Bette Midler, an acclaimed American actress with numerous awards to her name, recently reflected on one of the biggest failures of her career during a podcast with David Duchovny. Her show, “Bette,” which aired for sixteen episodes, did not achieve the success she had hoped for.
Grammy-award-winning actress Bette Midler candidly discussed the significant setbacks in her career on David Duchovny’s “Fail Better” podcast. Her 2000 CBS sitcom, “Bette,” failed to capture the audience’s heart as anticipated.
During the podcast, Midler described the show as a major mistake and recounted the impact of Lindsay Lohan’s departure after the pilot episode.
Midler said,
I ventured into television with ‘Bette.’ Could it have been any more generic? It turned out to be a colossal mistake, for multiple reasons. The motivation was misplaced, and it delved into a facet of media I was unfamiliar with. While I watched, appreciated, and even enjoyed it, I lacked a true understanding of what it takes to create such a show.
Despite running for only one season on CBS, the sixteen-episode show featured Midler playing a semi-satirized version of her life.
She added,
I had created theatrical productions, live events, films, and various television shows, and I had appeared on numerous shows, but I had never worked on a situation comedy. I didn’t grasp the pace or understand the hierarchy. No one took the time to explain it to me.
Midler also discussed the fallout from Lindsay Lohan quitting the show. She said,
Lindsay Lohan was cast as my daughter in the pilot. Afterward, she decided to pursue other opportunities and left the show. When she walked away, I was left wondering what to do next, but the studio didn’t offer any support.
Midler further noted that things might have turned out differently if she had been more aware of how the industry worked. She reflected,
If I had known that part of my role was to assertively say, ‘This absolutely will not do, I’m going to take legal action,’ I would have done so. However, I felt sheltered in a way that prevented me from accessing the writers’ room, communicating with the showrunner, and making my concerns heard.
Additionally, Midler mentioned that her current knowledge and experience would have been incredibly beneficial at that time.
