First Review: Nine in 2007

The question that seemed to summarise the year for Nine was “Who Killed Channel Nine?” The book by Gerald Stone pointed fingers everywhere and as the network continued a painful rebirth from the Packer era, it eventually looked to his godson, David Gyngell, to lead it forth. But first it endured plenty of vultures around the carcass. 2007 had shaped up as Nine’s very own Things To Try Before You Die.

After barely winning 2006 Nine suffered sharply in 2007, with the network only winning 2 of 40 weeks thanks to NRL. With a shallow war chest of programming many credit Nine with putting up a good fight. It was the early evening shows, Nine News, A Current Affair, Temptation and its Sunday favourites like CSI that kept the network buoyant.

ACA was happy to get down in the mud with TT this year, siding with the Corby camp in a much-publicised slanging match. But a story on crashes in Melbourne’s Burnley tunnel capturing breathtaking footage drew accusations of Nine causing the accident. It was denied.

Keen to show his multitasking skills, Eddie McGuire returned as game show host. While Sydney local journalists tried to prise him free from his CEO role, 1 vs. 100 could barely have been a more apt title. Despite the loud launch he would eventually rest the show favouring his former Millionaire format, including a live version with a $5M booty.

Nine attempted a live, daytime chatfest. The Catch-Up suffered clashing personalities, copped a contempt of court case and saw Lisa Oldfield interviewing her husband over accusations made by Pauline Hanson. In a muddled interviewer / interviewee role, Lisa even managed to answer some of the questions too. Co-host Libby Gore spent most of the interview staring at her feet. The show was axed and sent to watch The View (and possibly The Young and the Restless) on Foxtel for homework.

There was no fortune in Mick Molloy’s sedate variety, The Nation, either. Lacking most of his of his trademark anarchy, mellow Mick languished on air for 13 weeks just so everyone could say he lasted longer than his previous outing of 8 episodes.

Nor was the 50th year for Bert Newton particularly stellar. Antiques Roadshow finally replaced his antiquated Family Feud. The UK import managed to win the same ratings at a fraction of the price. Meanwhile the network, inanely, sent his hairpiece out on tour to shopping malls. Still the one for promotional ideas? Appearing on the Today show, senior citizen Don Lane questioned about why Bert barely appeared in his biography waffled on so much that he managed to avoid an answer entirely.

In the show’s 25th year, Today’s Alan Jones was dumped and Karl Stefanovic finally settled with the last of many female co-hosts in Lisa Wilkinson, formerly of Seven. He’d been paired with Sarah Murdoch, Kellie Connolly and Jessica Rowe, who was famously “boned” during her maternity leave. Pending a court case she settled for an undisclosed “handshake.”

ER’s John Stamos appeared to be drunk when interviewed by Kerri-Anne Kennerley. The KAKster took a beating when Seven launch its own morning programme and she became a victim of the long and public brawl over STW9 Perth. WIN boss Bruce Gordon exercised his muscle by dropping both The Catch Up and Mornings with Kerri-Anne.

WIN eventually did win STW9 and Adelaide’s NWS too, emerging victorious as a sixth heavyweight network.

Sea Patrol was Nine’s star attraction. The lavish new drama soared to a mammoth 2m debut –the network even premiered it online. Despite its sentimental storytelling the series certainly looked shiny and glamorous. By season’s end it had levelled at 1.2m falling shy of an outbreak ‘hit.’ But on the back of big overseas sales, the network looks to a second series. Encouragingly, it also began production on Underbelly and Canal Road.

Over at Drover’s Run, McLeod’s Daughters are hanging up their hats -the eighth season will be its last. Not even a retired John Howard will be able to get angry over scenes bagging his IR laws anymore.

This year everyone was scrambling for life buoys. GTV9 manager Gary Pert strategically moved across to a role at the Collingwood Football Club. A previously defiant Eddie McGuire took a payout and resigned as CEO. As Jamie Packer divided PBL into gaming and media interests, CVC Asia Pacific swooped on shares and began cutting costs. The Packer era was over (and with it those xmas hampers).

Many more left the network by year’s end: John Lyons, Mia Freeman, Cos Cardone, Gary Fenton, Gary Linnell. Even Humphrey B. Bear looked like he was a goner.

Ray Martin interviewed the Dalai Lama but also gave enlightened interviews to journos saying he would quit unless Nine gave him his own show. Newly installed news boss John Westacott, replacing an undermined Gary Linnell, moved him to Sunday. He didn’t get that show.

In other news Nine lost its copyright case against Ice TV, Don Burke was welcomed back with open arms, and Foxtel sponsored The Footy Show, a spoiler tactic Nine embraced after losing the AFL rights to Seven.

The network also put both the TCN and GTV properties on the market to finance its digital upgrade. The sale won’t come without challenges; both local councils are set to provide strict planning regulations on future site use. The tower owned by TX Australia at Willoughby and the heritage claims on Richmond will challenge new buyers.

Attempting simultaneous US programming proved tricky. Hugh Jackman’s Viva Laughlin had garnered such bad press that even Eddie McGuire acknowledged the criticism “worst show ever” in a live episode of Millionaire less than an hour before it launched. It was axed.

FremantleMedia’s Quizmania was replaced by Nine’s in-house production The Mint, but it is garnering growing discontent for the way it conducts confusing ‘cryptic’ puzzles.

As the year drew to a close Nine was still having trouble trying to shake off its tag as a bastion of male-domination. LA news correspondent Christine Spiteri was sacked from Nine News with the reported farewell, “with a surname like Spiteri you should try SBS,” Stephanie Brantz was dropped from the cricketing commentary team after being told none of the players wanted to talk to her. She will reportedly retain a desk job. Sydney weathergirl Majella Wiemers stormed out of the newsroom after being told she would no longer be required after December 31 –ironically she is replacing Jaynie Seal due to return after maternity leave, a case of ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t?’

Such culture and entrenched arrogance will test new boss David Gyngell. Consistent programming and humility are the key to a way forward. The son of Bruce Gyngell, the first man on Aussie television, David has returned to the Nine fold as something of a saviour, stitching up the 2012 Olympics and a new version of The Young Doctors. His 2008 programme launch was surprisingly honest. Nine has moved from its smooth-talking gameshow CEO to a more frank, pragmatic leader who has admitted, “not everything will work. This is television.”

Encouragingly, as Nine says goodbye to its annus horribilus it has more local drama in development than ever. It looks optimistically to 2008 with the new slogan, ‘We Heart TV.’

The question now is does the audience too?

ABC in 2007.
Seven in 2007

Saturday: TEN in 2007