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Ultimate Countdown for Seven?

The new clip show in development at Channel Seven is to be called The Ultimate Countdown.

TV Tonight hears the new clip show in development at Channel Seven is to be called The Ultimate Countdown.

The new show, currently at pilot stage, looks set to be the network’s own 20 to 1 though it is believed to have a point of difference that will attempt to make it unique. Hopefully that’s more substantial than that ridiculous “You voted Australia” on TEN’s failed Spearman Experiment.

This week Seven axed The White Room, which will not return to schedule despite a pilot and one more episode in the can. ICU has also been pulled after tonight, to return at a later date.

But the network shows no signs of slowing down on local production.

The Bounce and its NRL counterpart are in pre-production, while Seven is also planning a new drama based on the 1988 Walsh St police shootings.

Photo: Stock image

31 Responses

  1. I feel the pain already… is there a demand out there for another countdown clip show? Are they doing vox-pops on the streets and this is what their market research is telling them? Countdown clip show??? *sigh*

    How about going to what worked? Another series of The Mole perhaps?

  2. @ James

    I agree that comedy/variety is the toughest format to get right. However, the evidence shows that Channel 7 are the biggest losers in this genre over the past decade.

    Channel 9 – have had some moderate success with Comedy Incorporated (nominated for 7 AFI Awards plus good ratings in 16-39 demo) as well as ongoing success with the AFL Footy Show, plus monster ratings with Hey Hey Reunion specials

    Channel 10 – big winners with The Panel, Rove Live (for most of its run anyway) as well as Skithouse and Hamish and Andy Specials.

    ABC – Various Chaser shows, Kath and Kim, The Libarians, Very Small Business (possibly the best Australian comedy show ever IMO), Spicks and Specks, Enough Rope.

    SBS – Rockquiz, Newstopia.

    Channel 7 – no original comedy/variety hits since Full Frontal finished in 1997.

  3. Haven’t 7 learnt anything from Spearman Experiment? Are they really so arrogant that they pay nil attention to the ratings of rival networks? Probably…

  4. The way you lot are carrying on you’d think that Nine invented the countdown concept.

    It’s not as though Ten and Nine come up with much in the way of original programming either. Let’s face it, there’s not a whole lot of creativity on any of our networks. It’s the same old same old and those who love their TV simply have to turn elsewhere to find quality entertainment.

    Selma, was meaning to respond to your Seven/Comedy posts in another thread -Again, has any network had any real success with Australian Comedy in recent years? IMO the ABC do it best. Ten has had its share of failures (The Wedge, Mark Loves Sharon). Has Nine even had any local comedy? Even US Comedy struggles, save for Two and a Half Men.

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