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Game on: Former ABC host slams axing as “a lie”

"That is a lie," ex-Good Game co-host Junglist fires at claims his former ABC production team supports his dismissal. An almighty war has broken out online in front of cast, crew and fans.

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ggAn online stoush has broken out between the team at ABC2’s Good Game and former co-host Jeremy ‘Junglist’ Ray (pictured, left).

Ray was let go by the gaming show after three years hosting beside Stephen ‘Bajo’ O’Donnell (pictured, right) and replaced with Stephanie ‘Hex’ Bendixsen.

On Monday Amanda Duthie, Head of Arts and Entertainment told TV Tonight, “After three years, we felt Good Game needed a refresh to take the program into 2010 and beyond, and the decision was made to change the hosting team.”

This week fans of the show have rallied behind Junglist writing furious protests online, initiaing a Facebook support group and starting a petition. Many have criticised the move as being a token move to instil a female presenter.

Amid the fury, the Good Game team posted a united message on their ABC messageboard, attempting to allay a viewer backlash. But under confidentiality it was unable to offer much detail on what had gone down recently, or indeed taken place behind the scenes for most of this year.

“For all sorts of reasons we are unable to tell you things that have happened over many months inside Team Good Game which have impacted on the production. That’s just real life folks. We know it leaves many questions unanswered but we have reached that point where we really can’t say any more than that.

“But we can tell you this much…

“The decision to take Junglist off air was not forced upon us by ABC Management and it’s one that is fully supported by all the GG team. We are gutted that it has come to this but in our opinion it absolutely had to happen.”

With such a public, if coy, statement, Junglist reponded on the same forum, calling the statement a blatant lie.

“In fact, the GG team was completely unaware of the change until the same day I found out. The same confidentiality clause that prevented me from saying anything publicly, prevented management from telling them anything,” he wrote.

“I have spoken to members of the GG team who clearly DON’T support this, but can’t say anything publicly. Of course they’ll tow the party line. They have to.”

Junglist says the decision was forced by ABC management.

“I feel now as if I’m being professionally attacked, so here’s a truth bomb. In the meeting where I was told I would be replaced, the reason given was they wanted a girl on the show. ‘Mass appeal’ was a direct quote from that meeting. After a half-hour of explaining how they’ll lose their hardcore following, they responded that yes, they knew this, but expected to make up the numbers with a new following. ‘A show can grow beyond its hardcore base’, is another direct quote.”

As fans grew more angry, his co-host Bajo weighed in, saying, “We have felt professionally attacked by some of the posts by Jung, with the inability to reply due to confidentiality. So we cannot drop our own ‘truth bomb’. While Junglist may have his own version of events, so do we, and all we ever wanted to do was work with him but it’s not to be, and we are exhuasted by the whole thing, and just want to move on.”

Producer Syd (who is female) added, “Jung mate, I’m sorry to say it but you are wrong… no one on the team feels we have to tow the party line here – no one has been coerced into doing or saying anything they don’t want to. Sure we didn’t all find out till you did – but that does not mean we don’t feel it’s the right thing to do for the show. That’s the truth we need to swallow here… as bitter a taste as it might leave in our mouths.”

So while some fans are likening the split to a bitter parental divorce, new presenter Hex has walked into an impossible situation.

When asked about the online feud, an ABC spokesperson hinted to TV Tonight there were a number of background factors that were not immediately evident  and that the network stood by the Good Game team’s statement.

In an online arena it would seem there are many who are keen to contribute to the debate from all sides, if not necessarily positioned to give the full picture.

