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Seven denies Johns under pressure

Channel Seven has denied a report that suggests Matthew Johns is under-prepared for his debut on The Matty Johns Show next week.

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Channel Seven has denied a report in today’s Daily Telegraph that suggests Matthew Johns is under-prepared for his debut on The Matty Johns Show next week.

With its mix of NRL coverage and comedy characters, Johns is under pressure to deliver comedy characters as larrakin as Paul Hogan once did in the 1970s.

“He isn’t Hoges, he’s a very nice bloke, but a bloke who none-the-less isn’t a comedy writer and has the weight of the program riding on his shoulders,” one production source told the newspaper. “We are spending a lot of time waiting for inspiration to come and frankly, it’s taking it’s time.”

But a Seven Sport source also told the newspaper the claims were rubbish.

“Johns is surrounded by an A team of writers and producers. They spend all day cracking each other up,” the source said yesterday.

The Matty Johns Show will also feature former Bronco Shane Webcke, and goes to air at 7:30pm Thursday March 25 in Sydney and Brisbane (it airs later in other cities). Unlike Nine’s long-running Footy Shows, of which Johns was once a regular, it won’t be live in its first outing.

Seven’s press release notes Johns will be performing as gardening guru Don Kirk, explorer Alby Sandals and 10-year-old Steven the Big Kid. It even suggests “there’s plenty of opportunity for Johns to let loose with his cheeky humour and incredible wit.”

Source: Daily Telegraph

23 Responses

  1. @philm.
    with this new league show, all you have to do is look at the ridiculas promos 7 have put forward for it to see it will not be success

    1 season doesn’t make a show great. in a months time when the new series starts for mkr. everyone will stop watching the rubbish it provides

  3. reading everyones comments I feel like I am having a flashback to when My Kitchen Rules was announced. So naturlaly.. this will be a massive success.

    I for one will tune in for curosity in the first episode. Have low expectations though.

  4. i like matty johns and hope he does well, and i hope everyone gives the show a chance, and judge the show after watching it and not before. there is no doubt matty johns is under pressure.
    at the end of the year, he will either a shining light of australian tv or back commentating about rugby league. i hope he is a shining light.

  6. This show is doomed.
    The Footy Show schtick is well passed it used by date.
    They’ve got it all wrong Singo,Leckie and Matty Johns advisors…..To many long lunches with Singo Leckie and Fordham slapping each others backs full of bluster and bullsh*t.
    The show has limited appeal courtesy of NSW/QLD being NRL states and it’s poorly programmed up against “mainstay’s”.
    I like Matty Johns he was man enough to face some of his pious accusers and took responsibility for his actions.
    The Seven Network will not be a healthy career choice for Matty Johns.

  7. I searched google to try and figure out who Alby Sandals ever was/is? and all I got was articles about this show from Australian media?
    Cutting edge comedy right?

  8. I like Matt Johns…but he really was only a one “trick pony” very schoolboy stuff on the footy show. Not sure he could hold a whole show together.

    I think 7 will perservere..even when the ratings start diving, as they are very keen to get the NRL back to 7!

    Might even get more people watching the footy show!!

  9. @ kev – probably not but 7s audience is all over 50s anyway so they would get the reference.

    Don Kirk oh my this will be cringeworthy tv at it’s best. I might just tune in to see how bad it is!

  11. Don Kirk? Alby Sandals? Wow, looks like we are gonna be in for an evening of up-to-the-minute cutting edge comedy here. Would anyone under 40 (or maybe even 50) get the “Alby Sandals” reference?

  13. it looks like a terrible show and it doesn’t surprise me, they are just trying to copy 9 and the footy show. all it will be is matty johns parading around as his unfunny characters. this show will be gone in a month

  14. It looks like a car crash. Women will send Seven a message – and suggest the rest of the family give it a miss. Matthew Johns does not fit with the family branding of Seven and that’s that. No amount of comedy writers and funny hats can change this.

  15. This wouldn’t be part of a plan to lower expectations would it? Everybody starts to get the idea that Matty Johns is at the end of his rope, things aren’t looking good, no work is getting done, inspiration isn’t there so when the show finally arrives and it’s ‘only okay’ we enjoy it more because at least Matthew Johns didn’t break down in tears on national television like we were all expecting.

  16. Who ever talked him into going to seven will be regretting this move…i will give it 6 weeks…then he will realise he should have done the Sunday roast and commentary on 9…or even better gone over to FOX to do pay TV commenatary…Reg Reagan was only just passable, and even that is pollitcally a no go area now…. mind you Footy show isnt much better…and for the record I love my footy, Go the doggies

  17. This “show” is just a suck-up to the NRL by Seven in their attempt to get NRL away from Nine when it comes up. If they don’t cancel it all together after a very short time they’ll shift it to 10:30 or to 7TWO. It’s up against “Getaway” which consistently comes in @ #1 @ 7:30.

  19. The first episode will rate its head off due to the curiousity factor of seeing Johns back on TV after his very humiliating and public fall from grace. After that, I’m not so sure. From the trailers I’ve seen, it is definitely reminiscent of the old Paul Hogan Show. Matt is a good performer and has a naturally likeable screen presence, but he needs to be backed up by very strong comedy/skit writers, and Seven does not have a good record for skit comedy programs of late.

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