MSNBC’s ‘Saturday Night Politics with Donny Deutsch’ Is No More (UPDATE)

That was fast.

MSNBC has cancelled Saturday Night Politics with Donny Deutsch after only 13 episodes. The last episode aired on August 17.

Deutsch’s show had been part of MSNBC’s effort to expand its Saturday night programming. Despite often beating CNN in total viewers, Saturday Night Politics regularly lost to CNN Newsroom in the key 25-54 demographic. And it was nowhere near competing with Fox’s regular 8 P.M. show on Saturday night, Watters World.

Deutsch will still be seen on MSNBC. He has a regular commentary spot on Morning Joe and appears on other network properties.

The cancellation comes despite Deutsch getting one of the greatest publicity hits one can receive in 2019: a snarling, insulting tweet from President Trump:

So funny to watch Little Donny Deutsch on TV with his own failing show. When I did The Apprentice, Donny would call me (along with @ErinBurnett & others) and BEG to be on that VERY successful show. He had the TV “bug” & I would let him come on though he (& Erin) had very little..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 11, 2019

The last episode of the show aired six days later. Maybe MSNBC should have given it a little more time to get that Trump bump.

The cancellation is the latest in a line of Deutsch’s attempts at hosting a cable news show. His CNN show The Point lasted all of one week in 2013. His CNBC show The Big Idea aired for four years, from 2004 to 2008.

UPDATE 8:31 PM ET: MSNBC is saying the show was only scheduled to run throughout the summer. Currently, the network will fill the time slot with reruns of weeknight program All In with Chris Hayes.

Deutsch, meanwhile, tweeted out on Thursday that “with summer coming to a close, so does my season run.” He also thanked viewers for “making it MSNBC’s highest rated Saturday night program EVER!”

With summer coming to a close, so does my season run on MSNBC w/ @SNPonMSNBC. I’m beyond grateful for all of your help in making it @MSNBC ’s highest rated Saturday night program EVER! So surreal! I’ll see you all on @Morning_Joe @DeadlineWH, and across MSNBC very soon.

— Donny Deutsch (@DonnyDeutsch) August 29, 2019