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TEN pulls The Biggest Loser: Transformed from primetime

Failed reality show is bumped to a daytime slot on TEN.

TEN has confirmed it is yanking The Biggest Loser: Transformed from its primetime schedule as from Monday following disappointing figures.

It will now screen at 1.00pm Monday to Thursday where it has been in replay.

Last night the show was fifth in its timeslot with figures this week as low as 254,000. At such dire numbers TEN was forced to act.

TEN Chief Content Officer, Beverley McGarvey: “TEN has had a great track record in recent years in terms of successfully launching new formats and revitalising existing formats. Success stories have included The Bachelor Australia, The Bachelorette Australia, Australian Survivor, Gogglebox, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, Family Feud and Shark Tank.

“Obviously we are disappointed that The Biggest Loser: Transformed did not resonate with viewers as strongly as we had hoped it would. We are proud of the show – which will move into TEN’s daytime schedule from Monday 3 April – and proud of the great work done by Shannan Ponton, Libby Babet, Fiona Falkiner and the contestants.”

From Monday TEN will screen:

Monday nights at 7.30pm: Modern Family (new and repeat episodes).
Tuesday nights at 7.30pm: Jamie Oliver’s Superfood Family Classics (repeat episodes).
Wednesday nights at 7.30pm: The Graham Norton Show (new episodes).
Thursday nights at 7.30pm: David Attenborough’s Natural Curiosities (new episodes).

No word on other plans for Fridays where Graham Norton screens.

39 Responses

  1. what caused this failure for TBL? lack of Michelle Bridges? or abandoning it’s morbidly obese contestants for size 12 contestants? all the contestants looked like they do when they are normally sent home at the end of the 3 months

  2. Terrible decision putting The Biggest Loser at 1 o’clock in the afternoon. I think TEN should have put it on one of the digital channels e.g. ONE or Eleven. I also think TEN shouldn’t have put it on against MAFS or MKR. Should have waited till later in the year.

    1. It would Even bring down the multichannels. It’s ironic watching TBL and seeing ads for Masterchef, maybe it Would have been better as a lead in to summer after Aus Survivor when a lot of people are in the fitness mindset, but surely (hopefully) this is the last ever TBL.

  3. I would’ve like to have seen them give a drama such as NCIS at 7.30pm. Especially next with MAFS finishing on Monday they would’ve only had one reality show as competition. Viewers are really looking for an alternative that is non reality and non repeat in that timeslot. Is anyone game enough to try it?

    I’m still watching tbl but I’m a little behind. I don’t watch reality anymore but I’m guessing I’m one of the minority that liked some of what they tried to do with it. Maybe its because I don’t like reality which it why I found some of it likeable.

    1. The issue with Ten moving NCIS to 7:30pm is it would be bumped back to 8:30pm or 9pm when Masterchef returns in a month, so there wouldn’t be consistency with the move

  4. Should have done this last week. Would’ve thought that a move to the same timeslot on 11 would be a better option but obviously repeats of How I Met Your Mother and The Simpsons are too important.

  5. Perhaps now Ten are regretting dumping The Simpsons on Eleven when it launched (it was still pulling decent numbers on Ten before they inexplicably and unceremoniously dumped it on their sister channel, where now, new episodes aren’t even cracking the top 20 of the overnight multichannel ratings, and Ten so lazily repeat a generic ad for new episodes week in and week out). It was the go-to show whenever Ten were struggling with any which format, and now they have nothing but David Attenborough and Jamie Oliver to fill in the gaps (and I doubt that they will perform any better), and I don’t think that Modern Family has ever performed particularly well in repeats.

    Repurposing TEN to a 25-54 skewing channel is the stupidest thing that they have done as a network. Perhaps I’m generalising, but older demographics tend to be “set in their ways” and they’ll be used to leaving…

    1. Probably a slight generalisation as times have changed in those age groups, for instance I’m 56 in May, so having been born in 1961 have grown up as technology has. From dial-up with message boards and mIRC on Amiga 500’s on onwards and upwards, being 14 when Punk hit in 1975 and etc., so some of us are not stuck in our ways as much now. in fact most I know are drifting away from FTA TV and onto Stan and Netflix because they offer more of what we like.Have to remember when we we’re in our 30’s, it was us who were watching Twin Peaks, X-Files, Northern Exposure, Picket Fences and etc., driving their high ratings (in the 18-49 demo), so what’s on offer now is out of our wheelhouse. Better Call Saul, Stranger Things, Black Mirror, Legion, Mr. Robot, Girls, Westworld, Fargo, from Dusk Till Dawn and etc., are.

        1. Thanks, I kind of lost track of my thoughts there though thinking about the word count.

          Was going to say when you go beyond 18-49 and look to 49-65 in ratings you’ll find they/we watch the edgier stuff, Luther on ABC and things like Sons Of Anarchy on ONE, Nurse Jackie, Callifornication on Eleven, Fargo, Vikings, From Dusk Till Dawn on SBS and etc., etc. So while we’re stuck in our ways somewhat it is not with what TEN thinks we watch. Sure Blue Bloods is in there as was White Colour, Numbers and Psych but not what they’ve been offering up on TEN, same with Seven a lot of the late night things such as Bates Motel and Hannibal are watched by our age group as well. Nine with Weeds and The Big C

  6. I’m sure Ten debated long and hard about moving it knowing they aren’t replacing it with shows that will get huge ratings, and potentially leave gaps in other areas.
    A good replacement slot I would’ve thought, 5:30pm to lead into Neighbours maybe.

  7. I don’t watch it but it’s a shame especially given MAFS ends next week. It could pick up a few viewers over non-ratings season. Having said that IACGMOOH is too short a season compared to MRK and MAFS so starting when it did TBL had no chance as other TVT readers have said. Mind you 10+ weeks would be asking too much for celebrities to commit to. I like the fact 10 offers alternatives to the others but it comes at a cost. I can’t see the replacements being much higher tbh.

  8. I would like them to air David Attenborough new episodes, not Jamie Oliver repeats before NCIS airs. Or air NCIS at 8pm. If they can air Bull at 8pm why not NCIS.

  9. Graham Norton is the only positive I can see there. With Loser failing so badly, gotta hope MChef still resonates with viewers. It’s the only cooking comp watched in our household. But there is so much more available with streaming these days, as you have reported elsewhere….

  10. I hope The Graham Norton Show at 7:30pm works, plus if The Project sticks to it’s time and finishes at 7:30pm, this will be the first time in a long time that shows that air at 8:30pm will actually start then. Hopefully this will help NCIS and This Is Us, plus who knows Gogglebox may get better ratings again as well, 687,000 last night and 722,000 the week before, it’s TEN’s shining light at the moment.

  11. It’s a shame for the people involved in making the show, I’m sure they went in with all best intentions.
    (David, I wonder if a feature on people involved in failed shows might be interesting? I would love to hear from the producers of Yasmin!)

      1. Apart from disappointment that the show didn’t rate most people involved in the production are freelance and have already moved on to other things. These reality shows are all wrapped up and in the can well before on-air. The only real impact would be knowing that it’s unlikely you’ll be asked back for another season.

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