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The dumping ground of television
It’s become one of the stories of the 2008 television year: dumping shows ad infinitum. This month we’ve lost Fringe, Cold Case, Wipeout, Battlefronts, Kitchen Nightmares USA, Kath & Kim (US), 90210, Bondi Rescue: Bali and even a repeat series of Friends. Dropping shows isn’t new, but its rapidity is increasing, confusing audiences and disintegrating trust between viewers and networks.
Nine’s Head of Acquisitions, Daytime and HD programming Les Sampson spoke to TV Tonight about the challenges and ramifications of scheduling.
As we all know, delivering demographics to advertisers is an artform. Programming …
Now it’s a CSI: NY double
UPDATED: Nine now advises a movie to replace both CSIs, “Must Love Dogs”. Both CSIs now out, guys….
FURTHER UPDATE: Now it’s The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
Nine will air two CSI: New York episodes on Wednesday November 5th at 8:30 and 9:30pm. That pushes out The Mentalist for the night.
The double ep is a result of the US election on November 4 with no episode of The Mentalist airing in America. Similarly TEN has no episode of House for the night, playing double eps of Life.
For Nine it means in a matter …
Current affairs surge at Seven
It was the week that current affairs and finance dominated. Ray Martin lamented the state of commercial news and current affairs at the same time as a former sports presenter won his first week behind a public affairs desk, a CEO lashed out at his rival networks but shot off about the starting date of his new current affairs project, while the network signed a former Sunday journo, TEN reported a 25% slump in earnings, a Telstra boss said Foxtel subscriptions were slowing, another Murdoch stitched up a production deal with …
NRL wins it but Seven takes glory
It was the week that TEN was in breach of subliminal ads (a ruling first leaked by TV Tonight), ACMA instructed Nine to sell part of its Darwin operation, two former premiers will now defend Pay TV v Free to Air battles, while two television gardeners faced off over the environment, a Footy Show comedian defended a school principal under fire, a musical about the media in Beaconsfield was branded as tasteless, a former Idol died in tragic circumstances, Perth’s Telethon broke its own record, SBS lost a top Drama …
US dramas struggling for Heroes
As the global financial market continue to slide, so too are ratings for American television programmes in Australia.
Despite the recent cast member promo visit, last night’s premiere of Heroes’ supposedly revamped series managed a rather paltry 878,000. A second episode took 785,000. At 10:30pm the new season of Prison Break tanked at a lousy 387,000. Thanks to its early evening shows, Seven will be pleased it still won the night in 16-39, 18-49 and 25-54 demographics.
These are shows that two and three years ago were hailed as shining beacons for Channel …
Now that’s seriously fasttracking…
While some argue the definition of fasttracking, and TEN’s “seriously fasttracking,” there would be few who would deny same day airing falls within the boundaries.
But that’s just what we’ll soon be getting with House.
In the US the show is about to take a week off on FOX after only three weeks back. That means no episode today, and giving us time to catch up with American viewers. Not that we were particularly behind to begin with…
The episode “Birthmarks” airs next Tuesday October 14th in America -that’s around midday Wednesday in Australia.
TEN …
ABC beats TEN as Seven wins
It was the week that American critics began to knife Kath & Kim (officially), ABC told staff it would cut up to 35 production jobs, Nine denied having a contract with the wife of a convicted crim, an actor lambasted his former soap, Today Tonight announced its next host would be a sports presenter and said its film crew helped -not hounded- an interviewee, Seven ’streamlined’ its Lotto results, buyers eyed a key production company, the Imparja / Nine Darwin deal fell apart, a TV critic died, and suddenly so did …
Returning: Jamie Oliver. Bumped: Kenny. Gone: Bondi
No surprises here, TEN has finally moved on its under-performing 7:30pm Wednesday timeslot and dropped Bondi Rescue: Bali immediately.
It will replace it with Jamie’s Ministry of Food from Wednesday October 8.
Kenny’s World will move to 8pm Tuesdays from October 14, edging out the second of a double Simpsons finale.
The switch is designed to address disappointing returns for House and plug the lack of interest in Bondi Rescue: Bali. Despite stellar ratings for the original Bondi series, and a Logie win, the Bali version hasn’t connected with audiences.
This week it only managed …
Fringe wins full season
Australian actors Anna Torv and John Noble have just been given the thumbs up with news that FOX has picked up a full-season order of J.J. Abrams’ Fringe.
The sci fi thriller wins an additional 9 episodes taking it to 22.
After a so-so premiere in the US the show jumped significantly in Week 2 following House -ironically its competition in Australia.
So far it has averaged 10.7 million viewers and as the top new Fall series in adult demographics.
“The series has really taken off creatively, and it’s exciting to see that the …
New, local content wins Seven week
It was the week the “Prince of Darkness” descended upon Nine, the Imparja takeover of NTD9 inched closer, Seven lost an appeal relating to a children’s court case and lost a packet in the financial freefall, TEN signalled the return of boxing only to have its promoter caught up in a drug arrest, two networks fight over the contracts of one presenter, ACMA cancelled a community broadcasting license while a leak led to a Federal Police raid, the Government introduced a bill to firm the switch to digital, TEN turned off …
An empty House at TEN
After starting the week so well, TEN’s healthy figures dropped through the floor last night, coming fourth behind the ABC for the evening.
An 18.4% share is disappointing on any night, but doubly worse when you look at what appears to be a competitive line-up. TEN programmers must be scratching their heads today and who can blame them?
A season premiere of House, fasttracked by little more than a week attracted a lacklustre 914,000 viewers. TEN should have been looking past 1.25m for this, minimum. Instead that went to Criminal Minds (1.32m), with most …
Returning: Mad Men
The second season of the stylish, critical darling Mad Men will air on the Movie Extra channel in December.
It premieres 9:30pm Sunday December 14.
The series set in the smoky, executive rooms of Madison Avenue’s advertising agents in the 1960s was a big winner at the Emmys this week, defeating Dexter, Damages, Boston Legal, Lost and House. It also scored a writing award.
Previously the series has won Golden Globes including Best Drama and Best Actor in a dramatic series. Add to that WGA wins and SAG nominations, it isn’t hard to see …