Good show! Lindsay Lohan documentary pulls in 700,000 viewers for Oprah’s OWN channel

By Danielle Gusmaroli

PUBLISHED: 08:05 EST, 11 March 2014 | UPDATED: 08:17 EST, 11 March 2014


It was the reality show premiere the world was waiting for and Lindsay Lohan delivered by getting it  off to a 'fair start'.

While the 27-year-old's documentary left many disappointed and bored of the promised chaos of her life, the first show drew almost 700,000 viewers to network OWN on Sunday night.

Preliminary figures from Nielsen reveal the docuseries - which followed her just days after she left rehab in Malibu, California last August - was a big draw on Oprah Winfrey's network.

Scroll down for video

Frustrations: Lindsay Lohan's quest to reinvent her life hit a brick wall in the first episode of her new reality show, in which she was seen trying to find a new apartment

Frustrations: Lindsay Lohan's quest to reinvent her life hit a brick wall in the first episode of her new reality show, in which she was seen trying to find a new apartment

According American website dailynews.com, the angst-ridden star generated 'a fair' show as viewers watched her struggling to get herself an apartment due to her party girl reputation.

 

More...

Repeats of Duck Dynasty, a popular A&E series that portrays the lives of the Robertson family who became wealthy from their family-operated business and Law & Order: SVU, a hard-hitting NBC series, average around 2 million viewers on Ophrah's network.

“The Walking Dead,” champion of all cable these days, averages more than 12 million.

Home confinement: Lindsay sorted her jewelry while cooped up in her apartment with her personal assistant Matt and sober coach Michael Cormier

Home confinement: Lindsay sorted her jewelry while cooped up in her apartment with her personal assistant Matt and sober coach Michael Cormier

Linday's show, entitled simply 'Lindsay,' follows her shortly after she finished her sixth trip to rehab last summer.

In the first episode,she moves to New York to start fresh and immediately hits high stress trying to find an apartment and duck the paparrazi.

After a lengthy apartment hunt, during which time Lindsay is seen living out of a hotel, she finally comes across the perfect abode.

But when her real estate broker goes to close the deal, he finds that the name 'Lindsay Lohan' has a price of its own.

Lots of stuff: Lindsay's assistant Matt Harrell switched her belongings to another hotel room for the stressed out actress

Lots of stuff: Lindsay's assistant Matt Harrell switched her belongings to another hotel room for the stressed out actress

Lindsay's frustration was clear to see when she received a call from the broker telling her she would need to cough up a staggering $10million in insurance if she wanted to live there.

Clearly angered by the situation, Lindsay replied during the call: 'How the hell could anyone have that? I'm not Oprah!'

The Mean Girls then insisted her housing situation was the biggest threat to her sobriety, saying that  hotel living was a connection to what she did in the 'crazy phase of my life' and it 'brings up a lot of memories and I hate it.'

Fresh start: Lindsay packed all of her belongings in Los Angeles and sent them to New York City and her mother's house

Fresh start: Lindsay packed all of her belongings in Los Angeles and sent them to New York City and her mother's house

She also claimed that she felt trapped in her hotel because of the paparazzi - and even missed an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting because she did not want to be followed there.

'That's not cool for anyone else there,' she said.

Asked if she 'ever felt like a prisoner', she quickly answered: 'Yes. all the time.'

Sorting out: Lindsay attempts to go though all the bits and pieces she has in storage

Sorting out: Lindsay attempts to go though all the bits and pieces she has in storage

However, Lindsay had no choice other than to return to living out of hotel rooms - a situation that proved problematic given her immense collection of clothing, jewellery and other accessories.

'This woman's got s*** you wouldn't believe,' her personal assistant Matt Harrell admitted. 'It's impressive.'

Her hoarder-lifestyle was obvious at the beginning as Lindsay went through boxes of stuff in storage as she packed up her life in Los Angeles to move back to New York.

As well as boxes of clothes, she had numerous mementoes from her career - and even fortune cookie fortunes she had decided to keep.

'I have to go to my mom's - and she still has stuff in her garage,' Lindsay said, with the cameras then seeing her overtaking her family home back in New York with clothing she started unpacking.

Struggling: After finding her perfect apartment, Lindsay was then seen being told by her real estate broker that the manager of the property wanted $10million in insurance

Struggling: After finding her perfect apartment, Lindsay was then seen being told by her real estate broker that the manager of the property wanted $10million in insurance

Searching through the chaos: Lindsay is also seen going through the things she has stored at her mother Dina's house

Searching through the chaos: Lindsay is also seen going through the things she has stored at her mother Dina's house

Silly side: Lindsay showed her mum Dina a hoodie she found amongst her belongings and said it would make an excellent 'shield'
Silly side: Lindsay showed her mum Dina a hoodie she found amongst her belongings and said it would make an excellent 'shield'

Silly side: Lindsay showed her mum Dina a hoodie she found amongst her belongings and said it would make an excellent 'shield'

Lindsay said one of the main reasons to head back to New York was because it was 'comforting' to be with family, admitting: 'They are a huge part of my recovery. And I wouldn't have it any other way.'

At one point, stressed at hotel living, she sent her assistant back to change rooms for her for a change of scenery - again giving a look at the chaos Lindsay lives in.

As Harrell opened the door to her room, he was barely able to step inside, with clothes hanging from every available point, covering all surfaces and laid across the floors along with candles and soda bottles. He threw everything in numerous suitcases and moved to a new room - which already had the minibar emptied to avoid temptation.

