Really? Could TEN really be plotting a revival of Australian Idol?
Today there are media reports speculating about that very thing.
News Limited says it is being considered by the network, and quotes Chief Programming Officer Beverley McGarvey:
“Like all networks, we’re always looking at new options and shows,” she said. “Australian Idol is a consideration, as are many, many other things, but it would be wrong to say it will definitely return to TEN.”
Earlier this month TV Tonight asked all the network programmers to pick a former format they would love to revive.
“I think it’s fairly obvious from our crowded schedule that we do miss our Idol days. It was the grandfather of those shows that are doing everywhere right now,” she said.
“Idol was such a brand defining show with the Sydney Opera House finales, they were fantastic TV. It was sort of the beginning of Event Television for us.”
But since The Voice has moved in, and X Factor still stands strong, it’s difficult to imagine Idol could still succeed. Nine is also revamping Australia’s Got Talent.
TEN already tried to revamp Young Talent Time but it didn’t take hold.
Meanwhile McGarvey also defended MasterChef: The Professionals.
“We are very proud of the quality of MasterChef: The Professionals and its celebration of food and cooking,” she said. “The fact its Sunday night audience is more than one million and its series average audience is 900,000 shows it is resonating with a lot of viewers.”
Recommissioning a tired format would really be a nail in the coffin.
Seeing as Ten bought the US version off Fox8 at the start of the year, I would have thought making a local Idol version was always on the cards for 2013.
They’ll do it – because they have to.
Will it work? You’d think they’d be happy with an avg of 800k…which could happen.
Well, the Big Brother comeback worked. If Idol was done right, it could work.
But surely there’s better options. 10 should go back to targetting their core younger demo.
How about shows about things that interest young people?
Facebook? Music festivals? Video games?
How about a knockoff of MKR – but with bars instead? My Pub Rules?
Start Scene: Ch 10 Programming meeting:
Oh oh pick me! Pick me!
I know what – lets do a derivative formulaic reality show just like we did all through 2012 and try to spin it as “hip” and “new”- that worked out really well for us didn’t it?
Definition of insanity: repeating the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Reality may rate but it seriously worries me that people think its good TV?
@ David Knox February 16, 2013 at 10:35 am –
TasTVcameraman: Like 4:30 News?
I only came to check this story out because of the amount of posts it attracted…
This post of yours made me laugh out really loud!
Jennome
Tens biggest problems that must be decided internally first, are to thrash out what are the true intentions of only a few major share holders, which on the surface seems to indicate, three alternatives one is political propaganda, another is profit and prosper, third and most sinister is to set up a buy out, at the cheapest cost?
As for the target demographics, young and impressionable with a must have now and always the latest technology attitude, suit both political and advertisers, where the mature demographic are less easily fooled by both, but prefer consistency and continuity of programs and series, and Ten have to decide if they target the younger demo. only, or chose a mix of demo’s with targeted days and time of day hours during those days?, by giving a good alternative for the dull repeat nights that occur each week.
@ilovetv
They should get hold of the CA rights under Sevens former person James Warburton which knows all the tricks. If they don’t get hold of it their best bet is the Tennis Australia. They need to take more risks at major sporting codes besides ARU which is a major sport
oztvheritage, the market that has grown up with TEN are now in their 60s and 70s – a group which is totally ignored by the commerial channels, yet they’re far more likely to watch TV rather than be distracted by all the modern gizmos now available to younger people.
Maybe they should go for the more mature audience, i.e. baby boomers, who by and large have plenty of money to spend with their advertisers.
Please don’t.
10 need to do a late night talk show with Micallef (great idea who ever suggested it)
Other Ideas they could do include
Create a local Aussie sitcom. We need another Hey Dad or Accropous Now.
Get hold of a major sport’s broadcasting rights.
Get a morning show that is watchable and is dramatically different from Today and Sunrise (some hard hitting news to contrast to Sunrise and Today)
Bring back Thank God Your Here.
Hit refresh and re launch the 10 brand.
( as James 23 said) take a risk and create a completely new reality or game show format.
