★★★★★ 0/5

Spearman sinks

TEN's experiment would appear to have failed with Magda's clip show landing fourth in its timeslot.

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magda (2)As an experiment it would appear to have failed.

TEN’s new light entertainment show, The Spearman Experiment took a big dive in its second week. It dropped from 1.03m to 699,000 -a drop of more than 300,000 viewers.

The show hosted by Magda Szubanski was fourth in its timeslot, beaten by the ABC. It even trailed its lead in The 7PM Project (a rising 780,000).

At this rate it could be headed the same way as the short-lived clip show Szubanski hosted for Nine, Magda’s Funny Bits.

Many readers of TV Tonight have said that while they still love Szubanski as a performer, they were disappointed in the clip show which most agreed was a cheap knock-off of Nine’s  20 to 1. Several were critical of the poll-voting conducted prior to the show.

Last night 20 to 1 thrashed Spearman with 1.25m in the same slot.

Seven’s traditional Tuesday shows won the night with Packed to the Rafters on 1.8m and the return of RSPCA Animal Rescue on 1.49m. Newcomer Last Chance Surgery took a strong 1.4m.

Elsewhere in Tuesday results, the Today show (377,000) had a win over Sunrise (367,000), no doubt bolstered by the US Open.

Week 38

43 Responses

  1. The guys from 7PM Project must be feeling a bit better now.

    The fact that this show is almost exactly the same as 20-1 is probably a significant contributor to its failure. I mean, I don’t even like the ‘original’, why would I watch a cheap knockoff? And people who do like the Channel 9 version are of course, gonna watch it on Channel 9. Disappointing from the apparent innovators at Ten.

  2. Putting up Spearman against 20 to 01 would be like Nine putting Missing Pieces up against Find My Family. Except TEN did actually did it. Perhaps a timeslot change would help – 6:30 Sundays? But wait a minute, 20 to 01 is going there too!

  4. I love Magda. But TEN failed her. Shes better than the Spearman Experiment.

    They should have given her a set to work on, lights, audience and a panel of guests every week. They countdown and all give their opinions on what came where in each countdown per week. Makes much more sense than the blunt format of the show.

  5. I’m not surprised it feels flat and lifeless compared to 20-1. I usually enjoy these types of shows but TSE left me very disinterested. Bring back TBYG that was an awesome show!

  6. Magda should have learned from “Funny Bits” and stayed away. What a waste of her talents. I guess a less than labour intensive clip show is an attractive proposition.

  8. It is nothing to do with Magda, she is great … it is just the complete ignorance of the network thinking that copying a similar format from another network will be a success … stupid, stupid programmers … in fact I think it is in their job descriptions to be idiots!
    Give Magda something that is suitable to her great talent (and as i said before, the same thing goes for Bert too on Nine!)
    Jack!

  10. Great idea Dakota.
    Imagine ““Its a Knockout!”” with Z grade celebs and wannabe reality show contestants battling it out.Guaranteed another 5 mins of attention for them.
    Just one rule – TVTonight posters get to design the games and punishment
    Must pick warm climate to encourage them to sign up (say Hobart in July)
    A chance to get even with these “attention seekers”

  12. Bass, I love your idea – how about “Its a Knockout!” ? They could trial it with Celebrities in a Prime Time slot and some sarcastic commentators, maybe even make it live like Friday Night Live used to be?

  13. Yeah I gotta say – I saw this for the first time last night and it was ar$e – who thought it would a good idea to fight 20 to 01 with 15 to 01!

    To add insult to injury there were No celebrities outside of Channel Ten employees (Angela Bishop FFS) Nine at least balances out the Jules Lunds and James Brayshaws with a few people outside their stable, and secondly the topic (favourite underdogs) was just a collection of fads that were, frankly, played out – I mean if I have to hear about Kenny or Slumdog Millionaire or Brant and Todd one more time I’m gonna go postal!

  15. Where do I get one of these jobs where you get paid to say stuff like, “Hey, this show is really successful on another channel. Let’s rip it off and I bet we’ll be just as successful!”

    Er, no, it doesn’t work that way. Just wait for the Masterchef rip-offs to crash and burn.

  16. *feigns surprise look.
    Shakes head at Ten for promising a lot and delivering stuff all.
    Latest 2 offerings are Duds – Spearman and 7pm project.
    Gen & Masterchef were hits easy to see why.
    All that hard work by Ten lost by hiring ex Nine programmers maybe ??

  17. in the last 3 days 7 has launched the force and last chance surgery, both of which were barley advertised and both of which are now big hits. i’m beginning to think that if they put their test pattern on and labelled it as a ‘ch7 factual’ it would still get above 1.3. a number that other networks have spent millions for and still didn’t get.

  19. I have not caught the show, the 20 to 1 comparisons are not going to change that. The one episode I’ve seen of 20-1 featured Rugby League players doing their favorite Seinfeld quotes… shudder…

    But I’m wondering who the “talking heads” are on the Magda show?

  20. I actually dont mind it, but its not must watch, Last nights was really good with the underdogs. I dont get how the plastic fantasics at nine are beating the young hotties at ten, since its the same thing, only with younger ppl giving there views. Wont be Supriesed if Shaun, Charlie, Amanda and Joss are back in the Studio today filiming emergency Generation Eps LOL.

    Speaking of Generation, I have an idea for show. No title as yet, and kind of a Generation Spin Off. Basically, 2 teams of Baby Boomers (2ppl per team), battle it out for who has the best knowledge of Modern Pop Culture, voted in by Generation Y. They have to play a series of games, annswer questions to see who has the know it all on todays pop culture. I know my Grandma wouldnt have a clue who Lady Gaga is, or what House the TV show is, it make for some funny TV. No host (and not Shaun or Rove please). maybe this is what The Spearman Experiemnt should of been.

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