Meanwhile Good Game appears to have a battle much bigger than World of Warcraft or Resident Evil 5 could ever imagine…

47 Responses

  2. I have nothing against Hex either – i mean she does love herself, we saw how she coyed at the camera – but that’s ok, it was her first show and was happy to be there – might even stay the whole year before she moves to what she ‘really’ wants to do – acting/soapie who knows.

    and i think that between the bajo and jung, they certainly picked the wrong one to axe.

    i won’t be watching the show anymore, and if the axing was because of preferential treatment, sexism, nepotism, sexual discrimination then god help the ABC. you have my full support Jung, and i’m sure we could round up a fund for court costs.

    cheers mate,
    Andre

  3. It’s a joke the way in which this situation was handled, in that whoever decided to change the host gave no respect to Junglist and the Good game viewers. The situation would have been damped if the Good game crew could publicly state the reasons for Jung being put down, I’m sure the crew could appeal to the ABC if there was a legitimate reason to make it public but as they haven’t it convinces me that it was a marketing move gone wrong.

  4. I dunno, I thought it was wrong at first but that was only because it seemed baseless. If there was an actual reason why he got fired (such as not doing his job, as has been alleged) then I think the ABC are absolutely justified in giving him the flick. When he was unable to film the final show, that must have been the last straw for the GG team. This issue here for me is not the removal of Junglist but ABCs management of the situation, which makes it look dodgy.

  8. what a bunch of backstabbers,, I hate u bajo and this producer.. We know who is telling the truth.. what a crock.. hes been there for so long and all of the sudden ur saying he has done the wrong thing, what a load of crap.. lost me.. good luck good game. sad for jung, but mate.. move on leave it.. not worth your effort start ur own show or somthing we will support u. start a online game review show. i i will help we all will, i rather watch u than then. take this opportunity. Start up your own online show mate..

  9. Although I’ve only even watched this show a few times, I have to say I liked the junglist guy far more than the other one, and I think it’s wrong that they would just replace him like that.

    As someone else said, why not have 3 hosts if they were desperate to get a girl hostess on the show?

    I think both hosts should have up and left, and taken their show to one of the commercial networks, that would teach abc.

  10. ABC, could you please get everyone together and tell us the truth, “oop sorry can’t”. To remove someone who obviously made the show work and say it is because he was not liked by staff is plain wrong. TV has a history of presenters that are bastards behind the scene, so what. Jeremy would not be publicly fighting this if he actually deserved to go out and he does not even look like a bastard.

    The word “team” stinks of company line and jealous backstabbing, you should be friends in a place like that and tolerate the prima donna. After what smells like an ABC management mistake, to make him look this bad is just plain wrong.

  11. Hmm. If Bajo and Junglist are not agreeing with each other on what’s gone down, then there’s some kind of rift splitting the hosts, and in that instance change must be implemented.

    And as Peter said, it’s “toe the line”. It’s a military term, from lining up in regimental fashion.

  12. I am gutted by the decision to take Junglist off GG. I think Hex seems talented and even somewhat convincing as a new co-host. But I agree with the other comments here that the ABC shouldn’t have ruined what was an amazing on air chemistry. As for “mass appeal” and growing beyond the hardcore base.. pft!! What you’ll end up with is endless reviews of DS kiddie games and awkward sexual tension between Bajo and Hex that will destroy what used to be a couple of mates sitting on a couch and gas bagging about the games they love.. they way real gamers do.
    GG was one of my favourite shows of the week, but without Jung it will be hard to watch at all.

  13. He was allegedly fired for not doing his off camera job properly and for being a self important d**k. It’s been said in so many words by the GG staff, they just haven’t said it outright to save the guys career / feelings. I have no idea why they’re willing to cop so much flack for ditching him.

  14. Neon Kitten, you’re right, I don’t have anything against ‘Hex’ (well, the name and overbaked attitude for the episode were kinda ‘Hey look at me I’m off the wall and awesome!) but I Can see her settling into the show as effective in the long run.

    Like most of Goodgames (former) fanbase, I too feel scorned by the fact they felt compelled to lie to us about our favorite hosts departure. It’s a kick in the teeth to Jeremy Ray and a slap in the face to his established fanbase.

    Syd the producer, said something along the lines of ‘If you watched only for their comraderie then we’re sorry to lose you’. Whilst I respect Syds ideals and respect the fact Syd wouldn’t be in this position of producing if she didn’t know what she was doing, this kind of attitude is why such garbage happens. Syd recognises the two had incredible chemistry, something that’s almost impossible to find in this day and age on tv without manufacturing it and yet tells people to more or less just accept what’s happened.

