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Dear James, seriously….

Dear James Warburton, welcome to your new job running my network....

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Dear James Warburton,

Welcome to your new job running my network.

My network I hear you say? Yes.

As a viewer, that’s the way I feel about my Television. It’s the way I feel about all of the channels I have watched for decades. TEN and I have been through a lot together (ask some long-standing employees about ‘pink custard’ and they’ll tell you what I mean). Execs are custodians. They come and go, but the viewer and the brand are a constant.

Last year I felt like TEN forgot about me as a viewer. It was a year of money over our relationship. TEN’s quest to shift from being a youthful network to a family network was confused by also wanting to be a news network. Goodbye Video Hits, AFL, so long Sandra Sully, The Simpsons and Neighbours got moved down the road. They destroyed Good News Week too, James. In came two and a half hours of News and Current Affairs, George Negus, Andrew Bolt. It was like they wanted me to be somebody else.

I was as sorry as everybody that Negus didn’t fire, but after 20 years of Neighbours and The Simpsons this was cultural shock. Square peg. Round hole.

They lost Hamish and Andy and then Big Brother. Rove is now on Foxtel. Shaun Micallef is doing a news comedy show for the ABC. Who was minding the shop?

Then they cloned MasterChef, a show we all cherished, into a copycat format and bugger me they went and insulted me on their biggest night of viewing by forcing me to watch The Renovators. After that genius move I really didn’t feel like watching Renovators again. And I may have taken out a little more angst by snubbing Junior MasterChef, which is a shame because the kids looked pretty talented. I just wasn’t in the mood.

They’ve replayed Modern Family so many times it’s hard to know what night has first-run episodes. Viewing should not be such hard work. Glee‘s been through the machine so many times its lost its ‘cool.’ Not sure how you can get it back.

Chrissie Swan and Ding Dong have left The Circle, dammit. What I hear of New Zealand’s Paul Henry does not encourage me (why must every breakfast show have a loose-cannon?) when you’ve got Hamish Macdonald sitting right under your nose. Hello?

Good luck with Ready Steady Cook if you decide to bring that back. Colin Lane is a nice bloke but I’ve never seen such a groundswell of disdain from readers against a host replacement (now 1270 comments and still climbing, a site record). Graham Norton was too, too fab on ABC. I don’t think he is the answer for Saturday nights, but then chopping and changing Fridays and Saturdays would be worse.

But let me be more positive.

I do like the sound of Brothers in Arms. I think I like Underground: The Julian Assange Story even more. All the signs for Young Talent Time look encouraging. Offspring has blossomed into a terrific vehicle. I’m sorry to see Rush go, but glad Your Gen is back. Puberty Blues has me intrigued, but I’ll reserve judgement on Reef Doctors. When Can of Worms comes back without Dicko, please ask Gretel if she is busy? Funny, smart, female -does commercial TV have any room for these?

I’ll be back for MasterChef, reservedly. Your launch will be crucial. I hope it has more Mystery Boxes and less Dalai Lamas. And can we please have some fair Immunity challenges? Sorry, The Biggest Loser doesn’t attract me. Never really has.

I’m looking forward to Homeland, I’ve heard great things. The Good Wife remains underrated. Hawaii Five-0 is overrated.

So what do I want to see on my Channel TEN under our reign?

A return to irreverent telly and bold ideas. Remember ‘Tuesday Night’s a Bitch?’ Remember that Celebrity Support Group promo with Shaun Micallef and Matt Preston? Remember when Sunday nights were about event viewing? And they used to be L-i-v-e. The Project must be one of the few Live shows you have now? There’s just not that much sense of danger. Did we all grow up and lose our edge?

Please return your 5pm news to one hour and offer me something at 6pm. You could do a lot worse than returning Neighbours from ELEVEN -it would get you Drama points, no? If it means ‘What plays on ELEVEN, stays on ELEVEN’ is broken, so be it. And must new Simpsons play against new Glee? I like both, James.

