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Dear ABC, it’s time to act on My Place.

ABC3's scheduling of My Place has failed to connect with its audience, and management should find it a better home.

ABC3’s scheduling of My Place has failed to connect with its audience.

Two weeks ago the show pulled just 37,000 viewers for its second season premiere at 5pm on a Sunday afternoon, dwarfed by 176,000 watching Peppa Pig at the same time on ABC2.

The top rating ABC3 show that day was Total Drama Action on 85,000.

Last week My Place dropped to 28,000.

Yesterday it was 27,000 while 183,000 watched UK animation The Octonauts on ABC2 at the same time.

As a first-run Australian children’s drama, My Place deserves better programming from ABC than this. It’s a well-made and engaging series from producer Penny Chapman, with elaborate settings and attention to detail.

ABC’s Charter instructs that it should be delivering content to as many Australians as possible, but it’s now hard to argue that the programming of My Place is fulfilling that role.

At the very least ABC should find room on ABC1 to provide a “catch-up” slot for the series, pronto.

It’s not just about giving producers and writers a profile slot.

It’s about giving our kids better too.

28 Responses

  1. This is out of touch with what Kids really want to watch.What ABC 3 needs is a Saved By the Bell New Class when that was around and New 90210 kind of show to give the home grown soaps a run for their money and a good alternative to both.

    I remember the 80’s and 90’s kids offerings on the ABC very well.No period dramas and the offerings were a lot better than what today’s youth have.

  2. My Place is more like a TV series children are forced to watch a school, and not by choice. Generic stories set in earlier time periods, which are far too preachy and politically correct.

    The ABC already gives Australian TV series far too much priority, showing Australian TV series in many different timeslots over time. Along with frequently wasting money buying Australia TV series, previously shown by the commercial TV networks. Often supporting terrible series (i.e. Sally Bollywood, Sumo Mouse), with no care for quality content at all.

    The real problem with the ABC is the lack of new quality content for children, from overseas.

  3. I agree Madame Tango, my kids both like this show but we keep forgetting it’s on. I think it is on just too early, but too late and it would interfere with Merlin and The Wizard would win with my kids.

    I am sure the ABC will replay it ad nauseum though as they do with Dance Academy on ABC3 and we will get to see it several times.

    A real shame it’s not gathering an audience though and it is not out of touch with what kids want, even kids like quality TV.

  4. I just cannot believe how ABC have treated this amazing children’s program!!!! Nobody is watching because who watches ABC3??? Why nobody of course!!! Why produce wonderful programs if they get thrown on cable channels which nobody watches!!! Either give the show a decent slot on ABC1 else sell it to Channel 9!!! Channel 9 are so desperate for a good drama they would probably screen it on a Saturday night at 6.30pm…..(where it belongs!!!)

  5. My kids love this show – but we keep forgetting its on. This is the kind of show that they love to watch with their parents and family. It’s a family show and 5pm on a Sunday isn’t really a family friendly time. The show is brilliant and deserves a) more promoting and b) a time slot where kids can sit down with their family and watch it with them. It’s the sort of show that provokes them to ask questions and if there is no one there to answer them, then why watch? It’s a shame its being out-rated by what is essentially easy to watch (while your also on the computer with you friends) mindless drivel which seems to be repeated endlessly.

  6. My daughter is 8 and she absolutely loved it. I would recommend watching it with your kids because there is a lot to talk about. Understanding how kids lived in the past was great fun for her, she was fascinated by it all.

  7. @Andrew You are correct, it was placed in the 7:30pm slot on Sundays, it rated a terrible 200,000 viewers. When nature programs replaced My Place, the rating immediately doubled to 500,000.

    I am very sure that Nadia Wheatley must be very disappointed at the poor reception the TV series has gotten. Yet this program needed to be made. There are few children’s dramas that tell the story of Australians’ place in their land.

  8. When I was a kid, lo these four decades ago, I really didn’t like period children’s dramas. One look and I’d switch over. I can’t imagine that’s changed much; if anything it’s probably been reinforced as technology commands kids’ attention, and stories about people experiencing the lack of tech is not entertaining.

  9. It’s a very well made worthy drama that adults think kids should like but that kids obviously don’t. I don’t think it’s a matter of timeslot at all.

  10. “This show seems out of touch with the type of TV kids want. They want Cool cartoons and drama. Not. Period dramas”

    “On the other hand….don’t really know why the ABC commissioned a second series of 13eps when the first one did not generate much excitement or interest.”

    “Wasn’t My Place once given a prime time slot on ABC1 and nobody watched it still? As brilliant and well-produced as the show may be (I’ve never seen it) maybe the kids just don’t like it?”

    These comments pretty much explain the situation. I don’t doubt that My Place is as well produced and researched as you are always saying it is David, but the scheduling is most likely not to blame here.

  11. Yes, I agree with most comments, it is a very well done series that has a bit of an identity problem.

    I quite enjoy the show, and yet I am Very certain that I would not have liked it when I was 10.

    It’s not a kids show (despite starring kids), it’s just a quality (for an Australian budget) period drama.

  12. Wasn’t My Place once given a prime time slot on ABC1 and nobody watched it still? As brilliant and well-produced as the show may be (I’ve never seen it) maybe the kids just don’t like it?

  13. my 3 year old (soon to be 4) thinks peppa pig and octonauts are the duck’s nuts.
    perhaps there are more younger kids watching abc2, yeah?

    abc3 is full of crap, it’s a wasted channel. kids that age aren’t sitting on their butts watching TV. they’re playing sport, facebooking, or watching commercial tv.

  14. On the other hand….don’t really know why the ABC commissioned a second series of 13eps when the first one did not generate much excitement or interest. I wonder if ABC kids commissioning is out of touch with their audience? Sometimes department heads need renewal and new ideas. The renewal of this was just a little too convenient.

  15. Well said, and I definitely agree. I watched the first series, and knew somebody in it, and it was really well produced, written and directed.

  16. I watched the first show…forgot the second…and had visitors last Saturday….terrible time slot…..and ABC3 in not somewhere I normallly go…I am an older person….
    Thank you for standing up for this show, David…..
    I totally agree it should be on the main ABC channel….it is not just for kids!!!!

  17. @David, thank you for championing the cause of My Place. I think it’s criminal that such a brilliant show has been largely unseen by Australian viewers. It’s exactly what the ABC should be producing – quality television telling our stories.

  18. The series should screen on Sunday mornings at 8.30am, just before The Insiders. The ABC had so much success with outher Australian children’s series there like Silversun, Round the Twist, Noah and Saskia, The Saddle Club etc. It’s a shame they dropped them from the slot in recent years for American cartoons and British childrens series.

  19. ABC3’s scheduling of My Place has failed to connect with viewers? Or My Place has failed to connect with viewers.

    If 180,000 are watching a British show on ABC2 whilst 27,000 watch My Place, I’d say it’s the show that’s not connecting

    By all means move it to another timeslot, where it may get a few more viewers, but really the kids have voted.

    This show seems out of touch with the type of TV kids want. They want Cool cartoons and drama. Not. Period dramas

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