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Fans angry over Good Game host switch

Good Game's 'Junglist' is to be replaced in a 'refreshing' of ABC2's gaming show. But you don't mess with gaming fans without a fight...

2ABC2 is changing hosts on Good Game with co-presenter Jeremy ‘Junglist’ Ray (pictured left) to be replaced.

He is to be replaced by Stephanie ‘Hex’ Bendixsen who will also co-host the new junior version of the show with Steven ‘Bajo’ O’Donnell, Good Game: SP for ABC3.

Tactfully avoiding the word ‘axed,’ the ABC indicated the move ties in with a refreshing of the gaming show.

In a statement to TV Tonight, Amanda Duthie, Head of Arts and Entertainment said, “After three years, we felt Good Game needed a refresh to take the program into 2010 and beyond, and the decision was made to change the hosting team.

“Jeremy had travel plans which meant he was not going to be available to tape the final show of the season, the one hour Christmas Special, and we were announcing details of the launch of the Good Game: SP program on our new channel, ABC3. So it made sense to work in with these timings to introduce Stephanie ‘Hex’ Bendixsen as our new host.

“Understandably, Jeremy has many fans who are disappointed to see him leave the program. However, we are absolutely confident that Bajo and Hex will bring a new dimension to the show and, along with the dedicated behind the scenes team of gamers, continue to bring Australian audiences independent reviews and information about video gaming in Australia.”

Angry fans of the show have already started an online petition to keep him on the show.

On his Twitter posts, Junglist says “Cheers for the kinds words and good times….it’s been great and it’s the people that make it great. Much love to you all.”

The show airs tonight at 8:30pm on ABC2.

76 Responses

  1. She’s nice – but the other dude was seriously connected to what he did. He delivered content that showed he knew his stuff, not just like it. Stephanie is nice, but I watch your show with the volume down now. You want this to work, you need all three.

  2. Yeah Angry Face why dont they keep bajo and jung a good team and have hex do the gg:sp thing.
    ABC you have done it again you have made a bad move and now you have destroyed something loved buy so many Before
    “If it works don’t fix it”

  3. Still in shock… won’t be watching Good Game any more.
    Hopefully another station will catch on and pick up Junglist to make a TRUE series for Gamers and by Gamers.

  4. This comes across as complete contempt for the audience, something most gamers would be familiar with in more mainstream media, but not by their very own gaming show (or what was meant to be). Experience and integrity have been unceremoniously exhumed along with the tried and true odd couple chemistry. Now we have two homogeneous TV school fakers, with fake news reader’s voices, fake exaggerated acting and fake interest in games.

    What will the ABC ‘refresh’ next? Play School? Kerry O’Brien? At the Movies? What other winning formula can they grind into the dirt simply to relieve managerial boredom?

  5. I’m so disappointed in this clearly short-sighted and ill-researched decision. I am a sporadic watcher of Good Game; my husband WAS a devout watcher (who is also up in arms and now vowing ‘never again’). I always loved the silly banter between Junglist and Barjo, and feel that the show has now lost it’s mojo. I don’t think I’ll be the only chick now tuning out. Dumb decision, ABC.

  6. They got rid of the better, more informative and more experienced host, keeping the younger goodlooking sidekick, all in order to bring on a random pretty blonde, and why? You do the math.

    What’s worse is that the two pretty people who now host the show, both of whom are actors/presenters first, gamers second, and not really good enough at the former to justify their lack of in depth knowledge and quality at the latter, have absolutely zero chemistry with each other.

    Najo always represented the more casual “for fun” gamer, while Junglist represented the hardcore, and it was that difference in attitude and style, along with a natural chemistry for playing off one another, that made the show work. Now we have two people representing the casual/fun end of the gamer spectrum, no one representing the hardcore gamer, and neither of which have the strength of personality to act as primary host. Instead we have two sidekicks who don’t have any on screen chemistry with each other. Watching this week’s show was like watching a tran wreck in slow motion.

    Farewell Good Game, we’ll miss what you were, and I shall no longer bother with the generic cookie cutter dumbed down product that you are now becoming. By actors for kids and casual gamers just does not entice I’m afraid.

  7. What is this? I went on iview to watch the latest two episodes of Good Game, the first one was fine, Junglist was there to make the show what it was, that being an almost perfect chemistry between two hosts. Then I watched the newest episode, and some new girl is on there, and I don’t care for her. Where is Junglist I thought. I then had to waste a lot of time looking at facebook, and the GG forums and here to find out that for some strange reason Jung was gone and “Hex” was there (appropriate name btw). Why ruin the perfect chemistry? It’s like splitting up Wayne and Grath, Bill and Ted, Bub and Bob. I just don’t understand why this had to happen. Good Game was essentially the best show on ABC iview, I watched it religiously, but now I am losing faith. I feel so bad for Junglist and I will miss him on the show. I think the ABC made a big mistake here, but whatever it’s not like I have much respect for ABC management anyway, like after The Glass House was axed for being too “political” or when the final season of Chaser was ruined by scared execs. Fail ABC, epic fail.

