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Matty Johns Show in programming limbo

Seven wants to bump Matty Johns to a later slot, but his team is refusing to budge.

The Matty Johns Show is hanging in the balance after Johns and his team rejected a proposal from Seven to air the show in a 10:30pm Thursday timeslot this year.

The Daily Telegraph reports both sides have failed to arrive at an outcome for the NRL show’s future this year.

Business partner John Singleton has been a co-producer of the venture with Johns. Together with manager Glenn Wheatley they have a 2 year contract which stipulates the show must air between 7 and 10pm.

“They’re talking to Seven at the moment. Singo said to me to stay out of it,” said Johns.

“Whatever happens, I’ll be guided by Singo’s advice.”

While ratings for the show held for 2010 Seven has been keen to explore other programming options, compounded by the loss of The Bounce in AFL markets.

Last year Seven CEO David Leckie was singing the praises of recruiting Johns to the network, But if an outcome cannot be reached he may yet sit out the year on a full salary.

Hints that Seven wanted to move the show emerged in December.

Seven Programmer Tim Worner recently told TV Tonight the show’s budget precluded it from airing on 7mate.

He also would not rule an AFL style show in or out.

Last week Seven launched a new Thursday night line up including Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives and Private Practice.

Source: Daily Telegraph

40 Responses

  1. The problem with this show and the footy show is it only appeals to only a small audience so it should be known it won’t attract big ratings. Most people are over grade three humor levels they won’t smart informative humor like Spicks and specks or gruen transfer An nrl or afl show in this Style might work better. Also after watching NFL superbowl they have women reporting on it about time nrl adding some females to the mix afl have now it’s nrl to do the same

  2. “dee123 says:
    February 8, 2011 at 11:09 am
    Didn’t this rate better than the woeful NRL footy show on 9?”

    I’m not a fan of either show, but you can’t really compare 7.30 and 9.30 timeslots…

  3. Reading the DT article it seems it’s gone because of the failure of The Bounce.

    Didn’t mind the show and it beat Getaway most weeks too so it didn’t rate poorly as some claim.

  4. Logic and ethics are devoid from TV executives repertoires especially those at Seven,sport and sporting related programmes are watched and supported by a different breed of cattle,myself being one.
    Sporting shows sometimes take a little warming to and need time to attract audiences,something Seven and Nine do not understand,only reason the Footy show is still there is because cross promotion as the National broadcaster.
    Nines AFL show is a staple in Victoria to a more fanatical Genre even though they are no longer the broadcaster,having a non broadcaster in Sydney handling an NRL show was always going to be difficult.
    Sevens handling of the Tennis in Queensland was deplorable and the treatment of the Bathurst coverage was inexcusable.
    Unfortunately dollars talk and Seven seem to have them,the Johns show obviously wasn’t generating enough and as such becomes redundant perhaps a general cross code Footy show with Johns and a Former AFL celebrity would work if done correctly.
    I have always thought this type of show would generate a lot of interest and light hearted cross code rivalry would make a great platform.

  5. i think it’d be worse to stay and then see dismal ratings in comparison to the other top rating american shows that hold the thursday slot.

    give it up matt, your show sucks.

  6. I think make it less NRL based and more of a general mens magazine show so that it can be aired in all states that would probably get it the same audience as it would get at 10:30.

    I don’t know why they’d have to repeat it at 10:30 on the main channel.

  7. It doesn’t really bother me when they put it on, because i’ll prob get it at 12.30am anyway. I actually liked Matty Johns Show. But with no AFL version it is hard to program a show to fit a schedule for 2 states only.

  8. As much as I hate this show and have never watched more than 2 seconds of it – Seems ‘Brad’ has the right idea – “run it at 7:30 on 7mate, repeat it at 10:30 on 7main”

    Unless the contract specifically says it must premiere on the 7 Main channel this is completely a way out of it for 7.

  9. it’s a terrible show and just a lot of the same rubbish matty did on the footy show ahn doh should be ashamed to have to do some the rubbish on the show as well. you have your to lift your game 7 if you want the nrl rights

  10. Seven should have expected this when it planned the Thursday line-up. That’s probably why it is showing double episodes of How I Met Your Mother every week.

  11. Here’s an idea.. run it at 7:30 on 7mate, repeat it at 10:30 on 7main… that would cover contract issues, but stretch the budget across 2 platforms…

  12. Perhaps the producers should be looking at making it watchable rather than waving around their contract insisting that Seven have to show whatever crap they create.

  13. Seven should not mess with their Thursday’s it will finally bring them back to have a good lineup in Thursday’s!
    Unless Matty Johns moves to Daturdays he us either going to have to shift to 1030 or not air at all!

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