'Farrah's Story' Draws Almost 9 Million Viewers To NBC

LOS ANGELES — A documentary that shows Farrah Fawcett's battle against cancer in wrenching detail drew an estimated 8.9 million viewers, NBC said.

"Farrah's Story" details the former "Charlie's Angels" star's treatment and hopes for recovery, following her through chemotherapy and other grueling treatment. Fawcett, 62, was diagnosed in 2006 with anal cancer that has spread to her liver.

The film was NBC's most-watched television program in its Friday night time slot in more than a year, excluding the Olympics, according to preliminary ratings released Saturday.

It was edged out by CBS' airing of the season finale of the crime drama "Numb3rs," which drew an estimated 9.6 million viewers.

Fawcett's video diary was initially intended for private viewing by family and friends, but was shared with a wider audience after the actress realized her story could inspire others, said her close friend Alana Stewart, a producer on the film.

The actress maintains good humor during the film as she faces pain, setbacks and, as the treatments grow harsher, the loss of her trademark lush blond locks.

"I do not want to die of this disease. So I say to God, `It is seriously time for a miracle,'" Fawcett says.

Her longtime companion, actor Ryan O'Neal, said in an interview last week that the actress is in a "very rocky place."

O'Neal is shown in the documentary as a steady presence as the actress goes through highs and lows, although the two ended their long romantic relationship in the late 1990s.

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On the Net:

http://www.nbc.com/farrahs-story/video/episodes/#vid1105050

Comments

[MyGuyO]

I marked my calendar to watch the Farah Fawcett special the other night.

It was very painful to watch given how beautiful and vibrant this actress once had been in her younger years. FF was such a popular actress in her day, that for fun I bought my dad a bear mug with the famous picture/poster of Farrah in bathing suit and all that hair.

I hope and pray for her and her family.

If anyone hasn't seen the video or would like to see it again, here is the website below:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/30773564#30773564

[Agentlady007]

Dear Farrah, (wherever you are....Ang­els are supposed to be everywhere­....) I do have rather interesting news. I spoke to someone I know today about how she is keeping her husband alive though his liver cancer. I asked her if he was in bed all day...and she said, no. I asked her how, and she said she is taking the instructions of this author: BILL HENDERSON from a book he wrote called " Cancer Free" It is an holistic approach to the illness. She says it is curing him. She says it is expensive to buy the right diet, like blueberries and certain medications, etc, but they are about to go to another country for alternative doctors, too.
Here is the link to the book:
http://www.beating-cancer-gently.com/

[imjustawitchywoman]

I think the saddest part of her heart wrenching story is that she tried so desperately to cure herself and live.

I have seen many people just except death and give up.....and that is their option .

But to watch her struggle..­...to watch her fight so hard.....i­t mad me so sad.

It was also sad to see her son there....i­n his jail garb......­it seemed like she was pretty out of it.....I hope she wasn't aware of him being there shackled in leg irons.

I think Ryan and Redmond...­..if they want to truly honor Farrah and her life and trgic death (when it occurs) is to clean up their lives and continue to fight for her cause.....­awareness and finding a cure for cancer.

As for Farrah....­..once your body and mind are tired from your brave fight.....­I hope you drift off into a blissful eternal slumber. And I hope that when you are in Heaven....­that you can dip your wings down into the rain that you love so much.

Thank you Farrah for your story and for your inspiration.

God Bless you and keep you.

[harriettubman]

She did. She tried and tried and tried. She didn't give up.

[okmickey]

I thought the run up to the show was a travesty. The Today show plugged it unmerciful­ly...dragg­ing out all these washed up so called stars...on­eil, stewart, smith, giving them a chance to be on tv yet again, this time bemoaning farrahs fate.

what rubbish.

is this the future? every time some talentless actor from the pre reagan years gets sick theyll be making a movie of the final days with their long forgotten co-stars just itching to go on tv and tell the world how much they loved the soon to be dearly departed?

lets let them die in peace, and the rest of us live in peace.

[MNinWI]

harsh-you didn't have to watch it. I didn't.

[jneems]

You are not the only one to ask that question. I hope this is not the beginning of new "reality" shows to come - people fighting illnesses.

Having said that, tho, I do admire Farah for her courage in making this film.

[neesy08]

Boy, you sure are cold hearted! are you Republican? I think it is wonderful Farrah wanted to share what it is like to live with cancer. It was a educational experience. Enlightening for those who have not had to deal with the disease and helps those who are dealing with it (themselves or somebody else) a chance to realize that they are not alone.
Do you feel this way about movies such as Titanic, Braveheart, or movies that are about the Civil War, Jack The Ripper, etc?

[harriettubman]

Yeah, her story was heartfelt, but who wants to see this as a series? Not me.

[CintiBlue]

With thinking like yours, how do you live in peace?

