NBC decides it's time for Betty White and her fellow senior citizens to return to their rockers
Making the difficult decision of so many grown children before it, NBC has decided it’s time to send Betty White away by canceling Betty White’s Off Their Rockers. The show—in which the 91-year-old encouraged her fellow elderly to similarly challenge the expectations of young people, by performing pranks instead of dying—has seen a sizeable drop in ratings over its two seasons, experiencing more than a 50-percent plummet in viewers this year, as interest waned and the harsh winter claimed a few.
Still, as Deadline points out, White boosted NBC ratings for Saturday Night Live and with two televised birthday specials, in addition to garnering an Emmy nomination for best reality show host. Yet even after all she’s done for NBC, apparently NBC just thinks old people are some sort of burden, to be shipped off to nursing homes or, alternately, Hot In Cleveland.
Well, it may be all blue jeans and keyboard music and smarty-phones now, but one day those NBC executives will be old too, and some youngsters will be forced to make a similar decision. And when their time comes, will those kids choose to turn their back on them, instead of allowing them to preside over hidden-camera prank shows where the elderly suddenly start rapping? Or will they give them the dignity they demand?
Anyway, as a reminder, any elderly person seen doing totally outrageous things on the street is now likely not on a TV show. Please consider helping them.