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2017 Upfronts: TEN highlights

New drama series Sisters, renewals for Offspring & Wrong Girl -and the return of Russell Coight.

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New drama series Sistersas tipped by TV Tonight– has been greenlit for TEN in 2017.

Offspring and The Wrong Girl have been renewed and Russell Coight, played by Glenn Robbins, is making a return to the small screen after a 13 year absence.

TEN has announced its Upfronts through the media ahead of its presentation to advertisers at a Breakfast event in Sydney today.

Sisters (pictured above) stars Lucy Durack, Maria Angelico, Antonia Prebble as three sisters who find out they’re related. It also features Magda Szubanski, Roy Billing, Barry Otto, Catherine McClements, Remy Hii, Dan Spielman, Charlie Garber and Zindzi Okenyo. Producer Imogen Banks shot a pilot mid year after production on Offspring concluded.

Also new is Common Sense with real Aussies giving their opinions on news topics -described as a current affairs version of Gogglebox, it is set in the workplace. Produced by Endemol Shine Australia it will also be shared with Foxtel.

Casting is yet to be announced on two part thriller Wake in Fright.

Libby Babet joins Shannon Ponton for The Biggest Loser: Transformed.

Also renewed are Todd Sampson’s Bodyhack, Have You Been Paying Attention?, Shark Tank, The Living Room, The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.

But absent are Long Lost FamilyThe Great Australian Spelling Bee, Territory Cops and Gold Coast Cops.

Update: Bondi Rescue is returning.

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TEN Chief Executive Officer, Paul Anderson, said: “Every night of the week, television draws a willing and engaged audience of 16 million people, something no other medium can match.

“Growth, momentum and consistency have been the hallmark of Ten in recent years and that will continue in 2017.

“Next year we will create year-round consistency in our 7.30pm franchises, something TEN has never achieved before,” he said.

“The 7.30pm content strategy is book-ended by the summer television sensation that is the KFC Big Bash League, which starts in mid-December each summer and runs until late January.

“It will continue across the year with proven hits such as MasterChef Australia, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, The Bachelor Australia, The Bachelorette Australia, Australian Survivor, The Living Room and The Biggest Loser: Transformed, a refreshed and contemporary version of the highly successful franchise.”

TEN Chief Content Officer, Beverley McGarvey, said: “We have a diverse and deeply engaging line-up for 2017, with a great mix of returning and new shows that will reach viewers across multiple screens.

“People come to our network for shows that help them unwind or escape; that help them better understand their fellow Australians; that make them laugh; that connect them to the wider world; and that create moments that they will remember for years to come.

“We are excited that our shows are connecting with audiences in more ways than ever before. Our audiences are growing because we create content that is loved, watched, talked about, tweeted about and commented on.”

Russell Coight’s All Aussie Adventures.
He’s back! After a 15-year break, Australia’s best-loved outback adventurer returns with a brand new series. Yes, Russell Coight is back on Ten, ready to share his unique blend of bushcraft and self-injury with an entire new audience. Looks like it’s time to hit the road with Russell Coight’s All Aussie Adventures in 2017.

The Biggest Loser: Transformed.

One of Australia’s most iconic and enduring series will return in 2017 in a contemporary and empowering version, The Biggest Loser: Transformed. Hosted by Fiona Falkiner with trainers Shannan Ponton and Libby Babet, and produced by Endemol Shine Australia, The Biggest Loser: Transformed will see a group of everyday Australians tackling relatable weight issues and undergoing transformations of their bodies and their minds. The reimagined and uplifting show will take the latest advancements in health and fitness to create a contemporary and goal-driven approach to transforming people’s lives. The Biggest Loser: Transformed will also be supported by an innovative new app that will help all Australians transform their lives.

Common Sense.
From the creators of the global phenomenon Gogglebox Australia comes Common Sense, a highly entertaining new show being produced for Foxtel’s Lifestyle Channel and Network Ten by Endemol Shine Australia. Common Sense will feature a cast of real people and their real opinions as they round up the week’s most talked-about news topics while in conversation with one another in their workplaces. From general news and current affairs to the latest in politics, sport and popular culture, Common Sense will bring genuine and immediate reactions that highlight the nation’s unfiltered take and differing points of view on the biggest talking points each week.

Sisters.
A contemporary, feel-good family drama from the makers of Offspring, Sisters asks the big questions: what makes you you; what is the difference between being related and being a family; and does it pay to have DNA tests before sleeping with someone? Exploring this fertile terrain is a superb cast that includes Barry Otto, Catherine McClements, Lucy Durack, Maria Angelico, Antonia Prebble, Remy Hii, Dan Spielman, Charlie Garber, Roy Billing, Zindzi Okenyo and the fabulous Magda Szubanski.

Wake In Fright.
This new adaptation of Kenneth Cook’s classic Australian novel will tell the story of John Grant, a young school teacher who descends into his own personal nightmare after being stranded in the small outback mining town of Bundanyabba. Provocative, morally complex and brilliantly realised, Wake In Fright is guaranteed to stay with viewers long into the night and – possibly – for years to come. The two-part television event will be produced by Lingo Pictures in association with Endemol Shine Australia.

