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Ben Elton: If ratings matter, Hitler was right – and Twitter would pan Shakespeare

Ben Elton has compared critics of his ratings-resistant comedy show Live from Planet Earth to Hitler, and suggested that Twitter would have given Shakespeare a similar pounding. He has also warned that if Nine axes the show, viewers face even more episodes of Two And A Half Men.

Elton told the ABC’s Jon Faine:

“If numbers are what matter and first time kneejerk reactions are what matters, then Hitler stands vindicated.

“I just wonder what it would have been like the first night of Hamlet if Twitter had been around. Five minutes in: ‘bored already, lighten up you Danish swine’.”

Speaking yesterday afternoon, before the second episode of Live from Planet Earth aired on Nine to even lower ratings of 384,000, Elton also said: “I’ve found it astonishing the feeding frenzy that’s gone on this week.

“Maybe it’s because people are looking at Nine. Maybe it’s all about Channel Nine.

“They could have bought another set of repeats of Two And A Half Men and frankly if we go down that’s probably what they’ll do.”

Elton’s full interview with Jon Faine can be heard here.

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