★★★★★ 0/5

Idol: Too long, too low.

Australian Idol sank under the 900,000 mark last night, after dragging out its show for far too long.

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aiaAustralian Idol sank again last night.

At just 890,000 it was the second-lowest return all season (it took 883,000 in early September)

TEN’s insistence on dragging out the show across two hours this year, together with viewer fatigue, is proving a fatal mix. In previous years the show would get shorter as the contestants were eliminated. While they have previously allowed their finalists to sing two songs, last night viewers had to sit through three each from just three singers.

With no elimination at the end of the show there wasn’t enough to draw them through to the end of the show. The victim of that decision was Rove, having to settle for a disappointing 678,000. Next week Idol will stretch for another two hours with just two finalists, while Rove‘s finale will have to wait for a 9:30 start before airing live to air (next Sunday’s Rove is not recorded). Crazy.

TEN was very nearly beaten by the ABC with Electric Dreams also sinking further, to 513,000 viewers.

Meanwhile Seven was the one smiling all the way to OzTAM with 1.6m for The Force, 1.51m for Border Security. 1.36m for Bones and 1.2m for Sunday Night.

Nine’s best was Nine News at 1.09m with 60 Minutes scraping in at 1.02m.

Source: Week 46

65 Responses

  1. Sell the thing off to the ABC where they will show Idol in it’s entiriety without those annoying commercial breaks during the programme,

    Here is one they might have not considered but would offer something new and different and that is an Idol for Pianists

  2. @Harry:
    The whole point of moving NCIS: LA to partner up with NCIS is so that the two can feed off each other, giving better ratings. TEN’s 9:30 shows don’t generally rate very well, mainly because they don’t pair up the right shows together.

    If they tweaked Idol/Dance further and rearranged their schedule, they could get shows working fairly well. And I’ve said this before – TEN need to change their 6-7PM block. I personally think they should comission a new local reality format like The Amazing Race to be stripped at 6PM, and then if they keep it to 30 mins each day, Neighbours could stay at 6:30PM, and if the new show rates well, it might pick up Neighbours, and Biggest Loser/MasterChef could pick up 7PM’s ratings as well.
    And I included Big Brother in my idea for TEN’s schedule.. I think they should have another crack at it next year. It would have been gone for 2 years, and people might be interested in seeing it again. If they bumped up the production values, had a better creative team for challenges and whatnot, as well as getting good hosts (Sarah Wilson would be a great host, she’d bring a complete new feel to the show) it could work as a really good revival for TEN.

    It’s kinda funny how Idol acts as like the cornerstone of TEN’s programming…

  3. I watched the first 10 minutes of Idol last night and after a spirited group performance came the “elimination”. I felt so bad for the person who was voted out – they had to rehearse 4 songs (3 solo and one group) and then ended up just performing the group one before being shown the door. This was just cruel.

    I turned off after that – watching 3 contestants sing 3 songs each was just too much. I did want to watch Rove but I knew that Idol would go over time yet again so I ended up watching a DVD! Sorry Rove! I enjoy your show but TEN has really stuffed you big time! I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t return to TEN next year after the dismal treatment you got this year!

    and BTW – Holden should have stayed and Dicko should have been given the heave ho! When he left after season 2 he went to Seven and badmouthed Idol every chance he got! How TEN welcomed him back with open arms and then ditched the loyal and more respected Holden is when the show went downhill rapidly!

  4. Pop Idol in the UK is long gone, the US has the market for the brand, but here…it’s just not cutting it in it’s what is it…8th year? It’s had it’s day and the talent on this years show illustrates they’ve really scraped the talent pool, as I think most kids now are choosing other avenues as Idol fades into mediocrity.

    It’s not fresh, it’s actually quite stale, unlike X Factor in the UK which is slightly more entertaining and manages to showcase some unique talent from 15 to 90.

    And as much as Ms Hines is a nice gal, her placement there and advice is just now nothing more than a lovely drinking game to play with mates.

