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Time for Young Talent Time again?

With the wave of variety, Johnny Young is in discussions with Network TEN for a revival of Young Talent Time.

yttEverything old is (apparently) new again, with word today that Johnny Young is in discussions with Network TEN for a revival of Young Talent Time.

The family show was a contemporary of the revived Hey Hey it’s Saturday, running on air from 1971 until 1988. Variety is the current buzz word at the moment after Hey Hey’s success and the popularity of A Tribute to Don Lane.

The series, produced and presented by Young, was pivotal to the career starts of Debra Byrne, Tina Arena, Dannii Minogue, Phillip Gould and Jamie Redfern. Some years ago a documentary produced by John Bowles rated through the roof.

“We’re looking at different ways to do it. Nostalgia will only get you so far. We need a show that will stand on its own feet in 2009-10,” Young told the Herald Sun.

Hoping to produce and be a judge, Perth-based Young says, “YTT gives kids an opportunity to perform with a great band, with the best sets and costumes.”

But such a show would be enormously expensive for TEN, especially if it had a resident ensemble and band. Those production numbers with dedicated costumes could barely be replicated in today’s economic environment, certainly not without some SMS viewer voting to offset costs. The steep price of song rights is another consideration.

The show’s optimism and bonding with the growing ensemble kids was one of its best assets. We surely felt like we were watching them grow up before our eyes. Clearly the wave of love for variety means the time is right to at least conduct conversations, along with a little leveraging in the press.

Somebody get me Simon Townsend and Woodrow on the phone….

Source: Herald Sun

35 Responses

  1. I think it’s a great idea. We have so many young talented kids in Australia. Just hope they do a talent search like Idol and uncover all the hidden talent in the little towns all over Australia. Really tired of the city kids getting all the opportunities. I’d much rather see kids involved in things like Young Talent Time than causing chaos on the streets.

  2. For the love of god, no!!

    I have zero interest in watching a bunch of precocious kiddie wannabes singing and dancing across $2 sets.

    I especially don’t want kiddie based shows in my primetime.

  3. While Australian Idol (that Ten should be resting, with its declining ratings and the fact that very few of its winners are getting anywhere musically, once the show is over) is on no, but if it were to axe Aus Idol, then yes it’d be a good replacement, without conning viewing viewers into calling premium numbers to vote. With Ten stupidly deciding to continue with Aus Idol next year, it’d be too much.

  4. I hope Dannii Minogue returns as a host of judge – she would be perfect!
    Join the facebook group
    We-want-Dannii-Minogue-to-host-the-new-Young-Talent-Time/169904095215?v=wall&ref=ts

  5. Those were a great three years where we had the Comedy Company, Larger than life and Col’n Carpenter on Sunday Nights Prior to the Simpsons and all the other rubbish that came along from 1991 onwards.A return to those good old days would be nice

  6. I do think that Tina Arena is probably the best female vocalist this country has ever produced. I don’t care all that much for her music, but her voice is one of the world’s best….

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