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NZ axes Dancing with the Stars

Paul Mercurio is out of a judging gig again after NZ cancels Dancing with the Stars citing it as unprofitable.

Dancing_StarsTVNZ has announced it will not produce a series of Dancing with the Stars next year, despite the show’s popularity, citing the expense of the big budget show did not always translate to profits.

That leaves Paul Mercurio out of a judging gig, along with the Australian dancers who frequently partnered the NZ celebrities.

TVNZ spokeswoman Megan Richards said, “It’s our biggest, most expensive, costly entertainment show by quite a long way.

“It’s been hard for people to understand that enormous popularity doesn’t necessarily translate into a profitable venture for us.”

She said despite signs of the recession ending, programmes were commissioned a long way in advance.

Celebrities on the NZ version have included many cast, both past and present, from Shortland Street, sports stars, singer John Rowles, a meteorologist, mayor and the former C.E.O. of Work and Income NZ.

“We will have a look at it again for the following year and see whether the market has returned to a state where we can contemplate doing it again.”

In Australia, Seven fared well with the series this year, likely leading to a renewal for 2010.

Source: NZ Herald

7 Responses

  1. Like all of these shows, BB, DWTS, Idol SYTYCD etc etc sometimes they just run out of puff and become stale. The networks mlk them for everything they are worth over a few years and hope that something new will appear. We the viewers get bored with them. I think they would be better off if they rotated these shows in one year on and one year off cycle. We dont have a huge population base to start with and lets be honest there just aren’t enough talented people out there.

  2. I agree with Kuttsywood – networks on both sides of the Ditch should team up to make these sorts of shows together. The same could be done for an “Australasian Idol” or trans-Tasman versions of Masterchef or SYTYCD. We’re both small countries so the larger pool we draw our talent from the better.

  3. Possibly season 1 here we may have had bona fide stars but our version is a poor imitation of it’s former self with, dare I say F list “Stars”. The whole blind guy last year took the cake. Poor guy being exploited by network television (he allowed it and is an adult) in a Dancing Competition. He can’t dance…….and was trotted out week after week getting the pity/novelty vote. Whats next year : Someone who has only a torso?

  4. that is sad news for the Kiwi audiences, and the television culture in NZ. Having sampled their output when i was there recently, I cannot see where they spend their money, as most of the schedules were from Aust and England, with some adapted versions of franchise shows – reality, light entertainment.

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