Why 7PM won’t be Taken Out anytime soon
The figures aren't great for 7PM Project, but TEN knows it has to persist because the alternative is far worse.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under News
There continues to be discussion about the slim figures for The 7PM Project, which last night fared at a disappointing 764,000.
On radio, online and in print the word “axe” is being frequently associated with the show. While last night wasn’t the lowest the show has taken (that was Friday at 656,000), it isn’t a great start to the week. Generally speaking, Mondays are a big night when regular shows attract their best following. It also lost viewers from Neighbours, at 868,000.
And while we’re on the subject, it was also beaten by Two and a Half Men & Home and Away in 16-39, 18-49 and 25-54. That’s where it will really hurt.
But calls for it to be axed are misreading the state of play.
TEN knows this is a new show, that has to find its feet. More importantly, it needs this one to work. The alternative of resorting to more US sitcoms or some other repeat programme is a far bigger problem, because it means the network has to go back to the drawing board to commission another replacement somewhere along the line. It already did that after Taken Out.
The show is also still developing its format. Last night it allowed swimmer Liesl Jones to stay longer as a guest (including beyond a commercial break). Kitty Flanagan, who impressed on her first appearance last week, returned. Charlie Pickering was also added to voice-overs.
Today programmer David Mott is quoted in the Daily Telegraph as saying, “We are invested in this program and will allow it to build its audience rather than taking it straight off air before it finds an audience.”
Source: news.com.au
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- Tagged with Home and Away, Neighbours, Taken Out, The 7pm Project, Two and a Half Men
77 Responses
Here’s hoping they stick with it. If it doesn’t work after two months it isn’t going to work, a show like this needs to find it’s groove. Watched it again last night after missing the back half of last week. I still felt as though too much was going on but I’m confident that with time the show can work out the kinks.
Thought the hosts started to gel a lot better last night and it seemed to flow a lot more smoothly. Hopefully 10 sticks with it and doesn’t go with a knee jerk reaction like Seven traditionally do and axe it without giving it a chance.
Still when your getting thrashed by repeats of a sitcom( albeit an excellent sitcom) and a aging soapie that jumped the shark eons ago it’s a slight problem.
Hopefully it picks up.
Another request if they have a music guest on the show eg. Rob Thomas an acoustic performance would be great.
Bella I think that was The Panel’s territory…
Great to see some common sense from a network for once. Giving a new show time to find an audience and polish the format, how novel, and it just might work.
It just needs some good word of mouth from the people still giving it a go and maybe some high profile guests to get people giving it another look.
A further small criticism of the show is that it uses Twitter to find its skype subjects and broadcast what will be coming up that night but sometimes it doesn’t eventuate. I understand that they will be making editorial decision right up to the last minute but its kinda dissapointing for a viewer to think a topic will be coming up then it never eventuates. Almost as annoying us the “up next” on Today Tonight when its talking about tomorrows segments.
They should take it out before it becomes a floating joke, The 7PM Project was a good idea. But the ratings have shown.. This Project is a failure.. Pull the Plug on it Ch10 before you ruin the careers of the presenters on the show!
I agree with most of the comments here, that it was much better last night when it eased its pace, and everyone seemed more relaxed. I can see it figuring itself out fairly quickly.
I like the idea of having members of the public on via Skype. They should try extending that idea so they can contribute more than just a few sound bites.
I agree that last night’s show was much better. i think it also takes us viewers a little while to take to a new ‘format’.
@Nick: don’t make it 6pm, there are a lot of commuters like me not home by 6 but would switch this on at 7.
@Ellie: if networks p*** off viewers by taking off any new show at the drop of a hat, then there will be no numbers to sell to advertisers. Channel 9 is finding that out now where the audience just has no trust in them anytime a new show appears because they know if it doesn’t rate from day one it will get pulled.
What’s wrong with going back to the drawing board? If the show isn’t working & if a bit of tinkering here & there isn’t working, why persevere? Why did Ten ever think that a news type programme would work with an audience that isn’t big on news type programmes? And they have hosts that do not appeal to the public. Replace them all & change the format? Might as well axe it and go back to the drawing board.
