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The Bounce gets bounced until AFL Finals

Channel Seven has pulled The Bounce from its schedule, but vowed to return the show in time for AFL finals.

Channel Seven has pulled The Bounce from its schedule, but vowed to return the show in time for AFL finals.

The Peter Helliar-hosted show is to be reworked rather than axed by the network, and goes into a ‘production hiatus.’

Head of Programming and Production, Tim Worner said, “We set out to do something fresh and something different in terms of a family friendly football show.

“We knew going in, it was a tall order but wanted to give it our best shot,” he said.

“We can’t defend the ratings – they are perfectly clear. But there are some great things happening in the show that we love.

“Anecdotally – from players, clubs and viewers alike – there is a great deal of warmth for the show.

“That’s why we’ve decided to take some time to rethink some aspects of the show and bring it back during the Finals Series.”

On Thursday night the show was fourth in its timeslot in its AFL cities of Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide, pulling just 161,000, 73,000 and 62,000 respectively.

Worner told TV Tonight the show would return at a time when there would be a lot more interest in AFL and the competition would be less.

“We didn’t think it was going to be easy. We went into it knowing it was going to be a pretty difficult challenge, but we wanted to give it our best shot. We don’t think we’ve done that yet, the show’s still got legs, there’s no question.

“The ratings tell one story. But looking at the show, and from what people tell you about the show, there’s another story.”

Worner remains supportive of Helliar and envisages the show returning in its early evening timeslot.

“He’s put his heart and soul into that show. He’s bloody funny,” he said.

“It’s always been our ambition to come up with something that’s family friendly, as a point of difference. We want something that’s fun that everyone can watch. There are parts of that show that are incredibly good fun.”

Reviews for the show were middling while word of mouth was not positive. The show also took a blow when it lost 6 of its production crew in creative differences. Producer Rick McKenna told TV Tonight at the time that there were some differences over the “family friendly” vision of the show.

Seven launched The Bounce in a 7:30pm timeslot in AFL states while launching The Matty Johns Show in NRL states. This week The Matty Johns Show enjoyed a lift in its figures thanks to the NRL scandal involving Melbourne Storm.

“We want to thank Pete and the team who have put their heart and soul into the show,” said Worner.

The Bounce is one of several AFL shows the network has attempted following Live and Kicking and 4 Quarters. AFL Game Day continues on Sunday mornings.

AFL finals take place in September.

“We are looking forward to the next taxi ride to The Bounce -and we are hoping that ‘Colin Banks’ will not take off with the tipping money,” said Worner.

60 Responses

  1. A More Modern Alternative Would be How I met your Mother and Cougar Town to fill the hour and bring back Ghost Whisperer an hour later.

  2. help keep the bounce on 7, join this facebook group to try to keep the bounce from being axed!
    facebook.com/group.php?gid=113315895370784

    Love the bounce 🙂

  3. You said it @ian !
    Exclude 7 from the next rights deal, unless they are going to broadcast all games to all AFL states, Live. You’d also think their technicians, in 2010, could produce the 2 games they get, with HD picture and sound. What a disgrace they could not even do this for the ANZAC day game…

  4. Seven has no idea about football.
    They show footy replays from the 70’s and 80’s while live games are being played… they can’t show a game live, they bought the rights and clearly couldn’t afford them.
    They should be condemned for the ruination of AFL broadcasting….. At the next rights bid the AFL should have last rights to exclude Seven from bidding….
    Seven should stick with shows about gardens and crap talent quests… that’s about all they are good for…..

  5. What a disgrace the tv networks are, delayed telecasts of the AFL canning half decent shows and putting abdolute rubbish on instead, wake up fools!

  6. I’ll give you rafters but I’m pretty sure it falls under drama and not under light entertainment. Even so, you must admit that seven’s success ratio is not great for the last couple of years.

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