ONE sends out confused signals. Is it a sports channel? A bloke’s channel? It barely even registers with me as a viewing option. At least I understood what it was when it was 24/7 sports. I quite like the way ELEVEN has shaped up (American Horror Story could have become your new Supernatural had it been on TEN), but beware: viewers are grumbling about sitcoms reverting back to episodes they have already seen umpteen times. Have you seen what they did to GO!?

For all these ideas and notions (and you can take ’em or leave ’em, I am only one opinion), at the core of restoring your brand after Lachlan’s year of playing ‘bad cop’ is this: Local Drama.

We afford prestige to networks based on their success in on-going local Drama series. You can play all the watercooler Reality and US imports you like, but local drama gets you respect.

Finally, please limit timeslot changes, start shows on time with an accurate EPG, don’t oversell your shows in promos, stop recycling Back to the Future and show me a network that has a sense of fun again.

You’re looking after my network now, James.

I’m counting on you.

Cheers, David.

101 Responses

  1. Well said David.

    I am also a bit confused with TEN screening One Tree Hill on a Saturday and Sunday morning. I thought it would be better suited to ELEVEN. Same with Life Unexpected.

    I am still worried about Graham Norton Show. It hasn’t started and its already being shafted around time wise. Its a funny show and has some good guests on.

  2. Move the Bold and the Beautiful back to a PG timeslot where it doesn’t need to have the shit edited out of it. Also catch up with the US screening, TEN are way too far behind!

  4. David, a great article and you truly captured the ‘relationship’ between viewer and tv.

    TEN, you need to also fix up your late-night run. Playing Offspring at 11:30 and moving Letterman to 12:30 for a couple of weeks, and then changing it back? Just doesn’t make sense.

    Ten should really follow a Letterman then to Ferguson routine, or vice versa. It would also help to have the both shows on the same channel, instead of Ferguson being on Ch 11.

    And also a note to Ten, just incase you don’t watch some imported shows, keep in mind that Ferguson has been incorporating some Australian in his shows recently…as well as Ferguson’s January 11 Anniversary on being on Aussie tv!

    Alex.

  7. Great article – summed up the collective thoughts of your readers very well.

    I have 1 question i’d love to ask Mr W; why should i watch any of your new shows? Please convince me because your network has lost my trust. I started watching 24 as i’d never actually seen Series 1 (the promo worked so well done on that) – bumped till goodness knows what timeslot so i gave up. Quite liked Modern Family; gave up when the 3rd episode for the week moved to wednesdays, or maybe thursdays or…. I’m just about to put Dexter S5 into the DVD (got the box for X-mas). think i saw S2 on 10, brilliant show; too bad your programmers seem to have forgotten it exists.

    Oh and not that it bothers me but my wife has just asked to chalk up comment 1271 in favour of bringing back Peter Everett. Actually i don’t want Peter back because she used to clog up the IQ with series linked RSC episodes; it no longer gets taped.

  9. When reading this yesterday I was very moved to tell you the truth… David you really did express what most of us viewers are feeling/wanting.

    What would be even better as a result of this article!!! That James Warburton, in his new role at TEN, acknowledge this article by giving a response – not a response on his plans for the future.. But just a brief acknowledgment that he (not his assistant) has read it and that he will take all comments/views on board in his new role.

    I know it will never happen, but something as simple as a small response (from key Network players) here at the website will give us as viewers some hope. It is 2012, and Networks need to respond to articles such as this. Social Media/Blogs have a huge impact when it comes to today’s television e.g. Twitter can destroy the future of a new TV show, within seconds, as we witnessed in 2011.

    Again, a truly brilliant article David.

  11. Totally agree David, except with the Biggest Loser. Our household loved it last year and think the singles idea is spot on and will watch it again this year.

  12. I read this with some interest and do recall the ‘good old days’ when Ten was basically the only network I watched. Ten has clearly lost significant ground and the management decisions in recent times have been quite baffling.