    “Well done Darlin” drink one shot
    “You did well, well done, well done” drink two

    you get the idea…

  6. I have said it before and I will say it again, Australia doesn’t have a big enough population for shows like Idol, Big Bro or any other similar format to survive on a yearly basis. They should be rotated to every 2nd year but the networks would rather milk them for everything they are worth rather than try something like resting them !

  7. My post would have sounded the same as a few weeks ago.

    I’m with Chris..

    Idol is now Taped and watched in 20 mins

    While I enjoy a lovely nights viewing on Seven 🙂

  8. I agree that the 30 minute eliminations on the Monday are better than half hour at the start of each Sunday Show. Maybe they could show the voting graphs in their promos if this happens.. might draw interest.

  9. They would be better off doing a show that focused on song writing. A lot of people can sing but how many of them can write a decent song? I can’t remember a single good song any of the idols have ever released.

    There is no point just thinking your voice will get you a career. You need to be creative and bring some interesting songs to the table.

  10. @Leon: and remember, these 9 songs are also drastically truncated versions, running at about 2 minutes each. That’s around 20 minutes of musical content out of… and we’ll tell you after the break.

    …Out of around 240. Not a great content percentage there.

    @Phil: Lisa Mitchell. Idol image gone, album acclaimed and charted, three ARIA nominations, and credibility with the serious music press.

  11. id say bring back kyle
    i cant stand this years judges, its not as interesting without him
    idol should be shorter,
    andrew g should be fired
    and the weekly music ‘genres’ should be more interesting.

    rove: should be cancelled.

  12. i know for a fact i wouldnt watch a 30 min ep of idol which just has eliminations, the only good thing about the elimination days were when they had a performance from a popular band. they need to bring back elimination day but it must not go longer than 1 hr and it must have guest performances!! and good ones at that!

  13. So what, are they going to do four songs each next week? The show was deathly boring. I honestly don’t think there are enough young talents left in the country that are willing to go on Idol and ruin their potential careers and the format is done and tired. I would suggest a switch to The X Factor format, but it would need the panto-style antics of the judges and over-the-top contestants to really work. Idol has always tried to shun the idea that viewers would watch for anything other than the contestants, even when the judges have clearly been the only interesting part (certainly not this year…).

    @CD You don’t have to care about demo wins, advertisers do. That’s how shows that win demos stay on air.

    @Jerome It would be unfair to have an “All Stars” series and have the prize go to charity – most of the past Idol contestants haven’t made any money at all. Cosima, for instance, went bankrupt releasing her album.

    @Simon For the most part the international guests would be free. They appear so they can promote a show or a new album.

  14. George,
    What you said is spot on. TEN need to shake up the order of their line up.. but NCIS LA would work better in an 8.30pm timeslot for TEN. Why have it on at 9.30 if rates above 1 million consistently which alot of TENs top shows fail to do.

  15. @Dave – not that I need to explain why I think Rove is sh!t – but since you were amazed to think someone would dare think that…. I’ve seen enough of him and his show over the years to be in a position to form an opinion.. whether it be shared by you or not, and regardless of how great you thought last night’s poor rating show was. I don’t care about “demo wins”, that something networks spin when they can’t notch up a win in “total people”. I don’t find Rove McManus funny and I don’t find anything about the show entertaining. In fact I cringed when I saw it recently (not by choice I was at a friends house at the time). When he has guests on he never asks them interesting questions, he talks over them, prattles on and spins the interview back to focus on him. If you find that sort of self indulgent TV great entertainment and funny that’s cool, but I know many who don’t watch it and share the my view. If he can’t stand up on his own and deliver decent ratings – even with a poor lead-in like Idol – then yes, it’s time to go Rove! Cheers.

  16. Francis says:
    Australian Idol isn’t dead.

    Are you serious? Australian Idol died three years ago. It needs to go… the remaining idols are ‘hopeless’… The whole group this year were ‘Hopeless’.

