Report: Idol out for 2010
Channel TEN will reverse its decision to air Australian Idol this year according to a feature story in today's media.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
Channel TEN will reverse its decision to air Australian Idol this year according to a feature story in today’s Daily Telegraph.
The newspaper claims the show will be “rested” this year despite it being announced as part of the network’s 2010 line-up.
“TEN is going to rest Australian Idol for 2010. They will make a decision towards the end of 2010 as to whether it will return in 2011,” an unnamed source said. “They have asked Fremantle for ideas on how to relaunch in 2011.”
Last year was Idol‘s softest year on record with Sunday night figures barely cracking the 1m margin.
1.47m viewers tuned in to see Stan Walker crowned the show’s winner, down from 1.6m in 2008. The show’s peak era was when Casey Donovan pipped Anthony Callea in 2004 when 3.34m tuned in.
In October Australian Idol was featured as part of the network’s 2010 Programme Launch. While there has already been speculation about who may or may not return as part of the Idol franchise, TEN has refused to comment on the report.
None of the judges have been renewed for the show yet.
In a poll on TV Tonight, 17% of readers voted to replace Jay Dee Springbett, 6% Marcia Hines and just 2% for Andew Gunsberg and 1% for Dicko.
But while 10% voted to get rid of them all, a whopping 63% voted to get rid of the show entirely.
Some readers have suggested a return to a rejuvenated X Factor, which allows for different groups rather than solo singers. Yesterday the Seven Network also announced the 4th season of Australia’s Got Talent.
The reality show has been a “tentpole” part of the network’s programming for seven years. The loss of Idol to TEN will create a major hole to the network’s Sunday programming, particularly after the added exit of Rove. Complicating matters, this year’s Commonwealth Games also falls in the middle of the traditional Idol season, but the boost from the Games may in turn become part of the solution to the network’s final quarter.
As MasterChef proved in replacing Big Brother, major change also brings opportunity. Could TEN move Junior MasterChef to Sundays to make up the difference?
Source: Daily Telegraph
78 Responses
Interesting read. All those opinions just saying pretty much the same: ‘If I don’t like it they shouldn’t be allowed to show it.’
@Francis, regarding your comments about show about families who can do nothing wrong, did you miss the whole controversy about the erotic dreams the boys from Packed to the Rafters had that a lot of people up in arms last year?.
This is a good idea, I hope the rest of the channels can do this, and start producing some good local content. I hope Ten doesn’t start to import reality shows from overseas.
X-factor, Idol, you still need Mark Holden.
Probably for the best. The rest could mean the series won’t meet the end that Big Brother did.
Big Brother time? I hope so!!
dicko said that he hasn’t been contacted by ten in regards to idol, you would think they would have the courtesy to at least tell the judge’s that it wont be returning this year rather than just leave them in the dark.
who would have though that people wouldn’t be interested in a show where the winner makes on or two song and then is never heard from again. lol
Good riddance to bad rubbish!
Instead of resting it can’t they axe it completely?
If this is true I’m sad but not surprised. What does surprise me is that ‘It’s A Knockout’ has been suggested as a revamped show for ten. Why? What train of thought goes from singing to giant foam hammers hitting people? As for Junior Masterchef I don’t see the point. Who cares if a kid likes to cook? With all the other cooking shows popping up on other stations Channel 10 needs to stick to the original Masterchef and trust in its proven success and loyal fans.
I do wish Ten would bring back Big Brother..
As a suggestion to Ten, how about adopting the Celebrity Hijack format used once in the UK where celebrities take on the role of Big Brother and normal people enter the house as housemates to be ordered around by these celebrities?? That could work just as long as Kyle Sandilands isn’t involved.
Not sure what to make of this. I have watched every series, but sometimes when watching it I thought it would be best if they gave it a rest rather than having it on year after year.
Strange, considering Andrew G announced it would be back though.
Sigh.. if only they’d get rid of The Biggest Loser as well (or just the trainers, as I really prefer Bob and Jillian, whereas I think Shannan and Michelle have brought it down). Not really a fan of Masterchef either. Actually.. just get rid of all the reality shows! 🙂 Though I was a fan of Big Brother, mostly when Peter Abbott was in charge.
Guys I realise it’s a passionate topic but please mind the length of comments.
Ever since Popstars began all those years ago, manufactured pop stars rarely gained long standing fame with the only exceptions being Guy Sebastian & Jessica Mauboy. Many of the singers had dubious contracts which meant even though they won, they wouldn’t gain much profit. Once this became obvious, people just used these shows as cheap exposure for example Cosima De Vito & the school teacher last year who opportunistically left the shows abruptly to pursue their careers independently.
There was so much backlash in the UK towards manufactured pop stars that an internet Facebook campaign encouraged people to download Rage Against The Machine’s 1992 hit single “Killing In The Name” so as to defeat the UK X-Factor winner Joe McElderry to the #1 spot for the coveted Christmas #1 single in which the anti-X-Factor campaign prevailed.
