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Daryl: “No news yet on next year”

As the clock ticks down to the last-ever Hey Hey at Nine's Bendigo Street studios, Daryl Somers says there is no word yet on 2011.

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As the clock ticks down to the last-ever Hey Hey it’s Saturday at Nine’s Bendigo Street studios this weekend, Daryl Somers says there is no word yet on a return for the show in 2011.

Earlier today Somers tweeted the following:

“Building up for a huge final Hey Hey this Saturday out of the GTV9 studios Richmond.”

“Mixed emotions at this point, no time to be sad at this stage it’s all go go go – and I don’t mean the digital channel.”

But was this hinting at darker news for the show?

Three hours later, he clarified: “Ok we have no news yet on next year. It is just the last Hey Hey in Studio 9 in Richmond.”

Indeed it will end an impressive run of live shows by Somers and co. which began in 1971, before ending in 1999. Kudos also to many crew who have been with show for a generation.

If the show returns next year, and that is no guarantee, it would be produced at Dockland Studios, presumably having to tighten the reins on expenditure. Figures outside Melbourne have been sliding.

Nine’s 2011 Programme Launch to media buyers takes place in a week. If Hey Hey is not announced to return, any potential absence could upstage the new shows that will be showcased for 2011.

If the news for Hey Hey is bad, Nine may seek to clarify its position in a window period after the final episode and its 2011 launch.

Whichever way the penny falls in this cut-throat biz, it’s bound to be a sentimental episode this Saturday, ahead of the GTV9 party Lights, Camera, Party: Television City Celebrates!

38 Responses

  2. I quite enjoyed Hey Hey growing up, and I’ve been enjoying watching Hey Hey as an adult. I think if Nine do decide not to renew the show for next year, they’d be unfairly depriving viewers a chance to say “goodbye” (again!) this saturday night.

  3. Would like Hey Hey to return.. or some sort of spin off. I really do wish for more live entertainment on screen. Not just reality tv, and quiz shows.

    I’ve watched every episode of Hey Hey since it has been back, and it has been so great to see, but I do agree with what Eman said as well. I would love to see others host it at times. Daryl doesn’t need to be there all the time. I really did enjoy the times they had Lano & Woodley host it. They were some great shows. I also recall the times Richard Stubbs and Larry Emdur hosted as well, but my faves were Lano & Woodley. So whilst not exactly the same thing, it would be good if like SNL in the US, they could have different hosts at times.

  5. that’s the problem with ch9… noone knows how to invent, only re-hash! same old, same old – give it a break (for good please)

    and in breaking news, ch9’s top line up for 2011 will be sale of the century, the flying doctors, and burgo’s catchphrase 🙂

  6. “Nostalgia is a file that removes the rough edges from the good old days” Doug Larson.
    This is one of those shows that really wasn’t as good as anyone remembers and they prove it again every week.
    Somers is now and has always been an inept host. He never knows whats going on, visibly refers to sheet of paper on the desk or in his hand, doesn’t know when to stop trying to make jokes when he is surrounded by people a million times funnier than he is and he constantly loses control of the job of actually hosting. He is about as witty as roadkill and possibly the worst interviewer ever.
    HHIS has had more than its rightful day, how about some new Aussie comedy content for a change? Is there a network exec out there who can say “Sit-com”?

    1. Daryl may not be everyone’s cuppa tea, but that’s pretty harsh. He’s never put himself across as a comedian, only being himself, or at least a television extension of himself. To have upheld a show for over 25 years deserves due acknowledgment. Hey Hey’s charm has always been that it deconstructs TV while pedalling on air, with little more than a running sheet. Few shows in the world would dare to try that. It may not be the magnet it once was but that’s no reason to rewrite history.

  7. Mixed emotions he was talking about the emotions of the end of the Richmond studios where Hey Hey It’s Saturday was born. It had nothing to do with Hey Hey returning in 2011 or not. Regardless if the show returns next year or not it will be sad, the studio’s that Hey Hey was born in is coming to an end early in 2011. Unsure when the last recording of any show is taking place there but it’s the last for Hey Hey but this does not mean the end to the show! This could infact re-born it.

    As for expendure at the new Docklands Studio if Hey Hey returns is a bit premature. From what I have been told by an offical at GTV9 is that Docklands Studios may not be where Hey Hey and such like Million Dollar Hot Seat etc will be taped. They may be taped elsewhere in studios close by. As the tapings of these types of shows require more studio room then the shows that do not have an audience. So saying expendure is restricted is a bit of a rumour more then anything else.

    If Hey Hey returns in 2011 the same, if not more, money will be spent of the show then already. It’s crazy to say if the show returns in 2011 a expendure will be cut. If this is the case the show simply will not return, if they cut it they won’t get the viewers to back it up! Simple! Spend money to make money.

    A recent poll on TVTonight showed Hey Hey It’s Saturday the most prefered show to return in 2011. Won hands down! People are sick of reality crap shows! They want real Australian Comedy back on our screens.

