Seven may trim drama slate
A suggestion today that All Saints might undergo a shorter production order in a Seven drama overhaul.
- Published by David Knox
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Seven’s booming drama slate (Packed to the Rafters, Home and Away, City Homicide, All Saints) is surely the envy of other networks. But it comes at a price. Producing local drama is effectively the most expensive hour of television you can make.
The Sunday Telegraph reports that Seven is looking at whether it will strip back series to shorter runs.
All Saints runs around 40 episodes a season and execs are believed to be considering halving the program’s run to around 20 episodes.
Surely the current economic climate means the odds are weighted against the show right now. And with Nine’s Rescue Special Ops and TEN’s Rush crossing into similar territory with the show’s new “Medical Rescue” element, our screens could be flooded with too many emergency scenes.
City Homicide is also said to be under consideration.
A source says the network has also started work on an Aussie version of British series Benidorm, which revolves around the world of package holidays and is set in the Spanish resort of Benidorm.
The UK series, which stars comedian Johnny Vegas and screens here on Foxtel’s UK TV, looks at Poms soaking up the sun.
“It’s certainly a series that will translate – you can imagine it being set on the Gold Coast,” the source said.
Source: Sunday Telegraph
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- Tagged with All Saints, Benidorm, City Homicide, Home and Away, Packed to the Rafters
16 Responses
no way should all saints be cut
its the only good show on!
Please continue with City Homicide. It is a truly brilliant show. All Saints is on the slide. Less eps of that would not be a bad thing
An aussie sitcom could be interesting, as long as its not done by Ten (The Wedge, Mark Loves Sharon, etc). Tbh I wouldn’t mind a resurrection of the old Aussie comedy sketch show that flooded the airwaves a few years back (Big Bite, Comedy Inc, Skithouse). Even Rohnny Johns had its moments.
All Saints does go for too long. Over the past few years, it has begun to feel like Home and Away, just a show that is ongoing, and can be missed a few times, no real stabalised start, middle and end. I think it could sustain higher ratings if it went for a normal 22 episode season with heavy plots and stories in more self contained episodes, but still be able to have a story arc if needed, which could connect to next episodes. Blue Heelers was about 40 episodes a season too wasn’t it?
Some half hour aussie sitcoms are definitley needed from commercial networks. There’s heaps of stuff they can do, and it’s been done before. I think they could really do well in this day and age. Middle class families, different ethnicities, group of friends in the city, A couple, work place situations. Why is it that we have never really embraced good aussie sitcoms (we did in the late 80s/early 90s) they would be cheaper to make.
Lets trim All Saints down to 0 shows per season..
a 20-24 episode season is enough for any show.
Some great shows (Entourage etc) only have 12 or 13 but they’re all good with no filler episodes.
i love all saints but would fully support it going to 20 eps. the season works so much better when there is a beginning middle and end instead of these infite lasting string of episodes. especially if it meant the money went to a new drama.
i would definately watch that resort show. and i guess that would have 7 set for drama with a stable crime drama, medical/action, family, soap, and a something different.
@jack, you keep saying that as is on its last legs, could you please explain. the ratings have been on track if not better than recent years for this time of year and is one of the top rating 9:30 shows every week sometimes #1. and the storylines are definately not getting tired and are showing no signs with this new direction.
i love all saints but would fully support it going to 20 eps. the season works so much better when there is a beginning middle and end instead of these infite lasting string of episodes. especially if it meant the money went to a new drama.
i would definately watch that resort show. and i guess that would have 7 set for drama with a stable crime drama, medical/action, family, soap, and a something different.
@jack, you keep saying that as is on its last legs, could you please explain. the ratings have been on track if not better than recent years for this time of year and is one of the top rating 9:30 shows every week sometimes #1. and the storylines are definately not getting tired and are showing no signs with this new direction.
Wow all saints gets 40 eps per season! Thats heaps compared to the ever shrinking US average season. Which used to be 24 episodes (hence the well fit title 24), but has shrunken to around 20. Lost only has 17 for its last to seasons (but they are the best episodes i’ve seen in my life!).
We need more Aussie productions not less. With American and British series being so easily available for download these days, the Aussie networks won’t be able to rely on them for high ratings again, except for those shows that attract high older demographics. They need to be producing more Aussie dramas and other original programming that can’t be found elsewhere.
As far as I know Seven owns all these productions, so with the international sales surely they would make money back?
Locally, taking away Australian content from viewers won’t equal more viewers that’s for sure.
I agree with cutting the ‘All Saints’ production order back to the American standard of 22, 40 is just so many. And if it means tighter story telling, I’m all for it 🙂
how about some well writen inexpensive half hour sitcoms with say a 12 ep seires seven, i think we all need a bit of a laugh now dont you? theres bugger all comedy like that on the tele these days. Good characters in funny situations. nice and light. call me.
Yes the Strip- which was a fantastic series axed way way before its time I hasten to add.
Maybe they need to cut All Saints back to something more like the US norm of 22 eps, they problem with 40+ eps is fans don’t get a chance to miss the show. I know it’s been a long running success but that amount of eps must cause creative burnout over the years.
H&A being a soap is in a different league and needs to run most of the year, even if it’s just to compete with ch10.
How many eps does City Homicide have planned this season? and are we in S2 or S3? we were originally told this year was S2 of Packed but it was just the end of S1.
Not sure about Benidorm, look what happened to the last show set on the Gold Coast.
An Aussie Benidorm sounds great! It could just well be Seven’s best ever show!
All Saints is on its last legs and I think it would be better to axe it. City Homicide needs to return to its old slot of Monday night when it returns. Putting it against CSI and moving it to Sunday has really damaged ratings, which was daft. However i think putting it against underbelly would have been even dafter!
Home and away- well lets not go there!
And Packed to the Rafters all year round please! I can’t get enough of the Rafter family!!