This Is Us.
From the writers and directors of Crazy, Stupid, Love, This Is Us is a smart, modern series that follows a group of people – some of whom were born on the same day – as their paths cross and their life stories intertwine in surprising ways. A strong ensemble cast including Mandy Moore (A Walk To Remember), Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes) and Sterling. K. Brown (The People V. O.J. Simpson) comes together in a refreshing, honest and provocative new series that will challenge your everyday assumptions about the people you think you know. This Is Us is the breakout hit new series in the US this year.

24: Legacy.
A spin-off from the classic series, 24: Legacy will chronicle the story of Eric Carter, a US military hero who returns home after leading a mission to assassinate a terrorist leader only to find he and his squad members are now the targets of assassins. Carter has to fight to save his life and stop one of the largest terrorist attacks on American soil. The stellar cast of 24: Legacy includes Corey Hawkins (The Walking Dead, Straight Outta Compton) and Australia’s Miranda Otto (The Lord Of The Rings, What Lies Beneath).

Bull.
Former NCIS star Michael Weatherly plays Dr. Jason Bull in a drama inspired by the early career of Dr. Phil McGraw, the founder of one of the most prolific trial consulting firms of all time. Brilliant, brash and charming, Dr. Bull is the ultimate puppet master as he combines psychology, human intuition and high-tech data to learn what makes jurors, attorneys, witnesses and the accused tick. Bull, which is one of the biggest hits of the new television season in the US, also stars Freddy Rodriguez (Six Feet Under) and Geneva Carr.

Man With A Plan.
Golden Globe Award winner Matt LeBlanc (Friends, Episodes) plays Adam, a contractor who starts spending more time with his kids when his wife Andi goes back to work after 13 years as a stay-at-home mother. Adam soon discovers the truth every parent eventually realises: his little angels are devils. With Andi’s encouragement and advice from a couple of equally stressed parents, Adam takes charge of his brood and decides he is going to “nail” this job.

Doubt.
Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy, Knocked Up) stars as Sadie Ellis, a brilliant attorney at a boutique firm who starts to fall for her charismatic client, Billy Brennan, a paediatric surgeon recently accused of murdering his girlfriend 24 years ago. Sadie’s decision to become involved with her client could put her career, as well as her happiness, at risk if Billy is found guilty, which means she needs to work all the harder to prove reasonable doubt, even if she has some herself. The supporting cast includes Elliott Gould (Ocean’s Eleven, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice) and Laverne Cox (Orange Is The New Black).

New:

Sisters,
Wake in Fright,
Common Sense

International:

This is Us
24: Legacy
Bull
Man with a Plan
Doubt

Returning:

Offspring,
The Wrong Girl,
MasterChef Australia,
Australian Survivor,
Russell Coight’s All Aussie Adventures,
The Biggest Loser: Transformed,
The Bachelor,
The Bachelorette,
I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!,
Gogglebox,
Have You Been Paying Attention?,
Shark Tank,
Todd Sampson’s BodyHack,
Big Bash League,
The Project,
Family Feud,
All Star Family Feud,
The Living Room,
Studio 10,
NCIS,
NCIS: Los Angeles,
NCIS: New Orleans,
Modern Family,
Law & Order: SVU,
Madam Secretary,
Life in Pieces,
The Graham Norton Show,
David Attenborough specials

ELEVEN:

The Simpsons,
Neighbours,
No Tomorrow,
The Great Indoors,
Star,
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,
Dating Naked,
Bondi Ink Tattoo,
Sleepy Hollow.

ONE:

Building Invincible,
Rocky Mountain Railroad,
Car Crash Global

Sport

Big Bash League,
Women’s Big Bash League
Australian Formula One Grand Prix,
Formula One.
MotoGP,
RPM,
Supercars Championship,
Bathurst 1000,
Rugby Championship,

This post Updates.

43 Responses

  1. Its good to see new shows, however, one wonders why the main channels feed older Australian made drama into the secondary channels instead of multiple repeats of Jag and Dr Quinn Medicine Woman.

    As an example Channel Ten owned channel 11 or One could air drama shows like E Street, The Restless Years, Carson’s Law The Henderson Kids and Richmond Hill during the day and shows like Prisoner, Big Sky, Medivac, White Collar Blue, Above The Law, Small Claims, Special Squad and State Coroner late at night (eg say at 1am). Comedy shows such as Back To School, Col’n Carpenter, Are You Being Served (In Australia) and Comedy Company

    Another example is Channel 7 owned 7Two or 7 Mate could air drama A Country Practice, Blue Heelers, Rafferty’s Rules Always Greener and Skirts during the day Winners and Losers, Fire, Cop Shop, City Homicide, Young Ramsey, Marshall Law, Packed To The Rafters…

  2. This is us was promoted as airing this year. Now its on next year? Talk about mixed messages. Was interested in watching but not sure I will. Delaying it wont help it get an audience so I can see it being played around with. Hopefully Netflix will get the rights and I can watch it there.

