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Party to end all parties

Update: Nine is set to send off the GTV9 site with an all-night party. And TV Tonight makes a farewell plea to David Gyngell.

TV Tonight hears Nine is planning what will surely be the party of the year -the farewell to GTV9’s Richmond Studios.

When Hey Hey it’s Saturday wraps its final show in the iconic Studio Nine in late November, it will signal the start of a mammoth party that will celebrate the site’s beloved status as ‘Television City.’

The party is set to roll all through the night, likely doubling as Nine’s Christmas Party at the same time.

Fittingly, the live Hey Hey finale will be the last-ever show to be produced in Studio Nine. it has been home to the show across its 28 years.

The studio has been home to legendary shows such as In Melbourne Tonight, The Don Lane Show, New Faces, Sale of the Century, The Footy Show, The Paul Hogan Show, Family Feud, Temptation, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and more…

Nine will relocate at its new Dockland premises across the Christmas / New Year period, with the current site to be redeveloped as apartments.

Daryl Somers had previously called for a television museum to be located on the site.

“I meant it sincerely, that there is a wonderfully rich television emanating from Studio 9 and this whole lot in Richmond,” he previously said.

TV Tonight hopes Nine can also find it within their hearts to give the city of Melbourne an Open Day to relive the memories of the building one last time before the site is closed. Bring out some Nine faces to escort tours of the building, please. Starting with Pete Smith.

GTV9 has been a part of the city like no other station.

Bruce Gyngell “welcomed us to television” in 1956 (albeit in Sydney).

Will David Gyngell give us a fond farewell?

UPDATE: Nine advises no decision has been made one way or the other on a date to farewell to GTV yet, but plans are underway for a fitting send-off.

19 Responses

  1. i really dont know how the studios will go out..it was mentioned that th 27th november is deadline..and the original plan was for hey hey to have their last show on the last night of operation..now we have a election that day..that means if hey hey has to go beyond that date unless taped prior.it will have to be held at another place or venue as the new studios cant fit a audience in..i have friends who recieved tickets for the 27th november.and they stipulate on the letter the final show..will hey hey still go to air with crosses to this stupid election.or not go to air at all..surely not every channel has to broadfcast this rubbish..i really think people would rather hey hey with crosses to the election rather than sitting through boring election rubbish. it would have been great to see hey hey do a last show from 9 melbourne.before it relocates.. the first show of hey hey is set to return on the 16th october..i have started a page based on channel 9 with memories and flashbacks..please have a look and support the page..we need to get the message across that the studios must be open to public to see this historic site from top to bottom..studio 9 should be kept along with the jago street entrance..bugger them..units can always be built above the studio.but in my oppinion studio 9.should be left as is and made into a television museum..where else anywhere is there anything like this..nowhere..once gone always gone.along with history..the hallowed hallways and studio..so sad. come check out my link..

  2. i as a long time visitor to the 9 studios. it would be a thrill to tour the old studios..i have asked somers carrol and channel 9 about this months ago but no reply..i have attended shows there from the bozo show the world championship wrestling.or tv ringside with jack little.then most shows at the bob maumill show. don lane of course sale of the century..i still have the original tickets from the 70s.) and over 100 hey hey it’s saturday shows.me personally living in richmond i spent 2 or more days per week meet and greeting stars..i am so upset that the studios will be no longer..my best ever memories in life were at the studios..they were my home from home.this to me is like a family member dying.and nothing i can do to help…r.i.p channel 9 will be so sadly missed..

  3. Hopefully past employees will be invited to the Party
    We all are part of that building and have many memories
    It is afterall a lot to do with the people behind the scenes

  4. Hey Hey should attempt to bring back as many former Channel 9 stars as possible to appear on the show.

    Surely Bert Newton can come along and others to give insights into how the studio changed their careers.

    One assumes a tribute to Don Lane and Graham Kennedy will be shown at some point during the final night as well.

    Making it a museum is a great idea – I’d definatley go and visit!

  5. @Neilo – your spot on, and this really does mark the end of an era, some good some ‘meh’, but grand nonetheless. I think a museum of some description is an excellent idea but it will have to be tucked away in a corner to leave room for the apartments that they will surely want to build there.

  6. My workplace are moving into the same building at 717 Bourke St, so looking forward to star-spotting some of Nine’s best.

    Great idea re the open house, there would be a mass turn-out and it would be a great way for Melbournians to say farewell to a historic era for Nine and television in this city.

  7. First, it was Channel Seven’s Studio’s in Sydney’s Epping that closed down to make way for apartments, Now, it’s Nine’s turn to close their Mebourne Studio’s for apartments. I agree with Somers in some sort about it being made into a museum, or at least make a ‘tv museum’ in general with sets and props from all networks.

    I’m from Sydney, so bare with me, but how close to Seven’s Studio’s will Nine be at Docklands?

  8. If I were Nine, I’d give the Hey Hey 2010 finale, as much time as the ’99 final episode, to say a proper goodbye to Studio 9.

    Make the people coming to see the show that night, part of the party atmosphere too, by having Daryl spring a surprise, with the entire audience being invited to the GTV farewell.

    I agree with the idea of a GTV open house.

  9. Yes this is the end of a grand era in television. It may never be repeated. The Natioanl Broadband Network will open the flood gates for the new kid on the block to reach it’s full potential. These new generations of emerging consumers were born with an X-Box or PS3 conrol in their hands and they don’t watch television like previous generations did. It really is a brave new world!

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