[MyGuyO]

Am sorry you feel so deeply about this.

[MomfromTexas]

Well, now, I've been reading about anal cancer this morning, after watching this show last night. Did anyone know that 76% of women who are diagnosed with anal cancer are also found to test positive for the HPV-16 virus, the same virus that can cause cervical cancer??? Wow! That's something all of us women ought to think about.

[Aabby]

it is still a very rare cancer.

[imjustawitchywoman]

HPV-16 virus is also common in people who have oral cancers...­...smoking and chewing tabacco and alcohol also can contribute to oral cancers but a very hight rate of people with this cancer also have HPV-16 virus.

I think with the chances of cervical, anal and oral cancers that could be prevented with the vaccine for HPV-16....­..that it should be widely offered to males and females...­...and not just the teen agers.

[Laserbeam]

It's a very good reason to make sure our daughters receive the HPV vaccine. Mine receievd it!

[SunnyT]

"Farrah's Story" was heartbreaking and brave and real. I admire the honesty and spirit of everyone involved. I am so deeply sorry that Farrah, and so many people, suffer such pain and misery from conventional cancer treatment. I know it's a wrenching individual journey and personal choice. This documentary reinforces my vow that if I ever have to deal with cancer, I won't choose surgery, radiation or chemo. For the life of me I can't understand how intravenous poisons can possibly make a body healthy again.

After the Friday night showing on NBC, "Farrah's Story" was shown on several cable channels over the weekend. I think the show will be incredibly valuable to patients and medical professionals in increasing awareness, dialogue and research.

Thank you and bless you, Farrah.

[JenniferEccles]

Yes. Ms Fawcett has done a valuable service, perhaps unintended, in showing the horrors of conventional treatment by western medicine.

I too would never go that route and would not want to spend my final days that way.

Also, doctors don't do enough to control the pain and that should be priority #1.

[Grannysue]

After losing my husband to a brain tumor last February I wasn't sure I wanted to watch this, too depressing, however, I did. First to Farrah and her family I pray that you get a cure or remission, if you don't she fought and fought hard. The only thing in the film I take exception too is the fact that she has the means to fly back and forth to Germany or anywhere else trying alternative treatments. She has the best quality medical care. For the majority of this country we don't have the money or access to these kinds of treatments, so while I believe she should seek out any treatment she feels necessary and pays for it, we all need to be realistic here, movie stars, CEO'S, Politicians you name it they have money and access. For plain old cup of Joe Americans well it's whatever your insurance can pay for, if your lucky enough to have healthcare insurance.

[MomfromTexas]

Absolutely true; however, I was struck by the brutality of this so-called "alternative" treatment. I wondered, if it were I, would I go through the conventional and this invasive of "alternative" treatment she chose. If I had all the money in the world for any treatment, I think I would choose true alternative treatment-­-tradition­al Chinese medicine, naturopathy (sp), etc.--and NONE of these are covered by health insurance.

[OGoodGrief]

I wasn't sure I would be able to watch this documentary. My sister has the same type of cancer and it has spread to her liver as well. However, I did watch a good portion of it and felt it was well done. It wasn't sappy and I honestly have to say, I was surprised to learn how smart, talented and courageous Farrah is considering I had a different notion of her. I also wasn't sure how I would feel about Ryan O'Neal because of his drug addiction (which I believe contributed to his son and daughter's problems), but I believe he loves Farrah very much as does her son Redmond. I was glad to see a lot of support around her.

She posed good questions about her fight and documented feelings that I think a lot of cancer patients have and helped me understand what my sister feels just a little bit better. Cancer is a terrible disease. I hope through more celebs calling attention to it the funding will improve (yes, research funding has diminished) and a cure might eventually be found.

[CintiBlue]

Peace to your sister and you. I was on the same journey with my sister and found there is peace. I didn't want it, but it's there.

[Eric8869]

I think this is another show she will leave after the first successful season - just like Charlie's Angels. Unfortunately. So Sad.

[sarahwaters]

Everyone of us has someone who died of cancer, it seems she is exploiting it.
Enough already.

[OGoodGrief]

Right. Because she stands to gain so much from showing the world her fight to try and save her life. That makes no sense what so ever. This is the first time she has actually spoken out about her disease, otherwise she has been intensely private about it.

What is it you think she will gain from this? More movie roles? More fame? Please. Get a grip and understand that the only way attention is called to some of these issues is for a celeb to speak up. Anal cancer affects a smaller amount of people and most of the cancer research isn't in this area -- that's why she made the comment at the end of the documentary about why does funding go for certain cancers and not others.

[Aabby]

exploiting? she's on her death bed for Pete's sake!

[drumz]

B'tch slap for you, a real hard one!

[PaleMail]

The documentary brings into question the use of painful chemotherapy when the tumour is inoperable and the only hope to survive is with a miracle. To proceed with the treatment or not, a dilemma that even healthy people think about..

