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Hey Hey a victim of revenue vs cost

Daryl Somers says Hey Hey's best chance now is in the second half of the year, but the economics don't stack up very well.

A return of Hey Hey it’s Saturday looks off the table for the first half of 2011 and is no guarantee for the second half.

Host Daryl Somers has told Facebook fans that the news is not good for the show’s prospects.

“There is a chance of something happening in the second half of the year but sadly nothing definitive. And if we did return it would probably not be on a Saturday as according to Nine the ‘economics’ don’t stack up: not enough people watching TV generally on a weekend compared to mid week viewing, therefore revenue verses the cost of mounting a two hour variety show like ours does not work. They can make more profit with a cheaper program,” he wrote.

“This is the business of television, no sentiment or viewer loyalty comes into it I’m afraid. I have made the point that we were never given a chance to consolidate either in our midweek slot or on Saturdays. Both seasons were interrupted by Rugby coverage and even though Nine agreed our figures were strong against the juggernaut of MasterChef and indeed extended our first season by 3 eps. , The Farmer Wants a Wife replaced us in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games.”

Until now Somers Carroll has retained many of its production team and is currently producing a documentary on the history of GTV9, which is good news.

Fans of the show have been running a fervent Logie campaign for the show and its cast.

Nine’s Director of Television Michael Healy recently told TV Tonight, “I’m a very big fan of Daryl Somers and I have incredible respect for him.

“He has been very successful and he’s done a lot for the industry so he deserves all of our respect and certainly mine personally.”

Neither Hey Hey nor Somers have yet been inducted into the Logie Hall of Fame.

47 Responses

  1. People love to kick Hey Hey when it is down. It provided people with entertainment on Saturday nights for 28 years and started to do it again in 2010. Just because it received those bad comments on the US TV program “The Voice”, the show and people who want it back are seen as backward and living in the past.

    Sorry but some of us want to watch something on a Saturday night that is funny, entertaining and Australian. Hey Hey brought the world to us each Saturday night. We saw new performers perform, talk about new movies and some fun.

    Just because an act on Red Faces can be seen as racist it means the whole show and its views are living in the past. People who are using this as an argument are only looking at a particular part of the show. The act was on the reunion show because they appeared on the show twenty years ago.

    If a show being entertaining is something from the past, then I can see why television is like it is today. For 28 years we watched Hey Hey and then for 10 years we had Rove and Rove Live and then we had one year of Hey Hey again. Nothing has replaced these shows. These shows provided International stars somewhere to advertise themselves when they came to Australia.

  2. *yawn.* time to move forward daryal and fans. its a new world out there and you’ll never know what it has to offer unless you welcome the 21st century. hhis was created in the 20th and thats where its been left ( i know, its so so sad). Rip hey hey its saturday and may we congratulate Nine on winning last nights ratings without hey hey. saturday nights without hey hey have proven to be a big success and a big leap forward.

  3. @John Jackson: I have to admit that you’re right – and that yours is the mature outlook. Many commenters have been a tad harsh.
    No one is wishing Darryl any harm – in fact I wish him well. I, like many (dare I say most) just want him off the box in the hope that someone better will come along.

  4. come on, these 5 or so fans that say their boycotting 9 is funny as. im sure the decision makers are laughing their heads off atm. so childish. we can not please everyone. its how the entertainment industry works and if you dont like, listen to the old radio instead. the regular 5 or so fans are making comedy on their facebook posts. carnt help to laugh at posts which say ‘we wont watch 9 until its back, who agrees? (9 likes)’ LOL, Anyway good 2 c its time has ended and a long time in the making, CYA.

  5. …that massive logie “vote for us” on their facebook site is just gratuitous and tacky. I mean…really…didn’t they get the logies all the time…oh yes with Daryl’s “shocked” face.

  6. “…ever given a chance to consolidate either in our midweek slot or on Saturdays. Both seasons were interrupted by Rugby coverage and even though …”

    Oh Daryl. Perhaps no one wants to actually tell you that it was just dire and a complete waste of tv dollars?

    Ever heard of backing out gracefully?

  7. @steveany – I’m not a fan of everyone in the TV industry, but it seems some just like being hateful/negative on many things. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t really see a need to spout venom unless they’re harming innocents or some other similar action.

  8. Attention all Hey Hey fans who don’t understand the “haters”. I’m writing this slowly so you’ll understand.
    See, it’s like this – you don’t have to watch someone not to like them.
    For example, I’ve only ever seen the Morning/Sunrise shows for a total of about 10 minutes all up, but I still loathe the presenters – some more than others. It must be a personality thing. Trouble is, if you watch commercial TV these annoying people are on high rotation for cross promotion and special events (disasters etc) and they’re all in your face whether you choose to watch them or not. Ditto for Hey Hey.
    Even you Dazza-lovers must dislike someone on TV you don’t choose to watch?
    Eddie McGuire perhaps? Warnie? Peter Harvey? Kochie? George W Bush?
    There are so many to pick from! I hope that helps.

  9. Goodness me. I’ve been to the Facebook page and some of the people who posted sure are a passionate lot. In fact, some have said they won’t watch Channel 9 if Hey Hey doesn’t come back. Yet here, most of the people seem to be glad if it’s not coming back. I guess you can’t please everyone if you work in TV.

  10. Horrah!!! No more Hey Hey!! It’s amazing it lasted for as long as it did! It was stuck in a time warp and the real problem withe show was Darryl Somers himself. This talentless and unfunny man is the main reason for the show’s demise…I mean….how long can one watch a show where the host doesn’t let anybody else get a word in!! His tv return has been about as successful as his singing career!!

  11. Really don’t understand the haters, there’s plenty of TV shows I don’t like and hence I Don’t watch not that hard to work out.

    On the Hall of Fame issue, many Halls of Fame require the members to have been retired for a set period of time. Daryl hasn’t really retired as such even if at times he’s been off our screens. (I realise there have been inductees still working in the past).

    Of course there is precedent for shows to be inducted a la Neigbours and Play School.

  12. @SR – The shows you mentioned can hardly be compared. Those are US sitcoms, whilst Hey Hey is live variety and Australian. Hardly suitable replacements.

  13. Rubbish rubbish rubbish. Stop making lame excuses and face the fact that the show didn’t make the cut. As always, Daryl can not accept the facts and always plays the blame game. Its a load of crap. No more excuses. While 600 000 may like the page, there are obviously another 600 000 who do not support the show in any way, shape or form. Happy that the show has been left behind and it shows it just can’t make the move to docklands. There is so much better laughter on TV now such as Big Bang Theory, Mike and Molly, The Middle, Two and a Half men, etc. If you carnt find any interest in those except hhis, you really need to get a life.

  14. @ aussietv – give me your address and I will gladly come over and bag out Hey Hey and Daryl in public if you so desire.

    The show is outdated and silly but I do agree it is very remiss of the Logie peeps to keep excluding Dazza. Who did he p**s off I wonder?

  15. Great show, and yes, specials are the only way to go because of the cost.

    The 40th anniversary show would be a great idea – also Hey Hey on tour — live shows from Sydney Entertainment Centre or Rod Laver Arena or other big venues interstate.

    Also when it comes to revenue — a number of Hey Hey and Red Faces dvds sold in the last decade — a relaunch of these and selected segments from 2009/10 on bluray?

  16. They could do one big single 2.5 / 3 hour 40th anniversary / birthday show. At least give the fans that, and also a nod to the show for giving them the success during its hey day.

    I had never voted in the logie awards. This year, I have voted for Daryl & Hey Hey. Maybe, if you give him a Hall Of Fame Logie, he’ll stop… just for the haters.

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