So far, at least, it's not a good thing. "The Martha Stewart Show" coughed up dismal ratings in its debut on the Hallmark Channel, this week, casting fresh doubt on the wisdom of Stewart's decision to move the formerly syndicated program to cable TV. Only 199,000 people watched Monday's 10 a.m. episode, less than half the audience that tuned into Hallmark for the "Golden Girls" reruns that ran in the same slot a year ago. Can Stewart rebound? (Watch a promo for the show)
What a flop: Monday's ratings were a "rude awakening" for Stewart, says Michael Starr at the New York Post. No doubt, she expected her fans to follow her anywhere, but — more bad news — afternoon repeats of that first show snagged Hallmark only a third of the viewers that reruns of "Little House on the Prairie" pulled in the same time-slots last year. Other celebrities switching to cable, including Oprah Winfrey (whose new channel launches in January), should consider this "food for thought."
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