Frans Bauer is quite disappointing in terms of figures with his comeback on television. Tina Nijkamp, the viewing figure of Hilversum, speaks of a ‘moderate start’. But Angela de Jong is lyrical.
We haven’t seen Frans Bauer on television for a while. There was a period when he was continuously visible among all kinds of banana peels. One celebrity after another was taken the piss at Bananasplit. But now the folk singer is back with a socially relevant show about low literacy: Life Without Letters.
‘Very sorry’
Frans’ program premiered last night at half past ten on the country’s most watched TV channel NPO 1, but did not appeal to very many people. “The TV return of Frans Bauer with his program that is so close to the heart scored 644 thousand viewers and only a 7 percent market share in the commercial target group 25 to 54 years.”
Tina speaks on her analysis channel therefore a ‘moderate start’. “Unfortunately. It’s a real shame, because a program with this theme fits perfectly with the NPO. Frans does score DOUBLE than competitor singer Jan Smit with his ‘me, myself and I’ football soap about FC Volendam, which was broadcast at this time.”
Sailaint detail
It is striking that Khalid & Sophie, where Frans was to promote his program, scored better with 715 thousand viewers. Tina speaks of a ‘salient detail’. Apparently not enough people were triggered to stick around.
What was there for Frans? Dream House Wanted. “Dionne Stax and Carrie ten Napel ensure that the NPO 1 score triples (!) compared to last week: they score 920 thousand viewers. Where The Biohack Project has not even reached 300,000 viewers in recent weeks. Phew, what a ratings disgrace that program was.”
Viewership dip
The program after Frans, De Avondshow with Arjen Lubach, also scored a lot better with 888 thousand viewers. “You can see that Frans Bauer is unfortunately really causing a dip at NPO 1. For the largest channel in our country, NPO 1, 644 thousand viewers for primetime is unfortunately not very much.”
It is striking, because Frans does have the favor factor. “I think it’s a shame myself (I also really like Frans Bauer) but it’s the same. Disappointing start, especially considering the amount of promotion.”
Angela is lyrical
Fortunately, Angela de Jong is lyrical. “Did I mention that Frans Bauer deserves a statue? No? Here it is. If, as the star of AvroTros, you can make any program you want, then we all know about it, right? Then you book a trip to the other side of the world, with your whole family,” she writes A.D.
“But what did Frans say? He said he wanted to make a program about people with low literacy. (…) It results in a program, Leven Zonder Letters, the likes of which I have not seen at the NPO for a while, in which a difficult social theme is made transparent in an accessible, cheerful way.”