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Trends of 2010

Bad boys, spin-offs, revivals, cooks and cops. In this final retrospective of 2010, here are some of the top news stories and TV trends of the year.

In this final retrospective of 2010, I am listing my take on the top news and trends of the year, in no particular order.

SPIN-OFFS, CLONES AND REVIVALS:
Where were all the new shows? Instead we had My Kitchen Rules, Iron Chef Australia, Junior MasterChef, The X Factor Australia, The Block, The National IQ Test, Hey Hey it’s Saturday.

BAD BOYS ON TV:
TV turns redemption opportunity for Kyle Sandilands, Matty Johns, Matthew Newton, Ben Cousins, Shane Warne.

TOO MANY COPS AND UNIFORMS:
Including City Homicide, Rush, Cops LAC, Rescue Special Ops.

TOO MANY COOKS:
We still love MasterChef, but was it really necessary to flood the market with so many copycat shows?

TRUE CRIME OVERKILL:
Wicked Love: The Story of Maria Korp, Australian Families of Crime, Australian Druglords, Gangs of Oz, Crime Investigation Australia, Tough Nuts. Enough, already!

WHAT ABOUT HD?
New channels arrived in the form of ABC News 24, 7mate and GEM but ABC, Seven and Nine all dump their regular HD channels while the nation is upgrading their TV sets, leaving favourite shows to air in SD.

LIVE TELLY BLOOPERS:
Sarah Murdoch is left without a name at the final of Australia’s Next Top Model so she decides the winner herself, is forced to apologise and then fires the production company. Virginia Trioli mistakes herself for Michael Rowland. Guy Sebastian says Mahogany “blew him” on The X Factor Australia.

SCANDAL:
Hey Dad!’s legacy is now one of disgrace after cast members distance themselves from a former cast member. Matthew Newton is dumped from The X Factor while a bizarre interview from Bert & Patti sheds light on a amily in disarray. Collectors host Andy Muirhead faces serious charges, in a case that is yet to be resolved.

TEN TAKEOVER:
James Packer surprises everyone by buying up shares at TEN, selling half to Lachlan Murdoch. WA mining magnate Gina Rineheart soon follows suit. The dust is yet to settle.

JOHN EDWARDS, HITMAKER:
Producer John Edwards delivers 4 Australian dramas to wide acclaim: Offspring, Rush, Tangle and Spirited –including all 4 airing in the same week.

SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON TV:
Shine Australia arrives with an aggressive slate of projects including Junior MasterChef, Minute to Win It, Letters and Numbers, The Boss is Coming to Dinner, Relocation Relocation Australia, The Biggest Loser, Live to Dance, Iron Chef Australia, The Renovators, The Family.

THE END OF STUDIO NINE:
Variety television turns a corner as Nine farewells Television City after 55 years.

THE RISE OF TWITTER:
Now a powerful interactive force on Q & A and being incorporated by other shows. Also impacts via Catherine Deveny’s Logies comments, Wil Anderson and Stephanie Rice.

BIEBER-FEVER:
Sunrise chaos as Justin Bieber arrives.

ANTI SIPHONING REVIEW:
Sports divides into two lists, but no guarantees weekly games will be live.

VOTE 1 ELECTION:
‘Spillard’ captivates the nation on the same night TEN launches ads for Hawke. The ABC scores with Gruen Nation, Yes We Canberra!, 7:30 Report, and its Election night coverage. Laurie Oakes lands scoops for Nine while Mark Latham put himself in the story and forgets to remain the reporter.

YOU CALL THAT NEWS?:
Nightly News continues to blur the lines with an overload of fluffy stories that realy belong on current affairs. Meanwhile current affairs shows are left to turn to consumer affairs.

SO LONG, KERRY:
After 15 years Kerry O’Brien quits The 7:30 Report to be replaced by Leigh Sales & Chris Uhlmann.

SBS TURNS 30:
Public broadcaster celebrates a milestone amid ongoing questions over its role and funding issues.

CHARLIE SHEEN’S TRAINWRECK:
The highest paid US star is left to lead an out-of-control tabloid lifestyle while his show still attracts bumper ratings. Why?

DOG DAY:
Wilfred lands a US series on the FX Network.

SOAPIE SURPRISE:
Melissa Rafter expires on Packed to the Rafters in one of the industry’s best-kept secrets.

THE STIG REVEALED:
Former stunt driver Ben Collins spills the beans on Top Gear and attracts the ire of his colleagues.

THE ARIAs:
TEN’s live broadcast tries to re-invent the wheel with a shocker of a broadcast.

OPRAH CONQUERS OZ:
Talk show queen becomes the darling of the media in a triumphant whirlwind tour.

KILLING TIME KILLED:
TV1’s big new drama becomes the victim of another legal case and withdraws from airing, Underbelly-style. It is hoped to air this year.

Amended.

8 Responses

  1. Hmm, the bad boys given a shot at redemption? Total fail for every single one of them! Time for some presenters with intelligence and integrity, methinks.

  2. John Edwards sure does have quantity under his belt, but i think hitmaker is a bit of a stretch, as good as they may be, i wouldn’t call any of his shows hits. Rush must be one of the lowest rating commercial dramas to ever get a renual.

  3. I agree with your comments about SBS – “continuing questions over its role and funding issues”. I really think this must be the year that SBS makes some decisions about their future and the direction they intend heading in. It is sad that such a station which initially had so much potential has descended into a soccer/cycling/cooking station, which interrupts programmes to play exactly the same ads ad nauseum (hihihi). The really sad aspect is that they really do have some great programmes hidden away, and that most people don’t even realise it, and their news is still one of the best in the world. Hopefully the trend for 2011 will be some better management and a clearer vision for this potentially great channel!

  4. A trend for 2010 was celebrities blaming others for their mistakes. Take Sarah Murdoch’s blunder with Australia’s Next Top Model. She made an error live on TV and blamed someone else for the faux paus.

    It’s ok for a member of the Murdoch family to actually make a mistake – lord knows Rupert makes plenty of them all year round – they should be big enough to admit them.

    Hopefully this year will see a trend to more quality local productions that are carefully nutured instead of rushed to cash in on star appeal such as Cops LAC with Kate Richie. Maybe a return to Home and Away is in the offing for her?

  5. @Andrew yes I agree, more viewing choice is always a good thing, although watching the new HD channels, has anyone else noticed there seems to be little to no content brodcast in native HD?

  6. David,i am not overly concerned by the dumping of the primary channels HD channels in favour of alternative programs such as we have now (GEM,7mate),as the picture quality on my TV across the spectrum of channels is quite good in Analogue,SD & HD channels.I say the more choice for the viewer the better.

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