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.
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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.
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- Tagged with 4 Quarters, AFL, AFL Game Day, Live and Kicking, NRL, The Bounce, The Matty Johns Show
60 Responses
The white room, the bounce, you may be right, can channel seven give up on this family friendly fools errand. Not too mention the pilots that haven’t even made it to air, like variety shows hosted by Larry Emdur, Grant Denyer and Andrew O’Keeffe, along with the rip off of 20-1 that they spent three months developing, and then canned. They have pi**ed millions away and have nothing to show for it. Instead of trying to revive the corpses of old ideas, and stealing ideas off other stations, why not just try making a good show, which people want to watch…
What do you call Rafters?
It constantly amazes me that shows targeting ‘AFL cities’ completely ignore those cities and wonder why no-one watches. There are $3m ish people in Adelaide & Perth – go back to the tape and count how many times the words ‘Adelaide, West Coast, Fremantle or Port are mentioned’. Wake up 7. Oh and it doesnt help that Hellier isnt funny – but that never stopped Rove.
Don’t axe the show, axe Hellier. He is as funny as a heart attack, send him back to channel 10
Isn’t Glee on after Masterchef now on Thursdays? That’ll probably be the death of Matty Johns Show within a month as well.
Something more modern?
How about something more modern @ 5pm weekdays after year after year of M.A.S.H.
If the Vicar of Dibley is not modern then M.A.S.H is ancient!
i noticed they haven’t yet announced what will takes it’s place, maybe ghost whisper?
Have never watched Bounce and certainly will never watch Vicar of Dibly. How to lose viewers.
But why replace it with the vicar of dibley surely there would be something more modern that would be suited at that timeslot?
never watched it as i think Helliar is a bore, i also hope the next so called comedian to get the bounce is that fool dave hughes
Hardly a shock at all it’s been axed (or ‘on hiatus’).
Why do TV networks assume that comedians automatically make good hosts??
Yes I know several have made great careers from hosting – but not every comedian can adequately front a nationally syndicated show.
Just because they’re funny elsewhere doesn’t mean they’ll be just the same somewhere else – Hellier seemed out of his depth and the ratings responded in kind.
There are too many football shows on TV now anyway – why add another to the list??
I knew it. There are too many footy shows on already and thursday being a crappy night of tv viewing. Ch 7 shot themselves in the foot.
Peter Hellier is not a good host. I like Richo but he’s too dull for this type of show. And some of the segments were just stupid, unfunny and pointless. Hope Matty Johns show stays though.
Seven, bring back Talking Footy. Have a panel of footy experts going through the game and stories of the week. Footy Classified is my favourite, i’d rather that type of program. Before The Game gives me my light hearted moments.
7.30pm on Channel 7. Did it really stand a chance?
Please don’t bring it back!!!
Well played Woody… I too wanted to enjoy the show with my whole family, and then go to the website to check the teams, and then go back to working at the bounce the next morning.
Seven are just too P##ss weak to admit it has been axed…….
I wonder when programming for 2010 will actually start at Seven. Tim Worner – what are you waiting for – NIne to win the year again? Whose idea was it to make a family friendly footy show? Here’s the pitch – A footy show that is soft and cosy and comfortable and wont offend anybody. All of which is death to comedy. It probably needed a point of view and some edge – but I wouldn’t know – not my genre. Maybe making everything in house means death by committee? I find Seven drama equally soft and pointless.
We read it here first (via the Daily Telegraph), from your site on Friday 23 April, and I quote ….
“If Seven is to act on The Bounce it couldn’t have asked for a better distraction than the NRL media storm and a long weekend”
Actually Terry, that line was entirely mine.
Never watched the show, but Peter Hellier is one of the most unfunny funny men on television, so no wonder it died a painful death.
Perhaps they should have dug up PeteSpace for the show, that would have got people watching…
the vicar of dibley, thats the best they can do?
channel 7 insists on making viewers wait until late to see some comedy/entertainment
can’t we see the amazing race or how i met your mother at 7:30pm??
i guess i’ll be falling asleep on the couch during these two Again!
Thank goodness Channel Seven didn’t have The 7PM project.
what’s the point? clearly the show isnt coming back and if it does why would viewers who didn’t watch it begin then?
i liked the show and i knew many people that did. in fact all the big AFL fans (and there are plenty) watched it. everyone agreed it was a good show but the pace needed to be slowed. they tried to back to much into an hour. it was segment after segment, it just got crazy and while i dont want to argue the ratings system, i do feel that this is one show let down by the system more than the viewers.
Is it just me or are other readers tired of the absolute spin these PR departments crap on about in these releases. If you read the quotes from the Seven reps it is just such blatant trash talk and of little reality to the situation.
The show was crap, it rated like lead, end of story. Stop the spin!
“Worner told TV Tonight the show would return at a time when there would be a lot more interest in AFL”…..I almost fell out of my chair when I read this from Worner!!
In which universe is Peter Helliar funny? He’s a hopeless comic, absolutely terrible, but somehow he seems to survive axing after axing.