    My main concern is what Ten has done to the National Basketball League (NBL) and One’s coverage of this popular sport. The NBL and Ten are two years in to a five year broadcast deal that should see the number of ‘live’ games covered increase each season of the deal. Due to One HD reverting to One, and no longer being a dedicated sports channel the NBL has been shafted to the 10:30pm timeslot (or at times later) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Whether Ten had the legal grounds to do this is unclear, apparently they have used a clause in the contract that states games are to be shown live or near live, hence a three hour delay has somehow been permitted. Perhaps Ten is within their rights to do this, or perhaps the NBL are too scared to risk posing the question with Ten, in case they banish the sport even further into the wilderness in an after midnight timeslot?

    As an NBL fan, the feedback of fellow basketball fans to this decision has been surprisingly vocal and wide spread, with many petitions and Facebook groups out there to campaign for the NBL to be given a fair go. Ten Sport’s Facebook page is often flooded with comments and requests to show NBL live. The digital teams’ handling of this has been quite unprofessional (if you read some of their responses over the past few months) and whilst the line “we are only the digital team and your feedback has been passed on to the programming department” has been used many times, an actual reason for the NBL not being shown live hasn’t been provided. I understand it is obviously a commercial decision by Ten, but I like many others find it baffling to think that old movies and ‘Cops’ repeats can rate better than live sport. Especially considering the costs Ten must be encountering to produce three games per week. Surely they would try to re-coop this money by showing games in a decent timeslot where they can get an audience? Your recent article stating that One had a nice ratings boost this week when they showed some live Hopman Cup tennis coverage only highlights the potential of showing some sport in primetime on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

  14. Well done David. A great read. And amazing reading from all the comments. It’s amazing to see the loyalty that ten has out there. Sadly loyalty that is fastly disappearing.
    Ten has been a youthful network for decades as a kid I would watch Brady bunch Gillian’s island and wonder world. In the early 80’s they invested heavily in news at 6 and had a huge hit with a game show at 5.30 as a news lead in. This made the network neck and neck with nine for number one network within a few years. (seven did exactly the same with deal and news on the late 90’s as a base to become the number one network) ten fell apart when nine bought top rating on-screen performers To knock ten out of the race to be number 1. Ten almost collapsed and rumours were ten would become a b grade movie network But ten kept its youthful link with the Simpsons and Beverly hills and video hits.
    I guess given the news revolution and one hd failed so badly this is what Lachlan is trying to do. Get rid of the high costs that were not rating and focus on youth.
    The thing that Lachlan needs to understand is brand loyalty is gold. That loyalty stays with you for life And that loyalty is just about gone. Now they have to find new viewers that have given up on them loyal viewers Axing a youth show like video hits is is just crazy.
    Ten need to axe the 5-6pm news hour. It does not rate very well anyway. A strong 6pm news followed by the project and then reality like mc JMC at 7 is they way to go. And invest in a quality game show as news lead in. Veiwers will come and stay for the night with investment in quality oz drama after 7.30. A quality network can be build around a breakfast program proving it is different and rates. Seven proved that with sunrise. But please Get rid kiwi Henry. He is never going to work and to hire him will be the worst descision Lachlan has made in 2011. No wonder they cannot find a female co host. Who would want to work with him!!!

    Let’s home ten can become a network we as generations of youthful viewers can be proud of again!!!.

  15. Agree with most of the points and would add:
    – Move the circle to the evenings. The contrast will get you viewers.
    – Grahram Norton on Sunday nights please.
    – Don’t bother with any talent (“…..got talent”) style shows. We’re beyond saturation point.
    – Push forward with the comedy / entertainment shows. GNW and the like are good drawcards for 10, even if they cost more to make.
    – Modern Family? I think it might have an american cult following, but I’m not sure if it’s honestly catching on in Australia all that much. A little too……. weird american!
    – Get rid of renovators and also the rebirthing old game shows.
    – Can someone tone down masterchef please. The fact that someone forgot to put the croutons in the oven does not require dramatic music and fast camera work. It’s over the top now and will start to become the show we love to hate if someone doesn’t put the handbrake on.

