugh track? Seriously. Don't get too fond of this show, it'll last maybe two weeks before Fox puts a bullet in its head.
  10. FranklinM
    Mar 16, 2007
    2
    Man I am really disappointed in this show. I watched really hoping that I would finally see some good comedy about thos lefties and what do I get? Coulter trying to be funny. I like her rants about liberals just like the other guy but come on. She is not funny. I just wish we could be a little more original. We don't need to copy the Daily Show. We can do better.
  11. Sean
    Feb 18, 2007
    2
    Pathetic attempt! I was going to give it a chance being a moderate voter ... a daily show rip off that doesn't even give the daily show any street cred.
  12. AlyceN
    Feb 21, 2007
    2
    I chuckled once or twice. I like to watch funny people making fun of liberal shibboleths. These are not funny people.
  13. geoffb
    Feb 22, 2007
    2
    O or 10 depending on your politcal affiliation? Not likely. I've been looking at the reviews all over the web and guess what? The 10's are EXACTLY the same comments on other sites. If your going to try to hype your show don't be so obvious.
  14. MayB
    Feb 24, 2007
    2
    I give it a 2 for the 2 funny jokes, but that's because I feel bad for them. I hope those anchors will be able to find another job...doing something else.
  15. EloyV.
    Jul 22, 2008
    2
    Great show.
  16. JeffM
    Feb 20, 2007
    1
    The premise is stupid, the jokes dumb and juvenile, and the performance are so dull, it looks like even the actors hate doing it. Comedy only works if everything is up for grabs, narrowing down to make fun of a select group of people to pander to a "base" is why this will inevitably fail.
  17. EmmaM
    Feb 20, 2007
    1
    Unbelievably horrible!!! This show is painfully unfunny.
  18. RossA
    Feb 21, 2007
    1
    A satire doesn't work if you parody a different world altogether (whatever planet Fox lives on, because its not mine rofl). However, that complete lack of cohesion made this show unintentionally funny, so I give it a 1 for mockery purposes. Fox's ultimate paradox is that it has a parody news show on the worst news station on television. Before it gets to make fun of "good" news A satire doesn't work if you parody a different world altogether (whatever planet Fox lives on, because its not mine rofl). However, that complete lack of cohesion made this show unintentionally funny, so I give it a 1 for mockery purposes. Fox's ultimate paradox is that it has a parody news show on the worst news station on television. Before it gets to make fun of "good" news stations, it might want to consider getting its own. This show will be canceled in 6 episodes, tops.… Expand
  19. JeffK
    Feb 20, 2007
    1
    The only thing I really found funny was how poorly the laugh track was applied.
  20. bk
    Mar 10, 2007
    1
    i didn't expected in to be 'daily show' quality but i did expect a lot more than this. is there such a thing as a funny conservative?
  21. BoydP
    Mar 12, 2007
    1
    The 1 is for production values--this show is well-produced and looks much like The Daily Show and others you'd find on Comedy Central. But that is the problem: those shows are on COMEDY CENTRAL! This is on FOX NEWS! A news channel should not be airing comedy (as if to say Fox News's coverage isn't funny enough already). The Daily Show and The Colbert Report both air very The 1 is for production values--this show is well-produced and looks much like The Daily Show and others you'd find on Comedy Central. But that is the problem: those shows are on COMEDY CENTRAL! This is on FOX NEWS! A news channel should not be airing comedy (as if to say Fox News's coverage isn't funny enough already). The Daily Show and The Colbert Report both air very late at night, which is why they get lower ratings than a show airing at 7pm. That said, The Daily Show pulls in better ratings than this one--a midnight show trumping a prime time show? That takes some work. I watched two episodes back-to-back with my conservative parents. In the entire hour, I laughed only because it was attempting comedy and failing miserably; my parents laughed once. It is a sure sign of comedic failure when my conservative parents ask to change the channel. I'll give Joel Surnow credit for 24, which I watch and enjoy. But this Half-Hour News Hour is PAINFULLY unfunny. The show is filmed before a live studio audience and still needs to rely on canned laughter. Wow... that really says it all.… Expand
  22. ChrisM
    Mar 7, 2007
    1