Regarding Idol, Marcia Hines was only touting those she was sympathetic with and the only thing that the show had going for it in the end was Kyle Sandilands commentary which shows just how low the Idol viewership had stooped. It was subsequently Hillsong fans that remained watching the show in the end.
The recording contracts and SMS voting systems were just cash cows for the record labels and show producers. As long as someone behind the scenes is out to make a quick buck, I doubt there will be any more appeal for manufactured pop idol shows in the future.
Hamish and Andy with Sean Micallif show for Sunday nights in 2010? Me likey very!
Hardly a surprise this news, the last couple of years ratings have been soft and in these economic times it really makes no sence..
SYTYCD is next in my opionion – 2010 will be the beginning of the end.
When i read this this morning i thought its about time. As for other ideas, placing Junior MasterChef on isnt a bad idea but TEN be warned Seven have a cooking show too and with your MC then another spin off to the MC series people may get stale of this format very quickly. I loved the original MC and then when they did the Celebrity version i turned off because it wasnt the same.
I was one of the knockers of MC early on but as i watched it i wanted more. As long as that stupid Vote Off is eliminated from the process and replaced with a judges verdict instead it will make for awesome viewing.
So replacements for idol? Big Brother anyone? No seriously i agree with Francis why not try an Aussie Sitcom again. Not a sketch show these dont work, a good Aussie sitcom would be perfect for TEN. Other ideas i love X Factor and if TEN fast tracked that from the UK it would be fantastic however a local version would also be good but then again its to do with singing again. So people would probably wane at it like they have with Idol.
I can see Ten’s year like this: Start off ok, strengthen with MC then slip again until the Comm Games are on for 2 weeks then slip by the wayside again. TEN need more than just what they have. Its time to target the older audiences as well now. Otherwise you are going to fall in a heap. The problem with TEN is they lack good content across the board. They have NCIS, Generation, Glee, Loser, SVU, MasterChef and House but the rest really isnt that crash hot. Rove is no more and that stupid 7pm Project needs to be shown the door. We will wait and see but i see Seven taking the year from Nine maybe a closer 2nd and TEN third. Things wont change much in 2010.
If this is true, it’s the best news in a long time! Why flog a dead horse?
Great news that this tripe has been given the axe. One of Ten’s best moves in a long time
thank god for that. to many hillsong rejects have been on this show and that’s what 10 and the producers look for in the talent wise. the show is terrible and it’s not even close to being anything like the american version.. they should axe it all together
x factor won’t work., well it certainly didn’t work last time and all it will be is a sad spinn off of idol
Probably a good decision.
Given the level of public enthusiam for the show in 09 there is really not that much of a hole in the schedule. It was only on for 2 hours a week. Big Brother left a much larger hole and was very successfully filled. With the MasterChef period for promotion whatever they choose to put there could be very successfully if it is original.
It was a serious mistake to fire Kyle. The show was dead boring without him.
As an avid Idol/X Factor fan Im really not surprised nor bothered at this decision. Last season was a real let down, I would be quite happy for them to fast track X Factor from the UK on the Sun/Mon night. It would save me from downloading it.
Could they bring back It’s a Knockout in the Sunday night slot. It would be great to bring it back as maybe a family event where families from each state competes against each other.
Another show that would be great to bring on Oz TV would be The Friday/Sunday night project. Its a show similar in vain to Rove however each week is a different guest host, so one week you might have Delta Goodrem, the next Dicko, followed by Kate Ritchie etc and they have two regular comedy side kicks that keep the show moving.
Sunday Night
7.30: Its a Knockout
9.30: The Sunday Night Project (renamed, as a little to similar to 7pm project)
No, TEN wasn’t reviewing YTT. It was an inteview with Johnny Young who was pushing for it and I heard he has since corrected some of the finer points.
It’s safe to bet TEN hasn’t made this decision without a Plan B already underway. Wonder if Shaun Micallef configures anywhere in this…..
I’m starting to wonder whether the same thing might happen to So You Think You Can Dance in the next couple of years. It suffers from the same problems as Idol, in that it’s basically exactly the same thing served up week after week, year after year, and that despite the extremely high-quality promotion it’s not really very interesting to watch. I suspect people will get bored of it sooner rather than later.
I think that as its reality formats begin to die off, Ten will have to realise that it is a big risk to build so much of its schedule around a few franchises. The good thing about this strategy is that it creates a consistency and reliability in its schedule that is completely missing from Seven and Nine, but it leaves them extremely vulnerable when fickle audiences suddenly decide they’re not interested in the shows anymore.
Fantastic news – give it a rest, if they must – re vamp it & bring it back, new judges, new look, new feel.
If 10 have a “hole” late in the year – why don’t they fast track X Factor UK, with the time difference they could play it on Sun & Mon nights.
Even though AGT is confirmed as back, Im not sure about the judges.
If 7 do AGT second half of the year, Dannii normally does X Factor from May or June & from Oct – Dec – though they may squeeze it in in between the auditions being filmed & the live shows airing in the UK!