  16. Couldn’t agree more … and how about repeating The Circle each week night, say between 10.00-11.00 – Minus the 10-minute advertorial commercials!

  18. I’d like Channel 10 to include quality US drama in their programming. There are some excellent shows made in the States, such as Homeland and a host of other new titles, as well as old favourites like Modern Family. With the latter, Ten needs to show them in order, not bastardised by mixing repeats in with the new episodes.

    And ditch the endless NCIS repeats. Boring!

  19. Watching back over some old footage on YouTube…remember the old “Give Me Ten” and “Turn Me On” promos? Gold! Back in the 90’s, shows were given timeslots, and they stayed there…Wednesday was always X-Files night. Tuesday was always new Simpsons. Where have those days gone? I sincerely believe if Ten stopped moving their schedule around so often based on ratings, their shows would grow an audience. The problem at the moment is that networks are changing their schedules so often, printed TV guides are almost instantly wrong. Lock shows into a timeslot, let them run there and build an audience. At the end of the season. Don’t run repeats…run something fresh! With so many cable networks in the US, i find it had to believe there’s nothing to take it’s place.

    For Ten, it’s time to look to the past to save the future. God speed James.

  20. please just do yourself a favour and move the new bulletin to 5.30 and run it for an hour. Then you can persist with one hour of Project, so 2 hours of news and current affairs / light entertainment is plenty.

    They had really good intentions and it would have been great if they made Negus a Sunday morning program. Remember that old Nine mainstay that got canned. It left a vacuum and the thing with Ten is that it needs to build up a reputation. So give Negus a Sunday show to go with their other business and news offering.

    I wish I could run a network!

  21. I wish you good luck and hopefully sensible decision making.

    I’ll admit I love Eleven. I wish The Vampire Diaries could be paired with Supernatural on Mondays if you could get it. As for Ten could you please have the reality series end on time especially if there is something scripted after. I really hated waiting 20 minutes or more when you didn’t have Eleven and I think most viewers flicked over to another channel. That’s why I suspect scripted programming numbers dropped like a stone. I wish Ten would be more like Eleven with the promos at the end of a show where they stop the credits, show the promo and then the credits. Love that.

    @ tomothy

    If they move Supernatural and Smallville to Sunday I’d quit watching them. I did with both of them previously (I watched the DVDs to catch up and had to wait for the Supernatural ones to be released ) . And a lot of the other viewers also stopped watching too. They are better off on Monday.

  23. James, the first three things I recommend you should do as CEO are as follows:
    1. Review Southern Cross’s affiliation deal with Ten by years end: Why? Because the majority of SC’s regional markets are either digital now (VIC, QLD), or are about to switchover to digital (Northern and Southern NSW and the ACT, sometime this year). Ten should mandate in any new deal that SC must produce full local news services again, in the regional markets of Ten’s choosing.
    2. Reinvent Ten: Quite simply, reinvent Ten, as a broadcaster, with much more diversity in viewer attraction. It also means listening to viewers qualms, such as late shows, or not committing to fast-tracking. Once you fix these qualms, Ten can be a “family broadcaster”.
    3. Remember Toasted TV: Quite simple here: Ten needs to start spreading the message about their plans for Toasted TV after Breakfast launches: and it needs to start spreading it now, not with a week to go.

    In short: Review, Reinvent, Remember. These are Ten’s “3 R’s” going forward.

  24. spot on

    Ten need to remember that once upon a time they made The most grounbreaking and talked about Aussie dramas.

    Number 96. Prisoner. E Street. The Secret Life Of Us.

    Somehow I don’t see Reef Doctors falling into this category. At least Puberty Blues sounds promising but please make sure there’s a role in there for Nell Schofield from the movie …

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