Lifetime’s ‘Steel Magnolias’ A Hit For The Cable Network

Lifetime’s remake of Steel Magnolias has proven to be a hit for the cable network. According to the Los Angeles Times, over 6.5 million viewers tuned in to see if the retelling of the classic 1989 movie lived up to the original. Regardless of audience reaction to the remake, the gamble has apparently paid off.

Sunday’s airing of the Steel Magnolias remake ranks as the third most-watched Lifetime broadcast in the company’s history. In fact, the movie provided the network with its best ratings since the premiere of Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story in 2006.

Indiewire reports that Lifetime’s other weekend premiere, namely Abducted: The Carlina White Story, enjoyed 4.1 million viewers during its broadcast. Not surprisingly, the network is extremely pleased with how their endeavors performed.

“We couldn’t be happier with the great response ‘Steel Magnolias’ and ‘Abducted: The Carlina White Story’ received from viewers this weekend. These incredible numbers speak to the powerful stories and performances delivered by amazing casts and the strong production teams behind each movie. We are very proud to have partnered with them on these very special films,” Executive Vice President of Programming Rob Sharenow explained in a statement.

Despite enjoying nearly 6.5 million viewers during its world premiere, the Steel Magnolias remake wasn’t nearly as well-received as the original movie. Los Angeles Times television critic Mary McNamara, while impressed with the talent in front of the screen, wasn’t completely entranced the director Kenny Leon’s version of the story.

“The doomed but determined young woman plotline seems hopelessly (and medically) retro and the original tagline (‘I’d rather have 30 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special’) sentimentally absurd (if your doctor advises you to not get pregnant, honey, don’t get pregnant),” McNamara wrote in her review.

What did you think of Lifetime’s Steel Magnolias remake?