Bravo renews Kathy Griffin's talk show, despite its horrible ratings and polarizing host

Bravo must see something in Kathy Griffin most people don’t, because the network has given a second season to her talk show, Kathy, despite terrible ratings the first time around. Only about 987,000 people watched the show’s debut, with the numbers falling steadily from there, even as the show got better and more watchable with the addition of celebrity guests like Jane Fonda, Jimmy Kimmel, and Griffin’s gay best friend, Anderson Cooper. Most weeks it had fewer viewers than reruns of Friends episodes on TNT and episodes of House Hunters International. Still, Bravo’s behind her: Frances Berwick, the network’s president and resident Andy Cohen babysitter, says in a press release, “The first season of Kathy struck a chord with our educated, upscale viewers with its fresh new approach to not-letting-anyone-get-away-with-anything TV," meaning that it did well mostly with older gay people who buy things.

Griffin has done 14 comedy specials for the network, won two Emmys for her Bravo reality show Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D List, and was just nominated for another Emmy for her most recent special, Kathy Griffin: Tired Hooker. Her next one-hour takedown of celebrity straw men like Miley Cyrus and Oprah, Kathy Griffin: Seaman 1st Class, premieres on Bravo tonight.