    I hold no ill will against Hex and I hope she blossoms on the show into a fully fledged gaming geek on the show, but I do believe Jungs post when he says the ABC merely wants to sex up the show by putting a hot girl with breasts next to Bajo in the chair. It’s unfortunate because I can tell Hex Is talented and some shmuck (not Syd or anyone else on the forums who makes GG, the higherups at ABC) at the ABC has simply hired her to be ASS on screen… I hope she proves them absolutely wrong.

  15. It seems crazy that they’d dump him as quickly as that doesn’t it? I mean, he’s been part of the success of the show.. You’d think they’d have just introduced the new person, and either kept him too, or have had a transition.

  16. There’s a bunch of serious fail going on here. I still can’t quite wrap my head around the ABC letting Hex’s b/f act as a shill proxy on their boards.

    Whatever the reasons for the decision, it’s been really poorly managed. Can’t help but wonder if it indicates that ABC still don’t get ‘nextgen’ and Murdoch’s right in that they shouldn’t be getting the taxpayer’s $.

  18. I don’t understand what part of the show needed ‘refreshing’. Isn’t that what the new GG:SP show was for? Why ruin something that was going so well? Simple, keep Jung and Bajo to do the normal show and then have Bajo and Hex do the kiddie ‘SP’ show. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that this model would have worked fine and still expanded the GG viewers.

    Seriously, if Jung and (time permitting) Bajo were to do their own online game review show, i’d probably pay to watch it. These guys are gamers and know what they were talking about. No disrespect to Hex, but the ABC have ruined the show.

  19. Whether Junglist was pulling his weight or not behind the scenes, is totally irrelevant. What is relevant is his on screen performance that we the viewers got to see. As far as I am concerned it was very enjoyable and the whole point of a TV program is to entertain its viewers isn’t it?

    As for the real reasons behind all of this, I am thinking this is about the ABC Management seeing an indie enterprise that has become popular and have decided to cash in. In the past I have experienced several game companies abandon their core fans to go for a bigger market and they told the same kinds of stories GG is telling now: “The product won’t change. It will be just as good.” etc. Of course the products do change, because that is what the company intends and they are never as good, because they are dumbed down to appeal to a larger audience.

    At this point I don’t know what the Save Junglist group should do, as it is quite clear that Good Game/ABC have no interest in the audience that got them to where they are today.

  20. Very well-said Neon Kitten – I have nothing wrong with Hex joining the team, my issue is getting rid of Jung. Why can’t there by three on the couches and we all move along? The veiled secrecy from ABC Management is unacceptable, and I’m glad we’re seeing repercussions as a result. GG is a fantastic show and has really matured over the years, so I’d hate to see meddling from upstairs undo the fine work the GG crew have done over the years, they all deserve every success they get.

  24. It’s A Good Take On Things David, I’ve Been Watching the facebook fury and it’s madness. i would hate to be Hex at the moment, she was right to put her sheild up.

  25. All these confidentiality agreements, mysterious meetings, and apparent heavy influence from ABC management… would somebody please remind the ABC that they are a public broadcaster that you, me and all Australians are paying for?

    They’re behaving like Seven or Nine, and that’s unacceptable.

    Thousands of loyal viewers of the show – viewers who contribute to the cost of making it – are asking a simple question.

    What happened?

    This question must be answered truthfully, and it seems the only people who might know the whole story are Amanda Duthie and ABC management.

    Stephanie (“Hex”) may, by the way, have walked into the middle of a war zone here, but she did a fine job on last Monday’s show and it’s refreshing to see that the initial anger some viewers had towards her has all but vanished. She’s talented and capable, but she’s not the issue. Something dodgy is going on here, and we won’t know exactly what it is until people stop toeing the party line. So far, the only person daring to break the cone of silence appears to be Junglist, who has no reason to make up stories.

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