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McLeod’s marathon mercy killing

Is Nine washing its hands of McLeod's Daughters? Get ready for a four hour 'marathon' that will burn off viewers quicker than it burns off episodes.

Some might call it a McLeod’s Daughters marathon.

Others might say it’s a dreadful treatment to a sentimental favourite.

However you look at it, Nine has scheduled four -that’s 4- back to back episodes of McLeod’s Daughters for Saturday January 17th.

Slated from 7:30pm to 11:30pm they are the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th episodes of the long-running Nine soap.

A week later Nine has episodes 21 and 22 planned to run at 10 and 11pm respectively. The 22nd episode includes a musical performance by the cast for the local town, bittersweetly titled “The Show Must Go On.”

That appears to have fallen on deaf ears in Nine programming. The show is “going on” but at these bizarre times on a Saturday in summer, it begs the question: how many of the show’s audience will be there to applaud the performance?

Nine programming hasn’t had an ideal start to the year, dropping Gossip Girl from view after only three episodes aired in December. That’s upset younger viewers. Now older viewers of McLeod’s are likely to be just as miffed by the treatment.

Another popular show, Temptation, will see its final episode shafted to 11:30am on Friday January 23rd.

Nine will get local quota points for running McLeod’s in prime time, via our points system which was designed to ensure local drama runs at a time where it can gain maximum viewers. But that was also put in place long before we were in a climate of shows being ripped off air ad infinitum.

The downside to this ruling is that networks refuse to run shows with drama points in ‘friendlier’ timeslots where viewers can watch them at a more leisured -and secure- timeslot. Networks are effectively locked into times where the shows can return points, and as a result many are bumped to summer, or simply burnt off in a ludicrous marathon.

Unlike enjoying a good DVD, it’s very difficult to get into a marathon mode with commercials.

Nine may well be moving McLeod’s out of the way to make way for movies or even a big, new shiny show like Superstars of Dance -but it’s a shame it hasn’t found a more sensible outcome, particularly to the fans who have stood by the show for eight long years.

21 Responses

  1. All I have to say is: Shame on you Channel Nine. The only reason anyone outside of Australia knows that a Channel Nine even exists is McLeod’s Daughters. The management of C9 should find the deepest, darkest hole he can find on earth, hide in it and never come out;such should be the depth of this person’s shame.

  2. Channel 9 you really are a disgrace. there is no one to fail for its demise but yourself. Youo advertised for ages it was coming soon, it didn’t until July, then you didn’t even advertise it was back on. You pulled it off after 3 episodes to put some stupid show on, you didn’t even put it in its original timeslot and it is not an 8.30 show, it is its final season,a dn this is the way you not only treat the viewers, but the cast, crews and writers who put all the hard work to make this last season extra speical. I wonder if anyone would want to work for you again.
    The treatement of this snow is appaling, to bring it back on a Saturday night no less and a ridiculous time slot during the festive season when people are out, do not advertise it, do not advertise it is 2 hours long do you wonder why there is not the people watching it.
    The people who work for the station, needs to take a good hard look at themselves and the station.
    I for one would not be watching anything else on Channel 9 again. Plenty more stations and foxtel.
    As mentioned Channel 7 axed Blue Heelers but still showed the entries season in its usual timeslot and it still rated well and sat well for people. Maybe you can take a lesson from them, since The Strip, The Fringe didn’t take off like you hoped, maybe you should ask youself why.

  3. Rami get over it

    wilmawalrus loyal viewers can always celebrate their fanship by getting the overpriced box set from any retailer – that’s what’s a disgrace. Nine realised that a show ran its course and had to end. A McLeods Daughters marathon is hardly a problem or something to complain.

    There’s a band of mandatory complainers for shows that get taken off (fair enough complaint) to those here where the shows are being ultra fast tracked. As for the shows being on late, hey the Tivo review might give some a hint or why not complain about that as well.

    Nine are not going to promote the final season of MD because what’s the reward – none, other than for extra DVD sales. It’ll end up on Foxtel so it would be flogging a dead horse.

    I like MD’s but after nearly a decade the story line has run dry but it’s not a soap which recycles storylines as much as possible. The best shows keep the quality high and don’t make episodes for the sake of it to fill a network schedule. The only other show which should have gone years ago is The Bill – that horse has been a glue stick since the last millenium.

  4. I still think that ten were by far wirst than Nine.
    Don’t you remember how much time it took them to finish airing the final season of “The Secret Life of Us”?
    First they aired only 3 episodes in 2004 than they brought it back a year later with 10 more episddes before they pull it off and just in November 2005 they finally air the final episodes (about 2 months after the final season was released on dvd) also they aired most of the season at 10:30pm

  5. I too have never watched McLeod’s daughters but I also think that nine are lousy to get rid of one of there flagship shows in such a way for a show that lasted as long as it did they should have also had a special like seven did with a country practice all those years ago

  6. one word – pathetic!! I’ve not been a McLeod’s watcher either, but this is yet another example of loyal viewers being ripped off. ER is my fave show, and due to last week’s demise of Gossip Girl, I was watching two eps back to back commencing at 9.30. Not complaining that they are actually on, but it’s too late on a weeknight for me – I was dozing off 🙁

    What is it going to take for things to turn around….mass boycott anyone???