    I can't imagine the producers/writers do a worse job on this. However, I'm sure it's possibleolbutt, so I gave it a 1/10. I also cannot imagine anyone, on the right, on the left, or in the middle (where the majority sit) finding this anything but painful to watch. What's with all the trolls on here spamming this site with positive ratings? If you want great humor with I can't imagine the producers/writers do a worse job on this. However, I'm sure it's possibleolbutt, so I gave it a 1/10. I also cannot imagine anyone, on the right, on the left, or in the middle (where the majority sit) finding this anything but painful to watch. What's with all the trolls on here spamming this site with positive ratings? If you want great humor with a right wing slant, go read some PJ O'Rourke. It just doesn't get stinkier than this.… Expand
  23. ChristineNYC
    May 7, 2007
    1
    This is really terrible. Daily Show is funny because it finds all politics funny. It finds humor anywhere it can find it and makes fun of democrats regularly. HHNH has an agenda and is trying way too hard. Just a train wreck to watch.
  24. cindyl.
    Aug 14, 2007
    1
    Feeling generous today I gave the 1/2 Hour News Hour a rating of 1. If you are in high school-well, it might be a tad bit funny. Being an adult-not so much.
  25. TrueBlueM.
    Aug 14, 2007
    1
    I'm extremely liberal. But I thought the first moment of the sight gag of Limbaugh as president was kind of funny, given the context. Ditto with Anne Coulter walking through the door as the Vice President. But sight gags can't carry a half hour show. So they are reduced to body odor jokes and making fun of people's names, which wasn't funny in elementary school. I'm extremely liberal. But I thought the first moment of the sight gag of Limbaugh as president was kind of funny, given the context. Ditto with Anne Coulter walking through the door as the Vice President. But sight gags can't carry a half hour show. So they are reduced to body odor jokes and making fun of people's names, which wasn't funny in elementary school. Republicans can only do grade school level political humor because sophisticated allusion and wordplay requires a certain level of critical thinking, and being able to hold two ideas at once and laugh at the juxtaposition of things you didn't expect to find together ( I smile everytime I see The Daily Show caption about "Mess O'Potamia"). Many conservatives do not know how to do this kind of thinking, or do not enjoy it. One of the other commenters made a good suggestion: Fixed News Channel should just anthologize all the Daily Show and Colbert Report humor about people on the left. That way they'd get a much funnier 22 minutes a week.… Expand
  26. JRE.
    Aug 15, 2007
    1
    The only time this show made me laugh was when they announced its cancellation!
  27. ChrisA
    Feb 18, 2007
    1
    This just sucks.
  28. BrianM
    Feb 19, 2007
    1
    Am I missing something here? After the show finished, I thought isn't comedy at it's best when practiced by the anti-establishment. It's just not funny when the Bush administration does one liners and zingers about the ACLU.
  29. CoryK
    Feb 19, 2007
    1
    Attempt at balancing out liberal-biased satire? Maybe. Funny? No, not at all.
  30. JoeM
    Feb 23, 2007
    1
    Full Disclosure: I voted for Bush in the last election. I'd vote for him again. I think he is Mt. Rushmore good. History will prove this. Furthermore, I do watch FOX, which is why I ran into this piece of poop. Their politics might be in the right place, but, holy cow, the comedy is awful. There are dozens of excellent conservative comedians out there. I doubt that any of the people Full Disclosure: I voted for Bush in the last election. I'd vote for him again. I think he is Mt. Rushmore good. History will prove this. Furthermore, I do watch FOX, which is why I ran into this piece of poop. Their politics might be in the right place, but, holy cow, the comedy is awful. There are dozens of excellent conservative comedians out there. I doubt that any of the people involved in this show would know comedy if it walked up and bit them on the keister. What I'm saying is, P.J. O'Rourke this is not. If this is the best we can come up with for comedy we're going to lose the culture wars in the long run.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

100
#100 Best TV Season of 2007
3
#3 Most Discussed TV Season of 2007
41
#41 Most Shared TV Season of 2007

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
13

Overwhelming dislike - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 11
  3. Negative: 10 out of 11
  1. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Barry Garron
    20
    A look at the first episode suggests that, just as A.M. radio is the unassailable province of the right, TV might better be left to the left.
    Read full review
  2. Orlando Sentinel
    Reviewed by: Hal Boedeker
    0
    "Weekend Update" on its worst night isn't this bad.
    Read full review
  3. Slate
    Reviewed by: Troy Patterson
    0
    You couldn't skewer a cube of tofu with material this dull.
    Read full review
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