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Wipeout Australia in the USA

5 million Americans watched Kelly Landry in Wipeout Australia, but Josh Lawson and James Brayshaw were left on the cutting room floor.

klChannel Nine presenter Kelly Landry got US exposure this week when ABC aired Wipeout Australia across America.

Following President Obama’s latest address to the nation, ABC screened a re-packaged episode from the Nine series.

US hosts John Henson and John Anderson fronted an edited version from the safety of their US studio, but Kelly Landry, who travelled to Argentina for the on-the-ground commentary remained intact. Or maybe the Yanks just thought she was prettier than Josh Lawson and James Brayshaw (they didn’t even rate an acknowledgment).

“This Aussie-filled hour will feature native mates and ladies bouncing off Big Balls” said the ABC Press Release, “among other over-the-top obstacles in the outback. Wipeout, which is seen in 25 countries, will surely delight viewers with one of the most spectacular sweeper wipeouts ever seen in Wipeout history!”

5 million Americans watched the show, which was fourth in its timeslot behind America’s Got Talent on 9.7m viewers.

It also aired in Canada.

Hope Kelly has a good agent to chase up those residuals!

14 Responses

  1. Of course, we should see more unedited Aussie shows here in the U.S. The same goes for shows from the U.K., Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, etc..
    The unfortunate reality is that the U.S. television landscape is totally isolated and one of the most mono-tone, or monotonous anywhere. To what extent is this intentional? Perhaps someone can elucidate? Anyhow, the result is the definite dumbing down of the American public. For Heaven’s sake, unless you live a few miles south of the border, we don’t even have access to Canadian television. How informative it would be if we could sometimes check with BBC World News, or find out about the Aussie or Canadian take on one or the other topic or international development. Instead, Americans are condemned to view the extreme of parochial programs, here and there regurgitated a bit different – CNN, ABC, CBS or NBC – but invariably from within the same echo chamber.

    Joost Hensen

  2. @Jezza: I don’t understand why you are so anti American. The networks in the US are just doing what they think is best for their viewers. Using the existing American hosts makes their viewers more comfortable as they are able to relate to Americans and avoids having such a huge change from the American series.

    If you left Josh and James on the show, I am sure there would have been less viewers tuning in. Try putting yourself in an American viewer’ position.

    Also, if Australian networks wanted to change the hosts of American shows, what is stopping them? They would obviously have to spend more to shoot the hosting and also to re-edit the episodes, which begs the question – is it worth spending more to localise the series in Australia? It may be unfair in your eyes, but it is the way it is.

  3. @Paull: Great point. That was one of the points I was trying to get through to the people about the hosts. The American hosting doesn’t help our version at all, particularly with our terminology been used during our series that these two Yanks would never have been taught at school to say.

    @Russell: If shows are of foreign language that go to air here in Australia, either obviously it airs on SBS with English subtitles, or we could employ new hosts to suit the English-speaking countries. But for English-speaking shows, I don’t see any point of changing hosts to suit the local audience. These Yank morons think we’re not an English-speaking country. They’re ripping us off!

  4. Do we air shows from South Africa?

    No. Why not Jezza?

    When you answer – apply that same list of answers to the reasons why the US does not air foreign shows.

  5. It’s all well and good for you people been lovers of Yanks, but I feel the American invasion has gone way too far, airing their own versions of Thank God You’re Here and Kath & Kim, both of which failed miserably, and they don’t even air our local versions to give their viewers a taste of what’s to come, and we do it with their series all the time, sometimes even airing their adaptations on Australian TV unedited (e.g. Kath & Kim). It’s an unfair advantage in favour of the Americans. The way we are going about this is worthy of converting Australia into the 51st United State of America. This sort of rubbish editing is making a mockery of the local Wipeout hosts, and the credibility of Australian television on American television. It’s good that Kelly Landry’s getting international recognition, but if Josh and James can’t get the same contribution, I’m a monkey’s uncle. Yanks really get on my nerves, because Americans are not funny, or sexy at all. Anyway, my point is they shouldn’t edit too many of our local TV series, if we’re not going to edit theirs.

  6. @David: But not for Wipeout USA which is one show that should have aussie commentators, I can’t stand the 2 americans who commentate each. The american accent is not fit for commentary work in my opinion

  7. Well isn’t that obviously because they couldn’t edit out Kelly Landry while they could easily edit out Josh and James. They probably would if they could…I don’t think it’s because she’s prettier (not that she isn’t).

  8. @ Jezza, I see no problem ditching Brayshaw and Lawson. They weren’t very good and I’d actually prefer if the Oz version used the US host. I think they’re great.

    And as David said, some US show are edited in Australia, like Wipe Swap.

    Maybe if Australia could somehow reach a population of 300m then things would be even, but Australia is a small country and I think everyone accepts the fact that the US dominate English speaking countries when it comes to film and TV.

  9. I’m sick of our own shows been edited to suit the US audience when we don’t edit their shows to suit our audience.

    I feel Wipeout Australia should have included Josh Lawson and James Brayshaw when it went to air in the US. We have to put up with the crap that John Anderson and John Henson bring to us in their Wipeout. The US should have been treated to our hosts in Josh and James and see what they think about them.

    Just because they may not understand what we say here in Australia, it doesn’t mean we understand what they say if we’re Aussie born and bred.

    I just think it’s so unfair that even ordinary every-day Americans get worldwide mentions, while ordinary and much-much-more-than-ordinary Australians don’t get a mention elsewhere at all.

    If we’re not guaranteed to have all our personalities doing Wipeout remain on the Aussie version when it goes to air in the US, then it shouldn’t be going to air in the US.

    I can’t see why Josh Lawson and James Brayshaw who are “Australian” hosts should be dumped in favour of a couple of previously unknown Yanks.

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