‘Rocky Horror’ remake amuses fans, but falls short in viewership

LOS ANGELES — Fox found out Thursday evening that niche musical movie experiences don’t necessarily draw huge audiences.

Fox’s latest entrant in the televised musical genre, a non-live version of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” starring Laverne Cox, drew a 1.7 in the demo and 4.95 million total viewers. On the plus side for Fox, that was a massive 89% improvement on the night from last week (“Pitch” and “Rosewood” typically air Thursdays).

It’s not surprising that a cult movie experience like “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” didn’t bring in more viewers. Unlike musicals like “Grease” and “The Wiz,” “Rocky Horror” has a far more niche (if far more passionate) fan base. Too, much of the joy in “Rocky Horror” is in the fabled midnight showings, with participants in costume acting out what’s on the screen behind them and raucous audience interaction.

DESPITE NUMBERS, TRUE FANS LOVED IT

Let’s do the time warp again!

More than 40 years after one of the great cult films of all time introduced an unsuspecting public to sweet transvestites, a mad scientist making an erotic Frankenstein creature, and a highly repressed yet oversexed Brad and Janet, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is back, this time as a TV remake Thursday on Fox.

It still bristles with all the weirdness and gender-bending that made the 1975 film a great excuse to party, then dress up in character and go to a midnight showing where you not only watched the show, you threw rice at the screen, sprayed water on fellow theatergoers, and shouted lines back and forth to the actors.

The show launched Tim Curry to stardom as Dr. Frank N. Furter, the “sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania.” Curry is back — but this time as the narrator.

His signature role this time out is played by Laverne Cox of “Orange Is The New Black,” herself a transgender performer. She approaches the role a (tiny) bit more subdued than did Curry; the sight (or the very idea) of a horny transgender scientist was a lot more jarring 40 years ago then it is now.

Adam Lambert, who some feel would have made an equally swell Frank N. Furter, instead plays Eddie, the biker Elvis-wannabe first played by a then virtually unknown Meat Loaf. “Hot Patootie” is a high point here, as is “Time Warp,” which still provides as good an excuse to dance around stupidly as it did when Gerald Ford was president.

Bottom line: The re-done songs rock, the characters are memorable, and Rocky Horror is still good, dirty fun.