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Axed: Australia’s Got Talent

Inevitable news that Nine's talent show is off the table for 2014.

AGT20217It was pretty obvious that when Nine did not confirm a return for Australia’s Got Talent at its 2014 Upfronts that the show would not be returning.

Networks don’t like to put out bad news at a time when they are pushing good.

But today Mumbrella has reported, officially, that the show is over.

Earlier this year Nine Programmer Andrew Backwell told TV Tonight, “We still have it under option with the ability to trigger it. We’re not going to let it go quite yet. We’ll see how The Voice launches and I think it will be big.”

It’s been a rollercoaster ride for the show. In 2011 it was a blockbuster, with ratings of over 2 million on Seven.

In 2012 Nine killed its chances when it was programmed against The Voice. As a result Seven decided not to renew it, allowing Nine to swoop on it for 2013.

But the tables were reversed. This time Seven killed it with The X Factor, a show produced by the same production company, FremantleMedia Australia.

Late last year Nine confirmed it would produce two versions of The Voice in 2014, announcing The Voice Kids. That pretty much sealed its fate. It’s too risky to try and squeeze three talent shows on one network in one year and AGT has had to make way.

Unless TEN or Foxtel miraculously come to its rescue it would seem AGT is over for many years.

In its 7 year life span it has, however, managed to uncover or elevate some entertainment acts: Justice Crew, Jack Vidgen, Timomatic (who went from contestant to judge), Cosentino and Mark Vincent but also seen its judges attract just as much attention behind the scenes.

39 Responses

  1. Seems that abbreviations are all the go in so many of these comments.

    AGT, TFX, SYTYCD, MKR,FMA;US,UK.

    So it seems that it is only a natural progression for Network Ten to pick up AGT, as Ten seems to have assumed the duties of the TV Lands Media Coroner and even branched out into the realms of an UFEVPP (Undertaker For Even Very Popular Programmes).

    Probably Tens next natural progression is to prefix many of its EPG programmes and replace the misused ‘ Encore’ ( audience request) with a TFNITC classification ( The Final Nail In The Coffin), at least they can then claim they have nailed something.

  2. Let’s not forget that 9 struck first when programming The Voice up against AGT. 7 were well within their rights to counter program with X Factor…

  3. Maybe pay a bit less for judges and put it on Saturday night and it becomes a point of difference for nine against footy on seven and abc and would help nines overall ratings for week

  4. Highly unsurprising news. When 7 did the dodgy and put X Factor up against AGT, I knew AGT would come off worse for wear. I did prefer the newer 9 version, but the $$$ poured into it for such average ratings clearly didn’t justify its renewal by 9. The best thing would be for it to be rested for a few years and then brought back, ala Big Brother.

  5. Thank goodness, one less talent show. Not that I ever watch any of them, but at least – hopefully – it frees up time for more decent drama, and not yet another reality show. I’ve almost abandoned the commercial networks, the stuff they’re throwing at us is truly dreadful.

    SBS has some fabulous programming, if only people took the time to suss it out.

  6. AGT was funny and different in the beginning but after a few seasons a lot of it was stupid, seven did the right thing to let it go, nine thought they could re-vamp it but don’t know what happened to the re-vamp as there was very little difference than on seven, hence the show did not do any better than in the latter years on seven as it had already run its race anyway, so let bygones’ be bygones’.

  7. We are talent show watchers as they are good fodder for a family with young kids (SYTYCD is a current fave here). However, we have never watched AGT due to Kyle Sandliands. I refuse to expose my kids to him.

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