  8. Love Hey Hey!! It’s great to chill out on a Saturday with Daryl and the gang. Why so much hate for TV shows on this site? If you don’t like something, use the remote!!

    The ads for Hey Hey say it’s Season Final or 2010 Finale – so it’s definitely coming back next year…Woohoo!!

  9. There is nothing wrong with Daryl’s ego, he is the Only person who could Ever host Hey Hey it’s Saturday. He does a brilliant job, one of the best personalities on TV today. I do hope it is renewed for 2011. I’d like to see it come back weekly, but perhaps if it was a monthly thing, then they would only require 12 episodes a year, saves a bit on cost, and also energy for the cast. It also gives them a month to think of ideas for the next show.

    I think it’s current format is working. To average 600k-800k over 2 hours is pretty hard to do. Earlier in the season, it was peaking 1.5mil, I haven’t seen the last few shows figures peak however.

    Hey Hey still has big sponsors like Jetstar, John West, MyFun etc who are willing to sponsor the show, and during ad breaks, the “larger” companies are still willing to advertise during Hey Hey. This seems to me that they have better information on audience numbers. Another big plus is the support from Melbourne. If you put Hey Hey against anything else, usually Melbourne will come out on top, which is a big market.

    I think the show can work in 2011, and I sincerely hope that Daryl and the gang return for another fun filled year. Yes there will always be Hey Hey baggers, just don’t watch it, it’s not my fault you don’t know quality entertainment. Just one question if anyone can answer…Why hasn’t John Farnham been on the show? He was always hilarious in previous years.

  12. Hey hey for the win. Better than that fail of a new tonight show by a certain ex cricketer ugh!
    What other avenue do local and overseas artists have. and if it wasn’t for red faces alot of artists wouldn’t have had their start!
    Come on nine we need hey hey. what else is there on nine besides american reruns. I can recite lines of two and a half men they are shown soo much. not to mention the nanny, i dream of jeanne. bewitched ugh!
    Please Nine do us a favour and keep Hey Hey as it is and where it is on Saturday nights where it belongs!

  13. A lot of my friends only watch Hey Hey and don’t watch anything else or even TV for that matter. For me this has been a breath of fresh air as the last few years of TV have not been eventful to me. Other than Hey Hey, sport and News is all i watch and everything else is youtube series, DVDs and the cinema. Hey Hey also has a large online following on Facebook and all those supporters will go mad if its axed again. If Nine do bring it back next year it should be monthly specials or a few specials a year so the budget can be used to bring bigger people on. Back in the 90s, Big stars would always be in but with production costs being more expensive, it hasn’t helped this time around.
    And my last point in this rant is celebrity hosts. There was an episode in 1996 with Lano and Woodley that i saw on youtube and it was one of my favourite Hey Hey moments because it was out of the norm. Think what you will of Darryl but he should try other people from time to time

  15. They gave it a good second chance, and I’m sure many of us wanted it to work again, but it’s just outdated. There is a void for variety television, but it requires something not as obnoxious as Rove, or outdated as HHIS. The Americans and British seem to do it so well, when shows like Graham Norton or David Letterman can still be broadcast here and received well, but you wouldn’t dare export something like HHIS anywhere else.

  17. XFactor didn’t rate well but Seven have a 2 year license deal and the sets already so may as well go on to produce a second season but if no improvements it should go (I hate that type of programming)

    Hey Hey is shocking but if Nine can renegotiate a low fee (which if Darryl is as in love with Hey Hey as he says, less $$$$ shouldn’t be an issue) it would make for some semi decent programming on a Saturday night.

  19. 679,000 viewers for last Saturday. If a major American TV series gets axed or bumped from prime-time because of numbers like that I can’t see a more expensive and locally produced show like Hey Hey being renewed for next year.

    While I think it’s nice that it came back after being dropped back in ’99 this should probably be it’s last. Better ending off on a high than being dropped again in the future.

  20. It won’t be back. I loved Hey Hey back when it was a good show in the day – but now it’s just pretty terrible and over used. Personally I hope it doesn’t get back but Nine still may surprise us and bring it back.

  22. seeings as there are people that think X factor won’t be renewed, i can’t see how anyone would think this will be renewed. it gets half the audience and costs about the same.

    i see Wall-E is getting a lot of promotion this week on 7. If Ratatouille got almost 1.3 this time last year i think the final heyhey can set their sights at half of that.

    i don’t think the idea of saturday variety show is dead, but heyhey with daryll is.

  23. Hey Hey to me is like a really old comfy pair of shoes. You don’t want to throw them out, you have an attachment to them, they have provided lots of years of support and good memories. I don’t want it to be axed, but i am philosophical about the landscape right now. Hey Hey is emblematic of a conservative industry that wants rewards, but not willing to be courageous and risky in terms of concepts and chances.

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