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
- on
- 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
will it be back next year???
@Patrick you’re here constantly saying if they fans don’t watch it, then it deserves to go yet I’ve said before that I am a fan…. I am watching it yet I don’t have a ratings box, so whatever shows I watch do not count at all. It would be the same for many others.
@Brad.. great news on the Saturday news. I’ll try to hunt down a podcast of it to hear it for myself.
I was hoping to see it get a run without MasterChef on the Wednesdays but that would mean Hey Hey would have had to continue to August.. but it is pausing before then.
So I wonder when it does return if it will come back on it’s proper home of Saturdays (which shouldn’t be too hard… there’s nothing much on Saturdays apart from movies) or just back on during the week again. I hope for Saturdays as weeknights are just too busy.
It just makes sense to return it to Saturday nites…. if it has to return at all.
Daryl Somers was on Melbourne radio this morning and virtually confrmed that the show will be moving to Saturday afrer the Commonwealth Games
It will need some serious changes when – if, let’s face it a big if – it returns. The diehards are all very well, they they aren’t enough to get it across the line. It’s time for new segments, much much shorter segments (I rarely make it through one without flicking the channel as it stands), new jokes and new faces.
I believe this is a conspiracy from Channel 9 just to kill off Hey Hey once and for all. Ratings are bad on a Wednesday and won’t give them the Saturday timeslot incase it goes for another 28 years. Long live Hey Hey!
Hi,
I really think that Hey Hey would do better if they moved the show to a Saturday!!!! Thats when the whole family wants to sit down and watch some family entertainment. Not on a Wednesday. The show should then be called Hey Hey it’s wednesday!
The brand is dead, sorry they were mad to go up against Masterchef, and Daryl is just labored, they need to be hitting home runs every week and they are barely scratching the surface.
We need variety but this isn’t it.
Should’ve gotten PJ Lane and Matt Newton as a double act and see if it flew….
Move HeyHey to 9:30pm Wednesdays, with the view to a 10:30pm late night 4 or 5 night a week show, or move it to Saturdays again.
“Talk that the show should return to Saturdays continues….” Yes please put Hey Hey back on Saturdays, as it always was . . . Hey! Hey! It’s Wednesday just does not work!!! Can’t wait for the Kylie episode . . .
Put it on Saturday night’s and they’ll watch it. Nothing will compete against MasterChef, it’s an unfair advantage.
A bomb is a bomb, and the reincarnated HHIS is one of megaton proportions. Its ratings outside of Melbourne are appalling. Its day has been and gone, it is just too hokey to succeed now, except as filler on a Saturday night. It won’t be back in a weeknight prime-time spot, I think that is pretty obvious.
So they’re going to take it off just as MasterChef finishes, then put it back on again when Junior MasterChef starts up? Crazy! They really should trial a Saturday night run for the back 7 episodes.
Yeah those wednesday night figures are ugly. It’s a good saturday night family show, just bite the bullet 9 and put it back on saturday night where it belongs.
The ratings for the show have been appalling. How Ch 9 can justify having such a hugely budgeted show on with terrible ratings is beyond me.
It’s doomed to never return and the fans who claimed to have supported it should take a hard look at themselves as to why when the show really needed them the most, they deserted it in droves.
It’s all very well for them to defend the show and accuse people of sledging it, but if they themselves don’t watch it why should others??
well, i am disappointed, but the people have spoken with their viewing habits and execs are reacting to the bottom line. I still think there is a place for Hey Hey, and still think they can attract a sizeable audience with event specials, six or eight specials through the year, rather than the 2 hours a week. Themed programs and big guests, heavy promotion and publicity, and schedule another big gun program on the weeks Hey Hey is not on air. (state of origin, or a mini series, movie trilogy…) A novelty factor needs to be an ingredient – lacking in the rundown this year. Nostalgia can work, but not inertia and laziness.
It should be put on Saturdays and run for 40 weeks of the year which is what people have wanted since day one. If Channel Nine dares take it off air then they can expect a big backlash against the whole network.
I stopped watching. The 2 eps last year were great. 2 eps this year would have been great too as specials. Its just boring week in week out!
Return it to Saturday nights.
I would love to see this cancelled completely as much as anyone, but I think somebody needs to have a serious think about putting it back on Saturday nights.
What everybody seems to have forgotten is that Hey Hey is a show you can tune in and out of. Imagine if Sunrise went off the air for ten years, they brought it back because somebody really missed Kochie & Mel’s antics, but instead of putting it on in the morning when people can tune in and out like they used to, they put it on in primetime on Wednesday nights when people have other things to watch.
I wouldn’t be surprised if when Hey Hey returns it’s to Saturday night or like I suggested a re-run on GO! on that night.
That said I’d be surprised if the Kylie special doesn’t pull more than 1 million viewers, maybe 1.2.
it’s easy, if they want Hey Hey to be a ratings hit they need to bring it home to Saturdays.
Chck chck Boom!
Look its sad if it was to go but when it finished in 1999 it was the right decision.It was tired & repetitive.Unfortuanetly it has gone the same way again very quickly.I say stop the childish banter between Daryl & the band.Livinia’s job is what exactly?Sitting at a desk with a pc is not riveting tv.More live music,stand up,even more of Russell’s skits.Something a little more fast paced.I know people bag the show & Daryl in particular,but i enjoy both.I enjoy variety tv.There is more than enough drama & reality.Variety is needed & with some fine tuning it could have a life yet.I really don’t get the people that get on these sites & bag things,i mean if you don’t like it…move on…watch 2 and a half men repeats for the 20th time.
Paint it any which way but this show is a failure. This just goes to show that networks should start taking risks on new original shows and not just dredge up old stuff.