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7PM Project divides critics
This week Channel TEN’s 7PM Project notches up 8 months on air.
After repeated attempts at developing a show to fill the timeslot, including Taken Out and even the infamous Yasmin’s Getting Married, TEN has held its nerve with the Roving Enterprises show, despite figures which many assumed would sound the death knell.
Last week it averaged 653,000 viewers, and has doubtless impacted on TEN’s early evening schedule.
But has it found its feet? Has it improved its mix of news and comedy and is it time for audiences to revisit the show?
TV Tonight …
Charlie puts the Sheen on Mondays
What is it about Melbourne viewers and Two and a Half Men? Last night the new episode hauled 635,000 in that city, rising to a big 1.58m viewers -and very probably assuring its place as the week’s top show. No doubt the end of the long weekend in Melbourne helped as viewers settled in for an early night.
Both the Charlie Sheen comedy and My Kitchen Rules have been battling it out for top place recently. Last night Seven’s cooking contest ina pseudo MasterChef kitchen settled with just under 1.4m viewers, still …
Cooking pips cars on Tuesday
Nine might have to rethink its advertisements for Top Gear touting it as Australia’s new #1 show after last night it was pipped by My Kitchen Rules.
It was a line ball tussle but Seven’s cook-off pulled 1.4m viewers ahead of Nine’s first-run roadtest on 1.38m -well down on its season premiere. Both left Bondi Rescue / The Biggest Loser in their wake (934,000 / 774,000).
Nine’s second episode of Top Gear, which had already aired on SBS, slipped to 1.15m behind NCIS on 1.36m but bettered Grey’s Anatomy on 1.04m.
Other networks battles …
All the drama of Sunday
There were two locally produced dramas on television last night: one was the highly-publicised Wicked Love telemovie on Nine, the other was the ABC3 family series My Place which had its first run on ABC1 in a prime Sunday night slot.
Wicked Love: The Maria Korp Story did well with an audience of just under 1.3m winning its timeslot and pushing The Good Wife down to 902,000 on TEN. Seven’s Bones was sandwiched with a respectable 1.23m. Reviews had panned the Nine telemovie but viewers still tuned in to see the sordid …
Contestant in the heat of the kitchen
Channel Seven has played down suggestions that one of its contestants in My Kitchen Rules has had brushes with the law that have led to suspended jail terms.
South Australian contestant Matt Michaelis issued a statement via Seven saying, “The charges relate to traffic offences and receiving stolen goods from some years ago.
“All matters have been before the court some charges were dismissed without conviction.
“We are trying to promote through the forum of My Kitchen Rules that we can function as a family despite being divorced.
“My heart is in the right place …
Biggest Loser, biggest target.
More criticism today is levelled at The Biggest Loser and its health regime.
Former contestants have told The Age they they weighed every 10 to 14 days, not every seven days as the show purports. Earlier this week Producers declined to comment on similar claims.
Some former contestants have said the show’s trainers had suggested they stop drinking for up to 36 hours before being weighed.
Doctors told 2006 contestant Artie Rocke his 40-kilogram weight loss over 12 weeks led to his collapse two days after filming ended. He was rushed to hospital to …
258,000 viewers agree with David Leckie
258,000 viewers agreed with Seven CEO David Leckie that Cougar Town is a s*** show.
At least, that’s how much the show dropped from the first week to the second.
The Seven comedy still won its slot but it took a dive from 1.34m to 1.08m. The White Room similarly slipped, down to 678,000 allowing So You Think You Can Dance Australia / The Biggest Loser to win on 914,000 / 838,000 while Getaway had to settle for 833,000. Those numbers are low all round, with viewers clearly unhappy with choices. Is that …
Top Gear drives up 1.68m viewers
Nine’s reputedly big fee in hijacking Top Gear from SBS appears to have paid off with a huge 1.68m viewers tuning in for the new episode last night.
The show was the #1 programme for Tuesday, driving right across My Kitchen Rules (1.21m) and The Biggest Loser / Bondi Rescue (722,000 / 966,000).
With all the advertisements Top Gear fans are questioning whether the episode had been trimmed. The BBC delivers a 52 minute international version to its clients. Nine maintains it didn’t edit the show, but it certainly dumped the credits …
Seven’s Kitchen on the rise
As 2010 audience trends continue to settle, it’s good news for Seven but not so good for TEN on Mondays. And Nine had good news in the morning.
My Kitchen Rules is rising like a soufflé for the network. The reality show took a cool 1.47m last night, as the night’s #1 show. Seven also introduced 5 new teams to the gameplay surprising both contestants and viewers. The show beat Two and a Half Men / The Big Bang Theory (1.32m / 1.08m) and thrashed The Biggest Loser (658,000). TEN’s reality show …
Biggest Loser marathon under fire
The Biggest Loser plans to go ahead with a 42 kilometre road race for its contestants after only 11 weeks of training.
The marathon will allow all eliminated contestants to re-enter the competition and compete for the show’s title and $200,000 prize.
Already Shannon Bourke, the show’s heaviest contestant at 214 kilograms, collapsed attempting a four-kilometre run in the first challenge of the series. Doctors discovered he had fractures in both legs and possible shin splint.
Another contestant, Geoff Ibbs, already quit the show on medical advice.
Sports medicine expert Peter Brukner told The …
Come Dine with Me (UK) update
Seven has changed plans for Come Dine with Me (UK) to return to arvo viewing next week.
The show was due to return to 3pm weekdays with “Manchester.”
Now it will be replaced with 10 Years Younger in 10 Days (NZ) repeats.
Whether the show is too similar to My Kitchen Rules premise, or it has decided not to slate the show against The Biggest Loser repeats, which TEN recently added, isn’t clear.
My Kitchen Rules seems to be gaining some ground now that viewers are connecting more with the contestants and format.
Update: CDWM will …
Cougar Town pounces on ratings
Seven’s campaign for Cougar Town through the Australian Open has paid off with a big debut of 1.34m viewers. It was the #1 show of the night, defeating Law and Order: SVU 1.01m and Adults Only 20 to 1 on 693,000.
The Cougar word is certainly all the buzz at the moment, even being the subject of recent stories on A Current Affair and The 7PM Project.
Seven won the night despite a lukewarm debut for The White Room on 812,000 which had nowhere near as much marketing hype. But it was a …