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Could Trevor Marmalade return to The Footy Show?

Original Footy Show star is open to the idea of a return, as the AFL show goes back to the future.

Will Eddie McGuire bring Trevor Marmalade back to The Footy Show?

That’s the next question for a refreshed Footy Show, to be co-produced by McGuire Media and Nine.

From all reports, Marmalade is certainly open to the idea and reinstating the “Bar” might help undermine The Front Bar on Seven.

McGuire, Sam Newman and Trevor Marmalade were mainstays on the Nine show from 1994, until Marmalade was unceremoniously dumped in 2008.

But McGuire now has creative control of the show he once anchored, ahead of his return in 2 weeks time.

But comedian Dave Hughes as the show’s own funny man could prove a hindrance to Marmalade’s return, despite them being friendly. Hughes is contracted for 10 episodes a year, leaving open a chance to job-share.

The Sunday Herald Sun has the good oil on how negotiations went down for McGuire’s return, reporting discussions had been ongoing with Foxtel for some time after it was clear ratings were sliding under Craig Hutchison. But Foxtel’s Peter Tonagh, Patrick Delany and Brian Walsh saw benefit in Foxtel gaining promotion opportunities through the show and agreed to allow McGuire to return.

McGuire was in Sydney on Thursday discussing the plans ahead of Sam Newman’s “silent protest” that night, angered that his plans to wear a dress to comment on recent AFL news were rejected by producers.

McGuire got a call from Hugh Marks at 12:30 on Friday offering him the role, while Hutchison learned of the news over lunch in Shepparton. TV Tonight can reveal that local Melbourne management including GTV Ian Paterson and Melbourne head of publicity Michelle Stamper were both away this week.

‘Hutchy’ has handled the switch-up with class, in what could have been a PR disaster for Nine.

“First of all, I totally understand and respect the decision yesterday,” he said on radio yesterday. “I couldn’t actually tell you I wouldn’t have done the same thing myself. I wasn’t able to win people over, I accept it.

“Clearly it’s a ratings game, there’s a scoreboard everyday. Some people don’t like you, some do,” Hutchison said.

But the changes, which include allowing Newman off the leash to be controversial, area also sending out mixed messages.

Whilst promising the show will be reworked for a new era, allowing Newman to be more outrageous than ever is closer to 1997 than 2017.

Either way, it’s bound to get people watching.

11 Responses

  1. Trevor shouldn’t have been dropped all those years ago, but bringing him back now is not the answer. The show needs a major overhaul and reaching into the past is a short term fix only. If this is true it might have more to do with Eddie having someone else to blame if his return alone doesn’t bring the viewers back… which it won’t.

  2. Dave Hughes should not be allowed on the show. He is so forced “funny” minus the humour whereas Sam Newman is naturally quick witted and funny.

      1. There’s a stone tablet in the middle of a desert that says if Hey Hey ever returns to the screen Tony Abbott will regain the Time Ministership.

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