  3. If they insist on bringing back Offspring after the terrible terrible season 6 they did last year they really need to bring the original showrunner Debra Oswald and head writer Michael Lucas back…pay them whatever they ask, but its the only way to get that show back to its original quality. Season 6 was embarrassingly bad and so poorly written it tarnished the quality of the earlier seasons and definitely lost a lot of fans who wont be coming back for another season.

    1. I agree it wasn’t a patch on previous seasons… but I didn’t think it was “embarrassing”. I’ll be back next year, if just out of sheer loyalty…

  4. A really underwhelming upfront. Revive a show from 15 years ago,rebrand the Biggest Loser (which flopped two years ago) & yet another clone of Offspring (plus Offspring and clone 2).
    Ten seems to be a network based around a cooking show,with boys own adventure shows on one side, and rom-coms & dating shows on the other

  5. A bit thin on new content. Surely if any channel needs fresh shows, it is TEN. Just look at them this past week or two, using Family Feud All Stars and Jamie Oliver as filler, and getting showed up by the ABC!

  6. Really looking forward to old Russell back on our screens – should do really well as he is a bit of an Aussie legend…in his own mind anyway.
    Great also to see Gogglebox, Celeb, HYBPA? and the Living Room back again.
    Good to see The Wrong Girl given another chance – a really likeable,”feel good” show.
    A shame about Bondi Vet but guess Dr Chris is too busy with his other shows.
    Some of the new dramas look worthwhile.

  7. I’m hoping 2017 will be the year TEN doesn’t show their first run shows via tenplay.

    Last night I recorded the first run episode of Blue Bloods, only to discover it was replaced with a repeat of The Wrong Girl.

    At least it’s uploaded to tenplay. Which isn’t in HD, and doesn’t like people trying to skip the adverts. #sigh#.

    1. It took several goes, and two different versions of tenplay (FetchTV and online) to watch the episode. The page either kept crashing and needing to be rebooted, and/or skipped several seconds of storyline, which at times made it hard to follow. I hope they fix the issue soon.

  8. Hey David, in your newsletter I just received, you state that several US titles that Ten announced was coming to them are now headed to Foxtel… which titles are these?

  9. Great to hear Russell Coit is coming back, used to love that show. The new Aussie shows sound interesting, will be giving them a go. Any word on when Empire is coming back? They usually fast track it & it’s already showing in the US.

      1. Oh, thanks for that. Damn why do they keep doing that. We get invested in shows then after so many seasons they go to foxtel. Not all of us have foxtel. This frustrates the hell out of me. It shouldn’t be allowed, once you commit to a show you should see it through. Hopefully they’ll do like the Americans & show it eventually. Same with Suits.

  10. Lets hope they have elected to start their primes time at 7pm Sundays not 7.30pm. Never let the competition get the jump on you. Feel Ten still needs to address their news services and get a fresh approach and style (needs to be sleak like Nines) and that all important 6pm to 7.30pm time slot. Its also my opinion that Ten need to re-launch their promo’s and Station ID. Like Nine does with GO, great graphics and 3D simulation. Talking of 3D what ever happened to that concept?

    1. Agreed. Ten continued to be thrashed by 7 & 9 but even ABC. What I thought in my head was that shorten the Project to 30 mins. That could make a fresh start to a reality show e.g. MCA, IACGMOOH, The Bachelor etc.

  11. This can’t be everything right? Nothing about 24/7 live streaming of all channels – catching up to 7 and 9? I’m feeling slightly underwhelmed by this list….but great to see some of my favourites renewed, especially HYBPA, Shark Tank (don’t move it around all the time), BodyHack (hopefully can grow with a strong lead in – a brilliant, smart show) and Gogglebox. Common Sense should be good.

  12. Looking forward to Masterchef, This is Us and No Tomorrow plus other returning shows on 11. David, any news yet on The Good Fight? (The Good Wife Spinoff)

  13. Common Sense sounds also a little like ‘Going Home’ from SBS. I hope TEN do not try to destroy Shark Tank next year by showing multiple episodes per week, moving day and moving time slots just to wrap it up before their next drama or stripped reality series as they did this year. I tried, and I mean tried to watch ‘The Great Indoors’ last week, it was so utterly terrible, so it suits the ONE schedule well. Think of it as Tim Allen’s ‘Last Man Standing’ but even less funny, yes, that is possible.

  14. Russell Coight is a great get for 10! Not sure if Bodyhack has done enough ratings wise to justify that renewal, same with Life in Pieces and Madam Sec which should both be dropped from the schedule

    10 should also load up and see if they can talk to Working Dog about Thank God You’re Here coming back.

    Otherwise the schedule is more of the same (forgettable) stuff

  15. Wishing 10 all the best. Good to see a few dramas in the mix. Worried if Offspring has another left in it, although I enjoyed it the last season definitely wasn’t as strong as the first five. I’m liking TWG and am sorry the read yesterday the ratings are lower than Wonderland – such a funny show with a great cast. Glad it is renewed and hope viewers increase. Sisters sounds good too just hope it’s on earlier in the year.

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