News, Top Stories Archive:
Looking for the magic touch
TEN’s line up for 2009 includes more factual series than ever, returning favourites and new international content. After a disappointing 2008, especially in the second half, TEN will need the magic touch to win back loyal viewers.
The network made the announcement today as part of a three day tour across the country.
Headlining the announcement is the acquisition of the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Cooking show MasterChef Australia will replace Big Brother across a 7pm timeslot mid year.
Another 7pm strip show is yet to be announced.
The new locally produced factual shows include …
Masterchef to replace Big Brother
First news from the TEN launch is trickling in….
Big Brother is to be replaced by a 10 week local version of a BBC series, MasterChef Australia.
FremantleMedia will produce the series to air six nights a week.
The show has seen a number of format changes in the UK but essentially involves amateurs cooking including inventing a dish from scratch in 50 minutes, working a lunchtime shift at a busy restaurant, cooking a final meal of two courses, with ingredients of the contestants’ choice in one hour etc. It originally ran from 1990 …
Seriously D-Day?
Is today the day that “Seriously” becomes a thing of the past for TEN?
Today Network TEN has its 2009 programme launch, first in Sydney, and later in Melbourne, where it will unleash its shiny new line-up and attempt to put the year behind it.
With the exception of a handful of hits (notably So You Think You Can Dance Australia) it hasn’t been the best of years for TEN.
The second part of the year has been worse than the first, with viewers in a wholesale snubbing of the network since the Olympic …
The double-edged sword of fame
Wednesday was quite an historic day.
While America was cheering in its first ever African-American president, I was talking down the phone to Gary Coleman, former child star of 1970’s sitcom Diff’rent Strokes.
Coleman was on the line to spruik a new DVD website enterprise, but I couldn’t help but wonder about the significance of the day.
In the ’70’s he had played a kid from Harlem adopted by a rich white family and living the good life. With his comic timing, precocious cheek, and memorable catchphrase, Coleman’s character ‘Arnold’ became a household name. …
TV Forums report card
Since the advent of online, television fans have had ways of letting networks know what they think. No more writing letters to newspapers, it’s as easy as logging onto a network website anonymously and speaking your mind.
TV Tonight has been looking at how our networks embrace free and open discussion. Here’s how they stacked up.
ABC:
Within the ABC site there are individual show pages, many of which have open forums. Shows including Enough Rope, Compass, Can We Help?, At The Movies, Life at 3, Good Game, Media Watch, Spicks and Specks and …
Big Brother 09: we don’t think so
Neither Channel 9 nor Seven will pick up Big Brother after Channel TEN gave it the axe mid year, claims the Herald Sun.
There was speculation Nine would pick up the series and dramatically change the format, particularly in the light of a secondary channel, but sources said the network was no longer interested.
Channel TEN has confirmed it has a replacement program set for May next year.
“What we’ve devised is another franchise,” head of programming David Mott said.
TEN will announce its 2009 slate to media next week.
Source: Herald Sun
Packered by the Rafters
It was the week the Packer family parted ways with Nine causing David Gyngell to vow to prove James Packer wrong, TEN announced a new channel, Pay TV launched another three, Minister Stephen Conroy signalled support for increased ABC & SBS funding, commercial networks (briefly) found a conscience but upset David Leckie, WIN sat down at the gambling table, Kath & Kim (US) got a greenlight for a full season, Andrew Denton announced the end of Enough Rope, David Tennant set his exit from his iconic role, Rove visited …
Big Brother’s Rory charged
Another Big Brother housemate is in trouble with the law with news that 2008 runner-up Rory Ammon has been charged for his part in an alleged assault of a cyclist.
But the 22-year-old yesterday denies he has done anything wrong.
Victorian Police yesterday revealed that 22yo Ammon had been charged on summons with assault in company and failure to disclose the name of the driver at the time of the incident.
It is alleged that while driving in Geelong on March 29, Ammon swerved towards a 27-year-old cyclist and came within 60cm of him. …
Axed: Download
Network TEN has hit the “stop” button on its Download ‘internet clip show’ after just two episodes.
The Mike Goldman, Bree Amer and Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald series was in its second season, hosting video clips packaged together with commentary, competitions and special guests.
It will be replaced by Canada’s Ice Road Truckers effective from this Friday at 7:30pm.
Ten episodes of the show were filmed with the former Big Brother trio earlier this year. But last week it had 526,000 viewers.
The axing is a disappointment to TEN’s struggling Friday line-ups. Earlier this month TV …
TEN the biggest loser in earnings
Despite a positive start to the year with So You Think You Can Dance and The Biggest Loser, Network TEN has today reported a 25% slump in earnings for 2007/08 financial year. But TEN lost steam with Big Brother.
The network signalled today it will still hold on Idol next year, ahead of its 2009 launch.
TEN said earnings at its television business fell 11.8% to $209 million, falling short of its own forecast in June, when it warned TV profits would be down about 10% because of the economic slowdown and Seven’s …
TT accuses Idol of “insider trading?”
Move over “Hillsong scandal.”
Last night Today Tonight had another story sticking the boot into Australian Idol. Our current affairs shows love to run stories on the machinations of reality shows (instead of the machinations of current affairs shows). It’s commonly seen as a win / win. The show pulls in fans of the reality show which in turn gets a bit of exposure, frequently on a rival network.
TT ran a story on a supposedly huge bet being wagered on former finalist Brooke Adamo. It was wagered when she was at $15 …
TEN eyeing more factuals
It’s only early days on this news, but Network TEN is believed to be on the hunt for more light factual entertainment shows that can be stripped across its earlier primetime slots.
TEN execs are at MIPCOM in Cannes to look at new products for its 2009 slate.
As we know, Seven has built a formidable programming platform based around factual series on early weeknights. Shows like Border Security, The Force, RSPCA Animal Rescue and Medical Emergency have given the network a stronghold, that leads into 8:30 dramas.
Now TEN is understood to be …