Meanwhile, Lindsay's notoriety for causing chaos on set came into focus when she arrived to shoot a lingerie ad for friends - but soon became frustrated, broke down in tears and pulled out of the project.

Standing her ground: Lindsay talked candidly to a friend who asked for her help with a lingerie shoot before she pulled out of the project

Standing her ground: Lindsay talked candidly to a friend who asked for her help with a lingerie shoot before she pulled out of the project

I can't take it: Lindsay insists in the clip that taking the acting gig compromised her sanity

I can't take it: Lindsay insists in the clip that taking the acting gig compromised her sanity

'I compromised myself and my sobriety and my sanity just by being in that headspace and being stressed out,' she later claimed of the 'filler' acting gig.

The first episode of the series, simply titled Lindsay, made it clear her path to a simpler life would not be plain sailing.

She still seemed in denial of her legal problems, reflecting on an earlier stint in jail: 'They were just punishing me instead of trying to help me. They didn't get it.'

Still, the actress, who spent most of the time having sober coach Michael Cormier with her, insisted she would not be going back to her wild ways - because she has done everything there is to do.

Setting intentions: Oprah Winfrey talked to Lindsay before their broadcast interview about her goals for the reality show

Setting intentions: Oprah Winfrey talked to Lindsay before their broadcast interview about her goals for the reality show

Taking it seriously: Oprah makes a brief cameo in the first episode of the hotly-anticipated series

Taking it seriously: Oprah makes a brief cameo in the first episode of the hotly-anticipated series

'There's nothing left in having a drink for me. What's left in that feeling? Nothing,' she insisted.

'There's no party that I haven't gone to, no person that I haven't hung out with, there's no situation that I haven't been exposed to. There's nothing left in that for me to experience that I haven't already experienced.

'Some of it was fun; some of it was really not. But I've had that.

'Maybe trying the other way for me - living with integrity, and living in control of my own self - that's the life I want now.'

She also insisted she knew just how serious this time in her life was.

Reality star: Lindsay Lohan struggled with finding an apartment in New York City during the first episode on Sunday of her new reality show that follows her attempts to rebuild her life

Reality star: Lindsay Lohan struggled with finding an apartment in New York City during the first episode on Sunday of her new reality show that follows her attempts to rebuild her life

Life crossroads: Lindsay acknowledged that her current opportunity was her 'last shot at doing what I love to do'

Life crossroads: Lindsay acknowledged that her current opportunity was her 'last shot at doing what I love to do'

Opening up: While Lindsay's show was much anticipated by fans, it ended up disappointing a lot of them due to the slow pace of the programme
Opening up: While Lindsay's show was much anticipated by fans, it ended up disappointing a lot of them due to the slow pace of the programme

Opening up: While Lindsay's show was much anticipated by fans, it ended up disappointing a lot of them due to the slow pace of the programme

'I know that this is my last shot at doing what I love to do. It does take kind of getting to a really scary place,' she said.

'I'm excited to start this new chapter,' she added.

Her assistant believes that the Oprah reality show is 'the biggest point in her professional life', saying: 'If she screws this up, you can't really go up from Oprah. She knows this is the best opportunity she could possibly have.

'It's hers to lose and I don't think she's gonna swindle it. I think she's smarter than that.'

But a preview of the upcoming series showed her fighting with him and separately her sober coach told the cameras he was unsure whether she was still actually sober.

Proud sister: Lindsay took a photo of her younger sister Aliana modelling during New York Fashion Week

Proud sister: Lindsay took a photo of her younger sister Aliana modelling during New York Fashion Week

Save all your kisses: Lindsay shared this picture ahead of her show's debut on Sunday night

Save all your kisses: Lindsay shared this picture ahead of her show's debut on Sunday night


Comments (10)

Share what you think

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

I'm embarrassed to admit that I did watch the episode. I don't know what Lindsay wants to accomplish with this reality-docu (apart from getting money), but my impression is that the show does not give a flattering image of her. Some moments are trying to paint her in a sympathetic light, but most of the time she is petulant, spoiled and obviously used to getting her own way. But while the show does not make her look better, at least it is not constantly trying to sugar-coat her personality, which plays in the show's favour. I was expecting the show to give a glossy image of Lindsay as a person, but it does show that she is not the easiest person to work with.

12
175
 Click to rate

That many people actually HAVE the OWN channel!?!

13
110
 Click to rate

I can't believe this girl is only 27. She looks 40!

28
259
 Click to rate

She is not attractive at all. I've seen girls working is asda better looking.

41
128
 Click to rate

Love her voice

57
59
 Click to rate

I cant believe that many people are interested in her.

23
89
 Click to rate

Of course and as time goes by she will pull in more because you can deny it all you want, everyone likes to watch a train reck

20
70
 Click to rate

All the US news outlets are decrying the poor ratings for this show. In a country of 317,000,000+ people, 700,000 is a very paltry number. People just don't care about Lindsay or her duck lips.

22
103
 Click to rate

Wow 700,000 views? I guess they fudged the numbers then didn't they? Wouldn't be the first time a publicist paid for fake information.

26
114
 Click to rate

The same article repurposed days in a row with a change to a sentence or two, or paragraph. Very old and lame now, DM...

6
40
 Click to rate

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Add your comment

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now