    And as for Rove, don’t even get me started on that show – Even a return in May/June/July, or whatever month it is, is way too early.

  17. next year idol will have to be a duffer ent show. changing a judge is not enough.

    i would do an all stars season. get one or two representatives from each season, cosima would be the obvious choice for season 1, riki lee and maybe anthony from season 2 ect. tell everyone it will be the last season. air it on a weekday. 10 weeks max. prize is that you get money for a chosen charity (like DWTS) as well as pulicity.

    this also cuts off the auditions which is where a lot of the costs are made.
    it would be a good way the end the series and salvagr the image. and imo the only way to end on a high.

  18. i woudln’t bring back kyle. they would want a judge that know’s wht he is on about and knows good music talent. 10 wont axe this show even when there is absolutely no one even interested in going to the call ups for singers. they love flogging a dead horse

  19. If 10 continue with Idol next year, they are kidding themselves. I feel really sorry for the Guest judges who have to sit through a long and drawn out show. It isn’t necessary to throw in time wasting segments like “Moments” (add sponsor) and the host trying to be funny. Pete Wentz last night must have been paid quite a bit to sit through that. Mind you, while this show does produce some talent, the format is dead and has run its course.

  20. If Idol went for an hour on a weeknight and had a 30 min elimination show the day after it’d work well for TEN. Say, 7:30 Wednesdays they have the performance show for an hour (or 90 mins tops) and Thursday at 7:30 they can have the elimination.
    Or, if they have the show earlier in the year next year to ride off MasterChef’s success, they would have it on at 8:30PM Wednesday until 9:30, and the elimination show could be at 8PM Thursday.
    The latter would probably be a better option for TEN, so that they could possibly retain some of the audience from MasterChef, and hey, most of what they put on Wednesdays doesn’t work, so if Idol can get more traction next year on that day it’d work well for them. As for NCIS: LA, it could go to 9:30PM Tuesdays, and Lie to Me could be on Monday or Thursday.
    As for the show’s running time.. It could start with an hour and a half for the Top 12, but as soon as the show can fit into an hour slot they should cut it down to that, and put a show like Nurse Jackie on after it.

    From doing this, TEN also frees up Sundays for Merlin, New Simpsons, The Cleveland Show and Rove at 8:30PM. And if Rove is coming back next year in a Hey Hey style format, having the show as 2 hours each week would work well for them.

    Just my $0.02.

  21. Ive watched Idol this year and will continue too until its axed. It hasnt been at all good this year and the stupids who run it should cut the show to 1.5 hours next week. Last night was a bore – crap theme nights as well. Pete Wentz barely had an influence. Love Hayley though – hope she makes it.

    I dont think the winners actually expect a career. Natalie Gauci, in my opinion, has been the most talented contestant on Idol and she basically wanted exposure more than anything. The record deals are crap.

    But meh, the ratings arent good at all. Would be better if the show was 1 hour.. maybe a new night for next year?

  22. I’m not a teenage girl and I watch it. Admittedly this year I’ve watched out of habit. I’ve made comments on previous posts but I’d like to summarise my complaints as a very disappointed Idol loving viewer.
    1. Judges: keep Dicko flick JD and Marcia. Bring back Kyle. Have two permanent judges and one guest judge each week.
    2. Speed it up. 4 songs this week are way too much
    3. Be true to the theme. I don’t care how you spin it “All The Single Ladies” is not in any way shape or form a big band or swing number.
    4. I don’t want to hear the contestants arguing with the judges. Don’t let them talk especially this year because they can barely sing.
    5. Finally, and I don’t know how, find a way to make us care.

  23. Yeah, how bout some more Singing! That’s what we’re here for. It baffles me how they are so persistent on making us wait so long for the performances. It takes half an hour to get to the first performance and then we’ve gotta sit through 5 minutes of ads in between all the others. For this reason, it stands no chance against Big Bang Theory, which is not as stingy and actually provides some entertainment.

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