That would be a bad idea. We hardly have enough talent to source 2.5 singing contests.
I don’t think SYTYCD will rate much better, but it’s something different from everything else that is out there. Might be good instead of MC:P, with MC:P moving to end of year.
Is it coincidence that so many reality shows from the kitchen to the stage, have contestants with troubled life histories, does the reality format attract them or does their history ensure them becoming contestants on reality shows.
I wonder which is the attractant for 10, looking at its recent history
I believe so but it’s not confirmed. Probably after Easter against The Voice.
a bit off topic but are we getting biggest loser when this masterchef finishes David?
I’d bring back SYTYCD Australia, put it on Sunday nights, 7:30PM from Feb – May, results on Monday night, 7:30PM. Get someone young, pretty, likeable and female to host it, someone who can warm to the viewing audience and has a personality (so no Sarah Murdochs or Jennifer Hawkinses).
Might get a million or so viewers, better than nothing!
Idol will struggle with so many singing talent shows on air, unless the judging panel is top class (no few-hit local acts like your Guy Sebastians or Natalie Bassingthwaights), either Australian legends like Farnham or Barnesy, plus bring back Dicko and get 1 or 2 big name international acts that are still relevant (so no-one like Seal or Ricky Martin).
All this will cost a heap of money, but that’s what they need to do if they want to make it work again.
People are saying ten need to be fresh. They went fresh in 2012 and everything bombed. Shire dance now. Will Survive. They will not risk that again. And they are now back focusing on the market that has grown up with them. Hence now over 35s. Given teens and 20s are not into tv anymore. Idol is a wider audience than X factor But maybe money could be better spent on Shaun M. Tonight show and some major sports rights.
It wouldn’t matter what shows Ten attempts to introduce and/or revive, they’ll make a meal of anyway.
One only has to read David’s piece and take note of Chief Programme Officer Beverly McGarvey’s talking up of MCP, that clearly proves she is in complete denial about it’s disappointing performance.
She may be proud of it and it’s ratings may be hovering around 900,000 for the series, but take out those first three episodes and the average drops to 700,000.
Meanwhile MKR averages 1,881,000. Now that’s what I call resonating with a lot of viewers.
I wish Ten would bring back so you think you can dance oz! It was a brilliant show with some awesome talent until ten destroyed it by moving it to wed and thur nights!!
Mostly negative comments here but will Ten listen?
I like Idol, but feel that at the moment there is too many singing shows on and it’ll get lost ala Masterchef. Wouldn’t mind seeing So You Think You Can Dance back. But no way do I want Sarah Murdoch hosting.
Except you didn’t… so it’s not old news? In any case it’s still only speculation.
old news David….
Could have told you that Idol was coming back in October last year…
If ch10 are targeting a younger demo, why would they want to bring back a “grandfather” show?
They are going to have to be innovative and edgy to capture their target audience, and if you have kids in the 16-22 age group, you know they no longer watch tv in the (old) traditional way
Auatralia can’t support this many talent shows, the talent is getting thin as it is! Plus Idol is an institution still in the US whereas Idol faded out long before it officially ended, it would inevitably get thrashed by the competitive talent shows such as X factor and the Voice
No, no please don’t bring this back. Why does Channel 10 seem to be going backwards, rather than thinking of something new and appealing to a wider audience, they want to go back to this dross.
They really need to get with the times and create programming that will make it a competitive and viable 3rd commercial network and forget their youth orientated slant as those days are over.
The network has just been going from bad to worse, I think even new owners or new management won’t save this lot from extinction.
Hear hear, John Jackson. Micallef Tonight, Ten. Make it happen!
I’d like Idol to come back. But I reckon this the best time of year for it. No other music shows to go up against and a point of difference to all the cooking shows. Maybe next year…
Do we really need another talent show? lets be honest the majority of the contestants are never heard of again and the ones that do make a career end up doing stage shows or become a judge them selves.
why not try something new. revive prime time live tv, like IMT or a new Australian late night show.
I liked Idol when it was on, but that was then. How can they possibly return it now when there’s things like X Factor? That is basically its replacement, just with additional things.