  7. Wasn’t this show pulling like 1.2 million in 2007? Hell, I don’t even recall the ratings ever dropping. At least not badly enough to justify such an appalling timeslot.

    4 episodes of an hour long drama back-to-back? I could understand a sitcom marathon since there’s little to no continuity between episodes, but to blow off remaining episodes of one of Nine’s most successful dramas is an insult to fans of the show.

    I’ve never watched McLeod’s, but I feel your pain. Damn Nine. >:(

    Why the hell did they even bother commissioning a new season if they were gonna treat it like this?

  8. I think this is rediculous, I dont see why they didnt air it during the week, either in a 7 30 timeslot or 8 30 on Tuesdays. Although it could be a lot worse, at least they are airing it.

  9. mcleods is just about the only show i have watched and enjoyed on 9 for the past 2 years.

    here i was thinking that the final episode after 8 years of watching was going to get a highly promoted sunday slot. thats what happened to blue heelers and it was getting similar numbers. from memory it rated well and everyone that ever watched the show in its long history tuned in just to see how it ended.

    the show wasn’t even rating that bad, at wednesday 8:30 we had fringe, mentalist, and mcleods. mcleods did close to best out of the 3 so why did fringe and mentalist get such good slots this summer.

    this season of mcleods has been spectacular, i refuse to buy the DVD, i don’t want any of my money going to 9.

    9 is an absolute joka and are getting worse every day, now the only show i will be watching on 9 in ’09 is ladette to lady and that is saying something. they are really looking down for ’09

  10. Apalling!!!

    It is still a very good show … better than Sea Patrol! And the new guy, Stevie’s cousin, is very hot …. what a shame!

    These Networks need to be made accountable to the viewers again instead of the Advertisers … no-one watches the stupid adds anyway, they definitely don’t encourage me to buy what they try to push! The only good add I have seen in a very long time is the one for the upcoming season of “Farmer wants a Wife” … it is brilliant!
    Jack!

  11. I can’t see any new show being a hit in the future on channel nine. Four hours of commercial tv in a row – no way. I have to ask once more – who is in charge of these decisions? Whoever they are, get rid of them, they are hastening the demise of channel nine.

  12. Whilst I’ve never watched McLeod’s, I can surely bet all it’s fans will be mighty peeved at this kind of treatment… Wasn’t this one of Nine’s flagship Aussie drama’s not so long ago? Nice going Nine.

  13. If Nine has so little faith that McLeod’s Daughters can not pull big numbers for the network in ratings season – why not save it and make it a key fixture of their new multi-channel – in a premium timeslot.

    Promote your new channel as “the only place to see the final season of McLeod’s Daughters” – at least drive viewers and awareness of the new channel

  14. well at least its showing all the eps; better than pulling it out mercilessly. Although I’m not really a fan of McLeod’s but for thsoe with recorders, rejoice! They can record the 4 hours and watch it in installments, there, solved.

  15. Major programming change no.4 for Nine.
    I like the idea of showing in a block but seriously Saturday night against The Bill,rockwiz and then last 2 eps at ungodly hour – pure folly.
    Question asked again, Gyn what are you thinking ?
    Please get one of your puppets aka plants to answer, they all seem to disappear on this and other areas when hard questions get asked.
    Mind you, when Nine has spin to be spun or good news, your PR dept is everywhere.

  16. Just buy the DVD (or rent it) and be done with ch9!

    Showing 4 eps back to back sounds like a dream but that’s a lot to take in in one sitting, at least with a DVD you can stop at any time, go get a drink and come back a little later.

    And having the final air at 11pm on a Saturday, the Australia Day long weekend no less is just an insult. Many people will have other commitments or be taking a few days off and may not be at home.

  17. “Superstars of Dance”? Oh for hell’s sake, enough with the dancing and the modelling already!

    Remember when TV used to have flagship drama shows? It wasn’t that long ago, people.

    McLeod’s Daughters was just as doomed as all pulled local shows the second Nine pulled the plug last year. It’s pretty much a given that they’re burning it off without any care for who watches or doesn’t. Hell, most of the season premiered on iTunes in blocky sub-lo-def.

    We know by now Nine has zero respect for viewers or the creative teams that create their shows. Indeed, they only have one eye left, and it’s on the whiteboard that bears the heading, scrawled in blood, “Take Leckie Down!!”

    They’re the Telstra of television.

    (Disclaimer: not a McLeod’s Daughters fan, not at all. But I know their pain.)

  18. Its horrible treatment a show that has given Nine great success of the years, no matter what you thinkn of the show it deserves more than this!!

    At least Seven had the decency to keep the final season of Blue Heelers on Saturdays 8.30.

    And the way some of Nine’s 7.30 timeslots are rating over summer it seriously suprises me they didn’t air this 2 nights a week in a 7.30 timeslot, it surely would’ve held those 900K that were watching it before ti was ripped off after 3 episodes…..NINE deserve the cane for their treatment of this show.

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