[Expatessa]

The saddest thing is that, rather than having the colostomy that might have saved her, she chose alternative "medicine" in Germany, putting herself through more pain and discomfort and making some quack richer.

[LeeLoosMultiPass]

Actually, tonight on Dateline they had a follow up and said that the same treatments Farrah received in Germany could have been had here in the U.S. She most likely chose Germany in hopes of keeping the treatment under wraps. This wasn't 'alternative' medicin, and they were not 'quacks' in Germany. Did you even see the documentary?

[MomfromTexas]

Her doctors in Germany were not quacks. As far as surgery saving her, there's no reason to think it would have. The truth is, beautiful, healthy people get cancer and die everyday. All the money and treatment in the world can't save them.

[OGoodGrief]

My sister has the same type of cancer. Her doctors initially thought she would need a colostomy but did everything in their power to not go this route because they felt this would diminish the quality of her life even moreso. Thankfully, they were successful and she didn't end up with a colostomy. I can tell you from everything my sister has gone through, a colostomy would have compounded the problem tenfold.

Her treatments in Germany were not "alternative" as some type of quackery. It was approved and monitored by her doctor her in the U.S. She may have been trying to keep her treatments quiet considering her medical information had been stolen and sold to the tabloids at one of our own wonderful US hospitals.

[kappa08]

1 France
2 Italy
3 San Marino
4 Andorra
5 Malta
6 Singapore
7 Spain
8 Oman
9 Austria
10 Japan
11 Norway
12 Portugal
13 Monaco
14 Greece
15 Iceland
16 Luxembourg
17 Netherlands
18 United Kingdom
19 Ireland
20 Switzerland
21 Belgium
22 Colombia
23 Sweden
24 Cyprus
25 Germany
26 Saudi Arabia
27 United Arab Emirates
28 Israel
29 Morocco
30 Canada
31 Finland
32 Australia
33 Chile
34 Denmark
35 Dominica
36 Costa Rica
37 United States of America
38 Slovenia
39 Cuba
40 Brunei
41 New Zealand
42 Bahrain
43 Croatia
44 Qatar
45 Kuwait
46 Barbados
47 Thailand
48 Czech Republic
49 Malaysia
50 Poland
51 Dominican Republic
52 Tunisia
53 Jamaica
54 Venezuela
55 Albania
56 Seychelles
57 Paraguay
58 South Korea
59 Senegal
60 Philippines
61 Mexico
62 Slovakia
63 Egypt
64 Kazakhstan
65 Uruguay
66 Hungary
67 Trinidad and Tobago
68 Saint Lucia
69 Belize
70 Turkey
71 Nicaragua
72 Belarus
73 Lithuania
74 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
75 Argentina
76 Sri Lanka
77 Estonia
78 Guatemala
79 Ukraine
80 Solomon Islands
81 Algeria
82 Palau
83 Jordan
84 Mauritius
85 Grenada
86 Antigua and Barbuda

...she did the right thing going to Germany. Our health care is a pathetic 37th. Below such heavyweights like Morocco or Columbia..­...LOL. One thing this country does not suffer from is a healthy EGO.....

[MomfromTexas]

Thanks for posting that. Interesting list.

[Agentlady007]

Who charted these stats?

[harriettubman]

I've lived in Germany. Seen Americans come to military hospitals in Germany after being in German hospitals. I'll take American medicine any day.

I do agree some things that aren't FDA approved here may or are working in other countries.

[Aabby]

She does not have colorectal cancer and did not need a colostomy. Anal cancer is totally different as it is cancer of the squamous cells (basically skin cells) of the area and not a cancer of athe gastrointestinal system.

[harriettubman]

Uh oh. Nielsen has lied again so now here comes the onslaught of reality death shows. SMH. Just watch. I wonder why no TV docs have discussed anal cancer at all? Not one dr and they usually discuss anything a celebrity has.

My sister watched and said it was very humbling. It seems so unfair to her father to bury his two children and his wife.

[MomfromTexas]

Indeed. And her sister died of cancer, as well--lung cancer. She was a news' anchor and local celebrity in the Houston area.

[MomfromTexas]

Looking at Farrah's bio, trying to find out her exact age, I read that her sister was someone else. Sooooo, apparently the local lore that this woman was Farrah's sister is wrong. Interesting.

[Abby1]

I was upset to learn that someone from the hospital violated her privacy rights and sold her medical information to the tabloids. Going through this illness is excruciating. To have the paparazzi follow you around to dig up morbid information is just wrong. I hope that this documentary helps her in the healing process.

[ThePen]

Farrah's struggle is the struggle we all must face, that is to say, the perpetual struggle of being vs. non-being.

As one famous philosopher once said: "Death is just like it was before we were born." Godspeed, Farrah.