No axe, but Hey Hey pauses early
Hey Hey will end its first block of episodes on July 21, shy of the August conclusion that was last confirmed. Rumours are running amok.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under News
Hey Hey it’s Saturday will end its first block of episodes on July 21st, the week that Kylie Minogue makes an appearance.
It is believed to be three weeks short of the run that was last confirmed as ending in August -however that was extended from its initial block of 10.
Some early News Limited reports claimed the show had been axed by Nine, but it will return with seven more episodes later in the year.
The show has struggled against the competition, especially MasterChef‘s powerful Wednesday challenges. Last week it was just 801,000. Even Funniest Home Videos pulled a bigger crowd on Saturday night -the destination many diehard fans want reinstated.
Outside of Melbourne the show has some real audience headaches, and it has come under fire by many media commentators for its hokey style. Some are suggesting it may not return at all.
But many fans are happy to see nostalgia relived. Hey Hey is now a show that divides the audience. Paying its way is the real challenge.
“Daryl and the Hey Hey team have done a terrific job with the show in a really competitive environment,” Michael Healy, Nine Network Programming Director said.
“We always planned for the season to be in two bursts at the beginning and end of the year and it is a great tribute to the team that they have secured Kylie Minogue, one of Australia’s most outstanding performers, to appear on the final show for the first half run.”
“Negotiations for an exclusive Kylie edition of the show started back in early March so we are thrilled it’s finally happening,” Daryl Somers said. “It’s a great way to finish our first season before we recess and plan for the second half.”
Talk that the show should return to Saturdays continues….
58 Responses
I am absolutely amazed that there is anyone who doesn’t like Hey Hey.
I was devastated when it was taken off and so have been delighted to see it come back.
It is compulsory viewing at our house and I wouldn’t care when it was on I would still watch it. It is funny, colourful, entertaining and just excellent viewing.
I say to those who apparently don’t like it, don’t watch!! Just go away and leave those of us who do enjoy it alone.
The only complaint I have is with the ‘musical’ acts they have on. For the most part any similarity between what they play and music is purely coincidental. So I just turn them down and then resuming viewing when they have finished.
Good on you Channel 9 – keep it coming!!
I don’t like how Hey hey will be disappearing now for a few months, put it on Saturdays and leave it there, all year long!
Best way to fix the ratings is get people to download the show that they want to watch, l think google going it with they Google TV
Its like MasterChef with Marion Grasby getting eliminated. People say they not going to watch the show anymore but they don’t know what you are watching anyway.
Hey Hey will pull in over a million on Wednesday because Kylie’s on, her new album will debut at number 1 this week and she’s home to promote the album and everytime i have heard her speak the past few weeks she has mentioned how exicted she is to be singing on Hey Hey. Hey Hey should be moved back to Saturdays, the sooner the better. I only hope that channel nine give it a chance on Saturday, it was never gunna pull in the numbers it did last year when it is shown every week, put it on Saturdays, get over a million like it used to when it last aired, at the moment Channel Nine should be happy with that.
My job brings me into contact, with a wide variety of people from both different social economic and educational backgrounds. And i think i know of two who watch MC. The majority watch HHIS, or what is on 7 two, go or abc. Who knows how oztam gets it’s figures. Maybe channel ten lucked out. Where most oz tam clients are MC fans.
So the number of people who they get ratings off are
“(Sydney 765, Melbourne 705, Brisbane 615, Adelaide 475 and Perth 475)”
I’m surprised it’s so few. As all “political polls ” using those numbers are usually way off the mark.
Hey Hey should go to 7.30pm Saturdays after Funniest Home Videos. A lot of weeks the ratings are so close it really all comes down to Saturdays and it would surely do much better than the movies they currently have on. With that double act they would easily win the night and with secure Saturdays go a long way in helping them win the week, all whilst keeping loyal fans of Nine and Hey Hey happy and content, rather than taking it off air and risking another major backlash against the network and alienating all the viewers who have recently returned to the network.
@ducko – I do hope to see the hosting job swapped around at times. When it was last on regularly I recall Lano & Woodley and Larry Emdur hosting at times, so I would think it fun to see someone else in the drivers seat again.
Also I’ve checked out the Oztam site before, they still don’t know what I or you are watching unless you have a ratings box.
@Lucy – there is no other show out there like Hey Hey at the moment, so I don’t know what the other ‘variety’ shows are. Quiz shows, perhaps you mean? The closest show to what Hey Hey provided in recent times has been what rove has done. His first version at 10 with ‘rove [live]’ was more closer to Hey Hey than when he changed it and renamed it ‘rove’ though. Neither show exists any longer though, and just for what rove provided as a service for local and international guests and artists to appear and perform, and now for Hey Hey is one reason I think their status is important.
@Daniel – there are people who do turn over after MC. Speaking from who I know personally, I know my mother is one who watches MasterChef and when that is finished then switches over for Hey Hey. I would imagine she isn’t the only one in the entire Australia, but I’m unsure how much that is represented in those with ratings boxes. I’d have to assume there would be at least a few in there considering they’re supposedly representing the TV viewing audience in Australia.