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Ganging up on dumbing down

Opinion pieces on television take aim at TEN and at our Drama Producers.

Opinion pieces on television are strong in today’s Fairfax newspapers.

Two pieces by two writers take pretty strong aim, one at TEN for dumbing down TV, and the other at our Drama producers for dumbing down Drama.

I haven’t seen Puberty Blues yet, but I suspect one show may satisfy both concerns (and didn’t Offspring anyway? Even David Gygnell praised it yesterday at Nine’s Drama launch).

Nevertheless, Sydney Morning Herald columnist Paul Sheehan gets stuck into TEN over The Shire, Being Lara Bingle and Masterchef. While it’s pretty obvious there are criticisms to be levelled at the first two, he says of the latter it has too much advertising, cross-promotion, product placement and self-aggrandisement.

“In fact, there is so much product placement and so many plugs that MasterChef, in its entirety, could be classified as advertorial. This, plus the antics of the co-host George Calombaris and the bullying of the contestants, who are forced to work under absurd deadlines in order to satiate the producers’ need for drama and manic energy and avoid the trap-door of public elimination,” he writes.

He also takes aim at management for poor programming, reflected in a low share price.

“The person technically responsible for what is evolving at TEN Network is the managing director, James Warburton, but he joined the company only in January (from Seven) when all the current trends were already in place or in the pipeline,” he writes.

“So the primary responsibility would flow to TEN’s chief programming officer, David Mott, who has been in charge of the network’s programming for 15 years.

“If the regulator were interested, I think TEN has a case to answer.”

I’m not as convinced one person is responsible when 12 months ago the network was gutted by the Board. TEN and Nine have both recently had to steer through economic change. Right now TEN has a case to answer to its shareholders and audience before the media regulator.

Meanwhile writer Sam de Brito laments that Australian drama is too obsessed with ‘crime porn’ and we should get back to making dramas like Phoenix, East West 101 and Blue Murder.

“From my perspective, this seems to be the message of so much Australian crime drama at the moment – and by extension the culture from which it springs, and which consumes it,” he writes in the Sydney Morning Herald.

I deal drugs, I kill people, but I look good with my shirt off, I’m a lad, I’ve got heaps of cash, chicks dig me – so it is what it is – accept it man, move on, get your own life, cos I’m living mine like a f—ing criminal rock star, and if you got something to say about, I’ll hurt you bad.

“As Kuo and Wu write in their essay: ‘Because we have nowhere else to place our collective faith, only the anti-hero can contest or uproot the imperfect structures of the universe.’

“So we’re left to worship shitheads.

“I’m not suggesting the sky is falling because of Underbelly or its silly red-haired cousin, Bikie Wars, just that, as an avid consumer of television drama, I’d give my left nut to see our networks take some risks with a crime show, rinse the soap out of them and give us something to think about.”

31 Responses

  1. Sorry I forgot to add that I wish Eleven would be mainly for drama or scripted programming and possibly a haven from reality TV. I get it’s unlikely.

  2. Sorry to comment again but while watching Star Trek last night a potential solution came to me. It might advantage Ten, One and Eleven. Plus I’ll admit viewers like me that want to watch Eleven and don’t want the constant go away signal to win. Although it might also be impractical or unwanted.

    I’ll note that Eleven was often highly rated for a multichannel. Still is. Also it was One that was often lowly rated. So if you want to boost a channels ratings then why not One instead. That way One could be the sport and perhaps reality TV repeat channel. Plus if the shows have been shot in HD why not show it. I get there might be problems with the weekend as there is often well rated sport.

    Another suggestion that also might be silly. The Lara Bingle show is half an hour. Why not pair it with something that’s half an hour. There’s The Shire but if that isn’t a good idea then something else. Then maybe you could prevent silly programming of 1 hour dramas starting at 10pm. I also wish you’d move it to One. If it must on be Eleven then put them on Saturday between 7.30-8.30pm. That way maybe Star Trek: Voyager could be back after 8.30pm. I get it would take time if you do this. I also apologise to anyone if they do take it up and ruin your show on One.

  3. I think it’s a bit harsh for Paul Sheehan to single out MasterChef for excessive product placement. Product placement is not a new phenomenon, nor is it exclusive to MasterChef or even reality TV in general.

    I would think The Block was far more affected by gratuitous product placement.

  4. I’m actually heartened by the level of debate here. There’s some genuinely constructive criticism being offered so I can only hope that programmers and commissioners are taking note. Don’t forget, too, that there’s some interesting stuff still to come … Underground, Mr and Mrs Murder, Rake, Puberty Blues, Howzat, Devil’s Dust, This Christmas, The Strange Calls …

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