I feel they’re aiming too young with the skype calls and the constant banter about twitter etc they’re alienating the middle ground audience – I’m 22 so I’m quite aware of everything, but someone like my parents in thier mid 40’s aren’t going to be as in tune with the evolving internet door – it seems like gimmicks.
The show has some strong points, but there is also too many poor mistakes in the show – and most of it is from a production view point. I can get past the odd moments between hosts they’re still adapting to each other, but they fire off the news in rapid fire which isn’t working (mind you this is comments from last week I didn’t catch last nights episode).
They’d be better to adapt a format like
7.00 – 7.10 – News Headlines – minimum chatter between hosts
Ad Break
7.13 – 7.23 – Talk Back between hosts + Guest interview
Ad Break
7.26 – 7.30 – Entertainment Report + Continued Guest Interview etc.
spot on david, ten have put lots of time , money and effort into the 7pm project and aren’t just going to give up after just one week, it takes times for a show to find it’s feet, something nine don’t seem to understand.
said it last week…let it find it’s feet…time will tell, i actually thought it was better last night… a few weeks of nerves gone and what works and doesnt work will help it out
That… And the default deal that ch10 has signed with Roving Enterprises is supposed to be massive. If 10 pull the plug they have to pay out an enormous amount to Roving as a penalty. Or so I’m told:)
Perhaps they could make it the 6pm Project and put the Simpsons on at 7pm.
I mean a lot of people get their fill of tabloid television at 6:30 with Today Tonight and ACA, they’re probably not in the mood for another half an hour of it at 7pm.
I agree with you David that they certainly will, and probably need to keep it going.
But…… isn’t television also about money?
Do they sit down with their advertisers and say “Well, the 7 pm project will only get you 750, 000 viewers tonight and we might not even win our key demos but it will grow in time”! Do advertisers believe in the networks that much?
This is actually a question as I don’t know the answer… maybe they do :O) ?
Is it beating the daily show ratings from Big Brother’s last season/s?
It was a lot better last night, not much of the “headline – punchline – headline – punchline etc.” stuff that was often happening last week. Give it another week or two of refining the format, then a big guest being advertised in the promos to get back the people who gave up after the first few episodes and it could easily get to around 1 mil a night.
Good that they haven’t axed it. I’m beginning to quite like it now and last night’s episode was very good in the changes they implimented. The skype calls need to be a little longer I reckon but like I said last week, they’re heading in the right direction which is what matters.
i tried 7PM last night after not seeing it since early last week… and it has improved… i do hope Ten keeps with it…
i think they should keep it until summer then everyone will be satisfied that it was given enough of a chance. if it’s not doing 850k+ on mondays (hopefully more) or winning any demos by then i don’t think it should return for 2010.
but there has to be a point were they do quit. it is still dropping who knows how low it will get before it starts growing again, it it ever does. if it starts getting around 500k at the beginning of the week it is not worth waiting and they would be better of with friends repeats (IIRC that was taken out’s limit).
but it’s ten we’re talking about. not 9.
Nice that they are making changes.
Only one problem though – I gave up last week after viewing snippets here and there.
I doubt,if i (and many others) will go back.
I thinks people need to give it time to grow, undoubtedly if this was on the other two networks the axe would probably have fallen, I applaud TEN for sticking with it and ITA it’s far better then endless re-runs of The Simpsons.
I think the 7pm project was much better last night than it was last week, even though it’s still not fantastic… at least its getting better.
It’s certainly better that its competition on comercial TV, how anyone could watch 2.5 men is beyond me. It really dissapoints me that so many people can watch this crap.
If this show is axed, Please Do Not Resort to playing really bad & old eps of shows such as “Friends”, “Seinfeld”, “Simpsons”, “Nanny” etc.
It deserves to have something fresh & local aussie made show!!.
Ch 9’s programming repuatiuon continues to tumble as they keep showing eps of “Two & a half Men”
I agree with you, David.
It’s still finding its feet, and actually has quite a few good points. With a bit of time I think it may turn into something worth Ten’s while, if they hold their nerve.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella