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Why 7PM won’t be Taken Out anytime soon

The figures aren't great for 7PM Project, but TEN knows it has to persist because the alternative is far worse.

7pmpThere continues to be discussion about the slim figures for The 7PM Project, which last night fared at a disappointing 764,000.

On radio, online and in print the word “axe” is being frequently associated with the show. While last night wasn’t the lowest the show has taken (that was Friday at 656,000), it isn’t a great start to the week. Generally speaking, Mondays are a big night when regular shows attract their best following. It also lost viewers from Neighbours, at 868,000.

And while we’re on the subject, it was also beaten by Two and a Half Men & Home and Away in 16-39, 18-49 and 25-54. That’s where it will really hurt.

But calls for it to be axed are misreading the state of play.

TEN knows this is a new show, that has to find its feet. More importantly, it needs this one to work. The alternative of resorting to more US sitcoms or some other repeat programme is a far bigger problem, because it means the network has to go back to the drawing board to commission another replacement somewhere along the line. It already did that after Taken Out.

The show is also still developing its format. Last night it allowed swimmer Liesl Jones to stay longer as a guest (including beyond a commercial break). Kitty Flanagan, who impressed on her first appearance last week, returned. Charlie Pickering was also added to voice-overs.

Today programmer David Mott is quoted in the Daily Telegraph as saying, “We are invested in this program and will allow it to build its audience rather than taking it straight off air before it finds an audience.”

Week 31

Source: news.com.au

77 Responses

  1. God help us all if they go down the old recycled American or British Sitcom Road If the 7pm Project does not succeed.
    Not all of us are into Two and a Half Men or Home and Away and only will put up with that garbage as a last resort.

  2. Personally, i havent bothered watching 7pm. It sounded corny and an obvious flop from the sneak peeks. Ten wont axe it because it keeps gaining 3 or 4 viewers every night, which is alright if you want the show to go for millions of years. 2.5 men is going out. Nine’s putting it on every single time it axes a show just to fill in the gaps! Why doesn’t it just rename itself the 2.5 men network and move to sri lanka, where it cant kill us. Home and away is a dead horse. All they do is re-act the same disaster from 20 seasons ago again while changing their names. Home and away’s ratings will collapse within a few years. If 7pm profect can improve a bit, it just might be able to poach some of nine’s and sevens ratings.

  3. Did anyone recognise British comedian Tim Vine on Neighbours yesterday? I wonder if the episode will be promoted in the UK. I didn’t see any promotion where I live, regional Qld..

  4. I’m sure Ten and Roving Ent’s would have done a deal based on a minimum number of eps – otherwise it wouldn’t really be in either of their interests. Which means that unless the numbers go drastically south, it ain’t going anywhere for a while.

  5. @ ah wobble – she wasn’t reluctant to speak she was peed off because she was told to stop telling everyone that she is a lesbian every 5 seconds.

    I give a huge congratulations to whoever at 10 read the blogs / comments and then actually did something about them!! Especially in regards to RR and removing Carrie from every voiceover possible.

  6. why not put repeats on , of at least Big Brothers Friday Night Live games ?

    These were always very popular , and there has been talk , about re gearing game shows such as this or Its a Knockout –

    Why not , give it a try , and put on Friday night live – but of course – Each day –

    Surely – from something like 14 housemates over 2 or 3 years , there is over a month of programs.

  7. I think they need to have a properly set-out format and previously prepared questions for their guests so no one gets stumped. I personally adore Charlie Pickering and I do hope this show finds it’s feet and gains a bigger audience, but first they have to improve by becoming more professional. At the moment, Kitty Flanagan and Ruby Rose are the best things about this show.

  8. I stopped watching the 7pm train wreck after a couple of episodes but geez I’m enjoying reading this continued gossipy hate-fest! Thanks to all you writers for for giving me some genuine laughs! It almost makes me want to watch again just for the “so-bad-it’s-good” giggles. But not quite.

    My better half caught the tail end of last night’s show ( it ran late as usual to catch MyGen viewers) and said that RubyRose was reluctant to speak because of blog criticism. I wonder if RR reads TV Tonight?

    Why oh why do we hate this show so much? And why oh why are you people still watching it? You’re giving it inflated ratings and prolonging the agony.
    That said, I’m going to miss this particular thread when 7pm is canned!

  9. It seems shows here get one week before calls for the axe to swing arrive. Luckily Seinfeld was made in the states as it took 4 seasons to become ‘popular’! I do agree week one was loose but this week has actually been pretty good.

  10. I agree with comments re dumping Ruby Rose, she’s not needed.

    As I’m still at work when the show is on, I watch extracts on line when I get home. Wonder how many people do and how would TEN know the on-line audience.

  11. @franz chong I wouldn’t mind something like that. It’s light and it’s a bit of a guilty pleasure. Maybe The Real Housewives of New York Ch10 could put on instead.

  12. People should give this a fair chance.

    If It Fails Then They have to go find a new show to fill the gap I wouldn’t Mind a Laguna Beach/Gossip Girl/Gilmour Girls type show to be the product shown at 7pm It keeps the Simpsons/Neighbours Crowd who don’t care for 2.5 Men or Home and Away on but I am sure everyone else has other ideas too that could be useful.

    The Worse thing they could do is put Bold And the Beautiful on at 7pm You would lose the OC generation to Seven Overnight

  13. Kind of boring again tonight. Ruby Rose attended an event she had no idea what it was about except that Cate Blanchett was there.

    I was kind of hoping that Ruby Rose could bring something interesting either music/movie related to the table, but so far everything has just fallen flat.

    Where did James go?

  14. Why is Ruby Rose (sorry MTV’s Ruby Rose) even on the show. She adds nothing to the it. Also I think Hughesy has to go. This type of show doesn’t suit him. There’s too many times where he is supposed to make a comment on something and he’ll just end up saying nothing. Seems to me like they are just waiting for someone to put them out of their misery.

  15. David…you can’t win! Just like Networks who get criticized for taking shows off too quickly and at the same time get criticized for leaving what some people believe to be crap shows in the schedule.
    You haven’t justified the ratings of 7pm Project, you’ve gone out of your way to point out that the ratings are not good, but that Ten should be commended for (hopefully) sticking with the show and trying to improve it. A valid comment especially considering how Nine have treated a lot of their shows lately.
    There must be something going on with this show because it certainly gets a lot of comments every time something is written about it.

  16. I totally understand your dilemma and I wouldn’t even bother making comment if I didn’t respect and enjoy your usual objectivity in the first place. Perhaps it would be fairer to say I think you take a lighter stick to 10 than you do with other broadcasters.

    1. Ed…funny… one day I am criticised for a headline that “TEN lost the week” and the next I have a love affair with them. Call em as I see em. If u check the 7PM review I gave there are plenty who found my review very fair.

  17. Yeah sure they will give it time… Just like Nine gave This Afternoon a good run….

    Kiss of death!

    The analysis is based purely on opinion and funny this blog supports the 7PM Project becuase it’s not on Nine and therfore you cannot bash Nine.

  18. They needs two extra (new) panel members … ones who can steer the show, for a start. It should be a lot more like The Panel and a lot less like a mess.
    And some sustained discussion is needed: Carrie says news story, boys say joke, repeat is getting boring fast.
    My other biggest problem is that they are showing that they feel they are tanking, there is a strange uptight feeling watching the show, they aren’t at all relaxed and I find it nerve-wracking to watch.

  19. I keep hoping it’ll get better, I really do, but every night the same mistakes are there. Tonight Charlie Pickering asked a yes or no question and when he got a short answer was absolutely stumped and had to be bailed out by Hughsey. The interview he did with Dr. Phil was terrible – absolutely no rapport and it was evident he wasn’t listening to any of the responses. The show needs to get professional, and fast.

  20. I for one am glad that TEN are taking more risks. They challenged the norms of a typically un-risky primetime with “Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation” and “Masterchef” (even though it was stretched way too far) and now with “7pm Project”. It’s good to see, rather than mediocre soaps and sitcom reruns. I’m enjoying the risks.

    Personally I feel it’s time for our country to be challenged a bit, breaking away from the yobbo, dumbed-down garbage that has brought down our society for many years. Lets embrace the opportunity to become a smarter people.

    “The 7pm Project” by no means will accomplish this, but it’s a step in the right direction.

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