0/5

Seven reveals 2012 highlights

Updated: Jane Turner and Gina Riley, Working Dog and yet another new Australian drama are just some of the highlights revealed by Seven for 2012.

A new Australian drama. A new project from Jane Turner and Gina Riley. Two new series from Working Dog (The Panel, Thank God You’re Here, Frontline). A new dating series from Granada and a local version of Coastwatch.

They are some of the highlights of Seven’s 2012 programming slate, announced to advertisers last night at Technology Park in Sydney.

Performing at the event was Australia’s Got Talent graduate Timomatic, while Seven stars were in attendance along with Seven execs including CEO David Leckie and Director of Programming and Production, Tim Worner.

After its dominant year, the Seven Network revealed new and returning programmes, although it still kept some of the finer detail under wraps.

Amongst the key announcements are four Australian drama series and four major “tent pole” events:

AUSTRALIAN:
A Place to Call Home: new Australian drama series from Bevan Lee (Packed to the Rafters, Winners and Losers).

Untitled project from the creators of Kath and Kim. Billed as ‘Event’ television.

Updated: Pictures of You: A relaxed, interview style show in which well-known guests are asked about their formative years, hosted by Brian Nankervis (Working Dog Productions).

Updated: Sports Fever!: weekly comedy program, celebrating sport from here and around the world hosted by Santo Cilauro (Working Dog Productions).

Please Marry My Boy: A series in which eligible guys look for love. The twist? They can only date girls who have their mum‟s seal of approval (Granada Australia).

Coastwatch: Australia: local version of NZ factual series.

INTERNATIONAL:
Updated: Titanic: UK mini series written by Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey). The re-telling of that doomed voyage, focusing on different characters ranging from steerage passengers to upper class guests. Each point of view will culminate in a cliff hanger as the ship begins to founder, building to an explosive conclusion which draws together each of the stories. To be progammed across one week in April to mark the 100th anniversary, together with some docos.
Strike Back: HBO’s high-octane, globe-spanning thriller with storylines ripped from today’s headlines, this focuses on two members of a top-secret intelligence agency known as Section 20: a British sergeant on the elite counter-terrorism team and a former U.S. Delta Force operative who was discharged on the eve of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
Revenge: Directed by Australian Phillip Noyce and executive produced by Twilight‘s Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey, this tells the story one woman who returns to her old neighbourhood, willing to destroy everyone for the sake of revenge.
Good Christian Bitches: A recently divorced single mother of two children returns to Dallas, where she grew up. Stars Leslie Bibb and Kristin Chenoweth, renamed as GCB in the US.
Wild Planet
Billy Connolly’s Route 66

RETURNING:
AUSTRALIAN:
Home and Away
Packed to the Rafters
Winners & Losers
Wild Boys
Dancing with the Stars
Australia’s Got Talent
The X Factor
Updated: My Kitchen Rules: includes a NZ couple.
The Amazing Race Australia
Beauty and the Geek
Dinner Date
Border Security
The Force
Highway Patrol
RSPCA Animal Rescue
Better Homes and Gardens: to move to Thursdays due to AFL commitments.
Seven News
Today Tonight
Sunday Night
Sunrise
The Morning Show
AFL: Friday Night Football, Saturday Afternoon Football, Saturday Night Football and Sunday Afternoon Football, The Brownlow Medal, the AFL Finals Series, AFL Grand Final.
Australian Open
V8s
Melbourne Cup

INTERNATIONAL:
Downton Abbey
The Amazing Race
Criminal Minds
Bones
Castle
Grey’s Anatomy
Desperate Housewives
Parenthood
Body of Proof
Mighty Planes
Wimbledon

Seven looks like it will resist much of the fast-tracking taking place at Nine and TEN.

Seven has been all but unstoppable this year, leading in total viewers and key demographics 16-39s, 18-49s and 25-54s. It is also up 13.8% in total viewers from last year.  7TWO is the most-watched digital channel for total viewers while 7mate is number one in men 16-54.

