Joseph Cultice/FOXIt turns out there's a good reason, well, besides the whims of taste, that Osbournes: Reloaded mania didn't sweep the country last night.
The show didn't air in a lot of the country last night.
Approximately 11 percent of the TV nation did not have the opportunity to see the Osbourne family's variety debut immediately following American Idol, Fox confirmed today.
In some cities, such as Milwaukee, the show aired later than its network-intended 9:30 p.m. time slot. In others, such as Panama City, Fla., it didn't air at all. Fox put the number of stations that opted out of Osbournes: Reloaded entirely at "a handful."
At least one group, however, watched the show very, very carefully.
The Parents Television Council, foe of Gossip Girl, 90210 and more, said it counted 49 "bleeped and unbleeped expletives and partially-obscured obscene gestures" during the 36-minute Osbournes: Reloaded premiere.
The group—and some Fox affiliates—seemed especially put off by the family of Ozzy, Sharon, Jack and Kelly being married, as it were, to the family friendly Idol.
"With Danny Gokey's involvement, Milwaukee's certainly in the spotlight, and the show does well. Kids and adults are watching this together," WITI-TV general manager Chuck Steinmetz told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal of his reluctance to let Idol lead into Osbournes: Reloaded.
In Milwaukee, an antidrug special aired after Idol; the Osbournes aired after the late news. Long, long after the late news. At 1 a.m., Wednesday.
According to Broadcasting & Cable, other stations proceeded with caution out of fear of fines from the Federal Communications Commission.
It was not known if Osbournes: Reloaded ended up prompting calls of complaint to the FCC. A commission spokesman did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
It's conceivable that the uproar over Osbournes: Reloaded could last longer than the show itself. Designed to run as a series of specials, Reloaded does not have a regular time slot, or, as yet, another scheduled air date.
Fox itself seemed cool on the premiere's ratings. Airing after Idol, the show averaged an estimated 9.3 million viewers.
Better make that, airing after Idol, in the parts of the country where it actually aired after Idol.