It’d just be crazy for 10 to possibly do this. Just give Micallef his own tonight show instead since 10 doesn’t have rove or The Panel airing anymore.
If 10 do bring it back they need to be smart & schedule it after The Voice (obviously) & away from AGT & X Factor.
By screening it Wed & Thurs nights would be alot safer – even if it over laps AGT & X Factor a bit it could still work.
They need to be different, engage the audience.
Bringing back Marcia would be fantastic along with 3 new judges incl a behind the scenes person (songwriter or producer) to give the show more cred.
Please God no….
I loved Australian Idol and have always wanted it to return, but I have to agree with everyone else that going up against the other networks with their versions of the reality craze, with the network in its current state where their nightly numbers are only just above or even below the ABC, it wouldn’t get the numbers it deserves. Not to mention American Idol is only rating 300-500k, well below the million mark. I know in the U.S. Big Brother is a summer series and rates really well, so perhaps TEN could make Idol a summer series.
TasTVcameraman: Like 4:30 News?
Another bad idea from Ten. This is Young Talent Time all over again. So which reality talent show will they schedule this one against? X Factor? The Voice? Australia’s Got Talent? The market is crowded and Ten are shockingly bad with scheduling shows against similar ones.
Young Talent Time revival in my opinion was OK, but the songs should have been older songs like 60′s and 70′s well known songs. People like what they know, but they dont know what they like until they hear it a few times and now I admit I do not listen to commercial radio as they never announce the songs and fill the space up with idiotic banter.
Australian Idol maybe OK, just pit it against something which will cause Australian Idol to win
ten, how stupid would you be to even table this suggestion? you have a truck load of reality programs fail epicly last year, US idol is failing epicly now, and your thoughts are to revive another reality program that failed …..
@oztvheritage – you claim this is not dancing or to a young audience … well there is dancing and this is for a young audience ……
someone deserves to finally shut you down if you go ahead with this …….
I don’t think Australian Idol should ever come back. Ten will probably cancel it before the live final rounds begin (remember Everybody Dance Now lol). Look at American Idol’s ratings…
I’m not sure if they should revive idol. I know I enjoyed idol in the earlier seasons but the last couple of seasons I lost interest. It really depends what talent they get but I do agree the opera house finales were always great. At the moment I do watch the voice but I can’t watch xfactor. I find xfactor more teenage orientated and I dont’ have any interest. Really enjoying Masterchef Professionals as its getting better every week whereas even though I am still watching mkr I am losing interest with all the hostility.
Considering the numbers Ten are getting now they could’ve done a lot worse than keep YTT.
I’ve always preferred the Idol format over X Factor and The Voice. The latter two involve the judges too much in the process to manufacture some kind of rivalry, while Idol appears to be more about the music rather than “Team *insert judge here*”. But, just like the other shows, the judges need to be decent. Danni Minogue would be a great option as a judge. Hugh Sheridan as host (or Russell Crowe? Lol).
I just can’t see a return of Idol succeeding in the current TV climate (barring a very serious revamp). It might be the ‘grandfather’ of The Voice, X Factor, even Australia’s Got Talent, but the thing is that those shows have taken Idol’s basic formula and reworked and expanded it in new and interesting ways – putting Idol back on against those shows is going to make it look very old indeed.
Not to mention how crowded the whole genre is already on Australian TV – we already saw AGT suffer last year as a result of The Voice.
James Warbarton wouldn’t be so stupid surely. Launching a tied 2nd had brand in an environment of The Voice and X-Factor would be absolute suicide.
They’d be better off taking a risk in a new genre, like they did with MasterChef…
Ugh this could end badly
I think it’s a good idea, I always preferred the format, especially that the contestants could choose their own songs
Please don’t, it’s going
to get lost in the shuffle
Well at least they are thinking big. Reality rates. Even though many are sick of it. Idol is mainstream. Not dancing, not cooking, not just focus to a young audience. Ten desparatly needs a flagship production. Idol could be what ten desperately needs. A show that attracts views back. Probably worth a try. Clearly it still rates in the US. Still say they desperately need a major sport!!!