  8. Rubbish decision ABC !! Utter rubbish !! Clearly Jeremy Ray was not happy with the decision. He stated this himself. The show was great as it was. Great onscreen rapport and chemistry.
    The dinosaur minds behind the big desks clearly have very little idea of what a successful show entails and what people want. Cynical move.

  9. Hex your review sux, don’t think you can appear on screen acting like you know a things about gaming. Serious we all know why you’re there for, i hope they’ll bring back Junglist.

  10. I cannot believe they’ve gona ahead with this… without warning no less… this is as big a slap in the face as the whole iSnack 2.0 thing… Honestly, Baj and Jung were a proven formula… I’ve actually sat by my compter and watched the entire back catalogue of GG, and never once been bored or thought “Hmm… great show, hilarious and all… if only someone could come along and destroy it… That’d be great”… I’m not saying that Hex didn’t do a good job… but this backlash was always going to happen ABC… I’m yet to see a single comment praising the move

  11. Rage!!

    This is so uncool and totally uncalled for.

    I’ve even written a formal complaint to ABC2 regarding the matter. It was long, but I sure hope it’s totally worth it.

    Bajo isn’t the same without Jung. They need one another.

  12. If Top Gear (UK) wasn’t hosted by Jeremy, Shorty and Carmudgeon, who would watch it. As it is, they could be talking about amoeba and it’d still be brilliant.

    Same with Good Game. The synergy is perfect with Jung & Bajo. Even when they’re reviewing another boring RPG I’m still gripped. Change that and you have a different show altogether.

  13. This decision makes me angry and disappointed with the ABC. I feel like they have completely lost their credibility. There seems to be a lot going on behind the scenes that we’re not being made aware of, and when I have been a committed viewer of a show for almost five years I feel that I deserve a better explanation than one sentence at the end of the show. It screams of unfair dismissal. Considering there is going to be GG:SP on ABC3 for kids, I dont’ understand the need to change the format. I don’t feel that there is chemisty between Hex and Bajo, and although I agree it will take her a while to find her stride, she is much too similar to Bajo in her personality and her reviews. The show has taken on a cheaper feel and I can’t trust it anymore.

    I also find it offputting and sexist that people are saying that there Needed to be a ‘female perspective’ on the show. It’s the same as when people said Top Gear needed to have a female host because it was biased towards males. I have a vast amount of gamer friends, both female and male and in my experience it makes absolutely no difference what sex someone is when it comes to what games they like. It comes down to the individual, not what sex they are.

    I won’t be watching Good Game until a decent explanation of events is released from ABC and Jung is back on air. Considering I highly doubt either of those things is likely to happen, I guess it’s goodbye from me and thanks for the good times. It’s a shame there won’t be any more of them. I assume Good Game will be changing it’s slogan, as it’s clearly not ‘For Gamers, By Gamers’ anymore.

  14. I am 36 years old and have Never felt compelled to write to a television station before, but this is an absolute disgrace!

    As a female gamer I am appalled and insulted that the ABC would think that their viewers both male and female would not see past this latest ‘marketing strategy’.

    ABC have left me no option but to refrain from watching Good Game until they reinstate Jeremy Ray. In fact I cannot even bring myself to tune into ABC at all.

    Poor decision ABC, poor decision!

  15. I am astounded by what has happened.

    How can any ABC executive justify this decision? It has made the program much worse. And caused a lot of shock and sadness amonst the program’s viewers. It is the type of senseless incomprehensible decision made by a commercial network.

    There was no need to force Jeremy Ray from his position. There were plenty of opportunities for Stephanie Bendixsen on Good Game SP, on other ABC3 programs or as a reporter on Good Game.It does her no favours to be forced upon unwilling viewers in this way.

    Jeremy Ray was a respected talented well liked presenter and a core part of the program. It did not seem to be a short term launching pad for a media career. He helped build the show and was there for the long term. Why willingly get rid of someone that talented and passionate?

    I watched last night’s program. Maybe Stephanie Bendixsen will eventually become a competent presenter for ABC3. I can’t comprehend how a manager thought she would improve the program or justify all the ruthless backstabbing and sadness.

  16. I do believe that, like usual, ABC has gone ‘Oops, I f***ed it again’ with this decision.

    While I don’t watch this show religiously, I did enjoy it from time to time. I believe that it was being able to just tune in and watch these two go at it, that allowed me to continue watching every now and then.

    Starting with a new cast causes change, from atmosphere to presentation method or anywhere in between. That means that I will feel that the next time I see this show, it wont be the same.

    @ Jason: Did you even pay attention while watching?

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