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Nine confirms Getaway downsizing

After 19 years, Getaway will downsize to a 30 minute weekend-only edition.

Channel Nine has confirmed its long-running popular travel show is no longer a primetime announced to be permanently relegated to a half hour weekend version.

It follows TV Tonight speculating on the show’s long-term prospects after being stripped back to 30 minutes and premiering both on GEM and on weekends on Nine.

The show has been a staple of Nine’s since 1992 and recently added Kate Ceberano to its resident cast earlier plus reports from Jennifer Hawkins.

Yesterday Nine’s Managing Director Jeffrey Browne said in a statement, “Getaway is a great Channel Nine brand which remains important to the network and its advertisers. The new timeslot recognises the shift in multi-channel viewing during the week and provides a great lead-in for our Saturday evening News bulletin, as we have seen over recent weeks when we have trialled the new timeslot.”

Under the new half-hour format, some full-time production staff positions will become redundant, but all the current reporters will remain with the show.

Earlier this year Director of Television Michael Healy told TV Tonight, he would be surprised if Getaway didn’t flip back to an hour.

Getaway is successful for us for many reasons. Our sales department love the show as well. It’s important we nurture it. It’s been on the schedule for a long time and it’s been very successful for us,” he said.

18 Responses

  1. it’s a shame that this show is being downsized to digital (gem) and on weekends on primary (Nine).

    Although, at least it’s now part of the ”lifestyle package” on Saturday afternoons with Discover Downunder (and is the Garden Gurus still on?) etc

  2. I await with interest to see who wins against Getaway and Sydney Weekender , im a fan of Sydney WeekenderAfter watching Getaway yesterday on GEM it seemed to be in SD , i may be wrong.

  3. well as for , quote ” some redundancies ” – I believe there have been about 20 people given their marching orders yesterday , leaving a skeleton crew of 6 to sail the marie celeste as contra arrangements are “paid back” and the final plug can be pulled. Really nine execs speak with forked tongue, I’d rather believe a conman than some one from a formerly straight and great tv network.

  4. As the saying goes some people can’t lie straight in bed. Looks like the management at Nine have taken some ideas from our Prime Minister, when in doubt, “Lie”. As I said before the people at Getaway needed to get a signed statement from their bosses to say they would be safe before they got the tap on the shoulder. With the click of a mouse they can destroy their staff and their staff’s families. Down sizing, hmmmm, it’s not a bloody Big Mac meal they’re dealing with. I am sorry to see a 20 year old program with so much to offer be treated worse than a sick dog. A little bit of TLC and new direction and Getaway could be bigger than before, however we will soon find out if management really want it to survive. Place your bets folks, will Getaway be back in 2012 with brand new episodes or re-badged old stories and shows making us believe it is new stuff? My money right now is on Getaway going away for a long vacation.

  5. Seven poached the best from Nine years ago (and Healy wasn’t in that wish list).. but what happened then is now starting to happen to Seven.. with some of the best being poached by Ten. Can Seven stop from becoming the wasteland that is all that’s left of Nine?

  6. This is one of the few shows that doesn’t feature Eddie Everywhere but much like 2.5 men and Humphrey It too has past it used by date.

  7. @ Ronnie – yes, you can see why Ten choose to poach Seven executives and not Nine. The only thing you’d poach from Nine would be the eggs from a staff lunch room fridge.

  8. Love Getaway,I wish at least they would keep it on Friday nights on GEM,instead of moving it to Saturdays at 5:30pm where my other favorite show is on I.e:Sydney Weekender.

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