Live from Planet Earth slips to 384,000
Curiosity over the comedy backlash wasn't enough to lift Ben Elton last night, while Neighbours is now outrating George Negus on TEN.
- Published by David Knox
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There were more problems for Nine on Tuesday night as Ben Elton Live from Planet Earth took another hit, dropping to a flat 384,000. Curiosity at all the backlash wasn’t enough to see the show lift from its 455,000 figure last week.
The show was soundly defeated by Parenthood on 729,000 and Lie to Me on 741,000. Elton wasn’t shying away from the criticism last night, pointedly referring to the claims the show had been too rude and constantly taking potshots at Twitter, which returned fire throughout the night.
Tuesday night went all Seven’s way, winning from 6pm right through to late night.
Packed to the Rafters was the night’s top show on 1.81m viewers, ahead of NCIS (1.13m) and Top Gear (792,000). Another strong night for My Kitchen Rules (1.43m) over Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation (850,000) and The Big Bang Theory (958,000) plus Top Gear.
On TEN 6PM with George Negus (366,000) is now lower than Neighbours on ELEVEN (383,000), although its late night replay lifted from Monday, now at 302,000. There are worse problems for the 6:30 TEN Evening News (316,000).
On ABC1 Qi was 564,000, Foreign Correspondent 537,000 and Life At 5 461,000.
The Future Of Food on SBS ONE pulled 215,000.
Seven Network won the night, a long way ahead of the competition.
82 Responses
I’ve watched it again, and I think there are two problems.
Elton himself is onscreen for far too much time overall, and because he is the writer, there isn’t enough variety in the comedy, it’s all too samey.
I switched off after the Gillard sketch.
I guess all the good writers are either working for ABC or have gone to the US
Australian sketch shows on commercial networks just don’t seem to cut it. Sorry!
I tried, i really did, but that was painful.
I also found the Gillard impersonation funny but the show was crap… I’m with all the others who say bring back Hey Hey!!! Until that’s done Channel Nine you are gone and off the dial!!!
I don’t really understand Twitter or want to get involved, Ben Elton had some really good points about something like Hamlet would have never been successful if Twitter was around, but he didn’t have to keep going on about it all night
His standup is kinda boring and the skits are terrible
Put Hey Hey back on !!!!
Ratings for Week Seven sees ‘Live From Planet Earth’ placed #97. Yet, that hate-filled, xenophobic program, ‘Border Security’ gets #9.
Isn’t Australia a great country to live in?
Ben Eltons show – under 400.000
Hey Hey around 800,00
Says enough for me, bring back Hey Hey!
I thought it was an improvement, however, it was still very unfunny. The only thing that made me laugh was the Gillard impersonation. I don’t think I’ll bother watching it again, the humour is too mediocre, especially compared to something like QI which is on at the same time. Also, some of their audience must find anything funny, there were a couple of people who were insincerely laughing out loud throughout the whole show.
watched a few minutes of this crap while waiting for kitchen nightmares to come on and no wonder it is flopping surely with those ratings it wont be back next week
The show should be renamed Live From the Furthest Reaches of the Galaxy.
Before launching into LFPE I must say my TV highlight last night was the fleeting “You bastard” look that Malcolm Turnbull gave Negus when he switched up the interview and started asking about aprty untiy. Priceless.
So Mr Elton’s folly continues…week 2 was really pretty good. As previously mentioned the back announcing and unsubtle signposting eg “Just a little Satire ladies and gentlemen!” was grating. Our host also came across a bit like a guy who knows his girlfriend is considering dumping him so he’s trying every trick to keep her while fishing for her to just come out and say ‘You’re dropped’. So the breakdown:
Schoolgirls not in uniform anymore (we’re not Kylie Mole!) was ok but still no punchline.
Good Gillard impression spoilt bad incredibly awkward Geoffrey Rush punchline.
E’laine good but Kris Smith more manequin than model.
Girl flat still laboured
girl and rapper song had good energy and some nice lines but no punchline.
Fiona O’Louighlin – lovely
Tim Minchin – sublime
I really hope they don’t cancel yet as there really is potential there.
@Leo, you are a true evil genius. Personally I find the idea of HHIS returning to my screen as the nadir of human evolution, but I wish you the best in your quest for world domination.
I thought it was a tad better last night. Still can’t understand why Ben Elton defended the show against its smuittiness. He just doesn’t get it. It wasn’t the smut, it was the lack of any real laughs. Ben – go ahead and tell lots of smutty jokes, just make sure there funny smutty jokes!
I’m wondering when contract Ben Elton has with Nine since 4 shows were promised with 2 optional, maybe Nine have no choice but to take a ratings hit or pay out Ben if they don’t are all four?
@Lisa I’m a Big Bang and Top Gear fan.
its back next week.
According to a Yahoo report LFPE is back next week. Given this it might be worth placing a bet on those bookie odds that are tipping it to be axed, and cashing in.
Channel 9 is slowly disappearing down the plug hole, just like it’s programs. It has a few that it clings to in the hope they can raise the ratings for the rest.
Give up Channel 9, you killed your best shows stone dead (Burke’s backyard… remember that?) while killing off any start-ups that had a chance (list too long to cover adequately), while shovelling out any old rubbish Just Because You Thought You Could.
Ben Elton is (was?) beloved of the Yuppie set – until they get exposed to him for what is way too long a program. Now, they are slowly realising he’s a Has-been who really never-was.
Sure there’s a few rough gems in the program that could use some polishing – but let’s face it, that isn’t going to happen.
Hey Rob , how did you know!!!
The warn up guy for Rove is the ” head writer ” on Live from planet Earth.
Buggered if i know how he got the job!!!! lol
Head writer on LFPE is Ben Elton, and I am advised the sole writer. Kynan Barker who did Rove’s warm up for many years was from the writing team and has worked on many shows.
Why is big bang teamed with top gear anyway I would of thought that people who watched TBBT wouldn’t watch TG and seeing the numbers this would seem true maybe ch9 need a rethink
The Good:
2 Guest standups were great.
Gillard impersonation.
The new music performance (Singer and Rapper)
Some of Ben’s Gags were good, but he had a hint of desperation, he needed the laughs, and overworked his content.
The Bad:
Girl Flat – just lazy comedy.
Big Mining
Snobby Couple
Constant Twitter Bashing. – I’m not even on twitter, but talk about how to lose friends and alienate people!
Verdict:
With a good creative director, (Roving Enterprises perhaps) and a bit of refining, it could work. But I don’t think it will be given the opportunity. 2 strikes, and I don’t think they’ll let him have another swing.
It seems every time a new Survivor series is due, Nine put on a series that fails miserably after a couple of weeks and then Survivor gets slotted in. Looks like this time will be no different.
@steveany
The reason people are plugging Hey Hey is because there is an audience out there that wants it on. Daryl Somers has stated that is is cost that nine is concerned about, not ratings.
We Hey Hey supporters have made sure that nothing works on Nine until it is brought back. First Ben Elton, then Top Gear and all of Nine’s comedies down. Mark my words, everything on Nine will continue to flop until Daryl Somers and Hey Hey It’s Saturday is reinstated on television.
2 and a half hours of news is Way too much for anyone to handle. Ch 10 should bite the bullet and axe one of its news services – probably the 6.30 one.
I’m not much of a Ben Elton fan really – perhaps he should stick to a behind the scenes role than being a front-man.