Tim Worner said: “We are proud of what has been achieved in 2011 but the very hard work to make 2012 a success is well under way.

“There are a number of new Australian productions we announce today. This is only the first step. Much more is in development and we’re actually really looking forward to 2012 and revealing more new shows for Seven that build on our impressive portfolio.”

No progamming for 7TWO or 7mate has yet been revealed.

Seven presents its highlights to advertisers in Melbourne tonight.

50 Responses

  1. That is one ordinary line-up except Bones/Castle and the tennis the rest is yawnsville but that’s usual for Seven. Seven these days is tv for oldies while TEN/Nine cater for the younger crowd.

    The only new show that interests me is Billy Connollys Route 66. Really looking forward to this one,but as usual Seven will probably treat it like rubbish.

  2. @tmorgan96: are you serious… nine had the block this year and couldnt even win ONE week even with finale. they still lost that week by 2 points? how are they going to get with 1 point next year

  3. Looks like there’s no second season for Conviction Kitchen.

    Seven have enough hits in their ‘returning content’ that they don’t really need that many new shows. Particularly international ones, it seems

  4. Tmorgan

    The fact that the voice and big brother are on 9 has sealed their fate already. I wouldn’t wanna watch these shows on this rubbish pathetic selfish cheap and nasty network and believe me, there a plenty others that agree.

  5. Is Sports Fever the spiritual successor to “Cup Fever” from SBS’s World Cup Coverage last year?

    If so, will Working Dog be able to get Sam Pang and Ed Kavalee back on board?

  6. Yeah 7 don’t feel the need to fastrack.
    With Better homes to Thurs, it will fill the successful Ch9 Getaway slot where 9 won Thurs nights over 7 for years. Saturday night would probably signal the end if they out it there and Sunday they aim for a different genre and possible greater competition from 2,9 & 10.
    @ Tash Private Practice will return most likely it will still compliment the Grey’s viewers and air in its later timeslot.

  7. Nine will rule advertiser-friendly demos next year with the Voice, Big Brother and the Block. Seven will win Total Viewers with PTTR, AGT, W&L, X-F, MKR, DA etc et.
    Overall, 2012 is looking like a massive ratings war between Nine and Seven, with TEN going nowhere. I’d predict Seven (+Multis) at 29%, Nine(+ Multis) at 28%, TEN at 20%, maybe even below 20%.

  8. If Hamish and Andy were negotiating their Tv future this year instead of last year they would have been stupid to not go to Seven. It seems, looking at that, that the big players have decided to give Seven their shows (Jane and Gina, Working Dog etc). Not sup rising.

  9. Darn, so we’ll have to wait until 2012 for Parenthood S3…

    And does that mean The Amazing Race US S19 won’t be fast-tracked? If any show on that list requires ‘fast-tracking’, it would be TAR. Surely they can air it on Thursdays, possibly at 9:30pm / 10pm after Beauty & the Geek Australia.

  10. The Strike Back series that will air on Seven is called Strike Back: Project Dawn, the 10-part series which is a follow-up to the original UK series Strike Back. It is a co-production between BSkyB and HBO.

  11. I’ve come to terms with the fact that the team at Lazy Dog are never going to come up with another Frontline, instead choosing shows that seem to take little effort or thought.

  12. ” new Australian drama series from Bevan Lee (Packed to the Rafters, Winners and Losers)…+Every other drama Channel 7 has produced in the last 10 years.

    Look forward to knowing what is going to happen in every storyline then right from the pilot…

  13. Will Seven have normal programming during the Olypmic Games? I think they should, especially Home And Away, as it held up brilliantly when The Block was airing at 7pm.
    It will give the viewers a choice and we all know sport doesn’t rate that great on tv anymore.
    Or other suggestion with H&A have a one week break during week 1 of the games which is swimming and return it in week 2 of the Olympics.

Leave a Reply