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Final time for Young Talent

As Young Talent Time reaches its Grand Final, TV Tonight asks Rob Mills whether there is still a place for talent shows that don't rely on building the drama?

Tonight 5 talented young acts will battle it out for the series title of Young Talent Time and a $100,000 prize.

They include solo vocalists, dance troupes and aerialists, with ages ranging from 8 – 17.

As host Rob Mills explains, the Grand Final represents a high for everyone involved.

“The team are very emotional, but they’re still as excited as they were (when they started). It’s the end of the series. They’ve all worked so hard and gone through everything together and it’s culminating in this first series finale,” he says.

“There are some incredible performances throughout the evening. There’s Ricki-Lee, Jack Vidgen.

“Lyndall and Adrien dance with Chucky and it’s phenomenal.

“You get to see how far they’ve come from when we first met them in October last year.”

“The best thing about the show was that it continued to grow across the series. It’s not a bought UK or US format.

“I suppose it’s a bit of a luxury owning the format. I’m hoping we get the opportunity to come back even stronger.”

In the brutal world of television it isn’t yet clear if the talent show will return. The network is yet to make any decisions and sources indicate it is considering other business models to address the show’s costs.

“There’s uncertainty about whether the show is coming back and the kids don’t know that either. Nobody knows,” Mills admits.

Despite a flashy network launch and generous reviews for Mills, the resident team and the contestants, the audience drifted from the show. It was moved to Friday nights where it attracted only 342,000  last week.

“I think it was a good fit for Sunday nights, but it was good on Fridays and I think it would be good on a Saturday. Anywhere in that family friendly time,” he says.

“We put in 110% and had such a good time. You can see it in the faces of everyone involved.

“I see no reason why there can’t be a show that bridges the gap between Hi-5 and The X Factor. There’s a huge gap and a big market for it. Maybe I’m too close to it, but the people I meet tell me how wonderful the show is and it’s the only show they can sit around and watch as a family.”

By contrast other talent shows such as The Voice and Australia’s Got Talent have performed well for Nine and Seven. Was YTT‘s biggest challenge a lack of drama that is now so embedded in the genre?

“Those shows are trying to sell records at the end, with record companies and publishers involved. But these are great kids who enjoy showing off their singing and dancing talents. We’re not trying to sell anything, we’re just saying ‘hey check this out’ and doing it with a smile instead of trying to do it with drama.

“Maybe audiences have changed over the years, but I still think there’s a massive market for positivity.”

Regardless of the outcome Mills is grateful for the opportunity and speaks warmly of the 10 performers he has come to befriend.

“I said to them ‘Always call me if you ever have any questions about the industry or you just need to chat.’

“We’ve created a bit of a bond, they’re like my little brothers and sisters.”

Grand Finalists:

Tash, 17, NSW.
PERFORMANCE GENRE: Singer/Pianist
GRAND FINAL SONG: Crazy Dreams (original track)

Mark, 17, NSW.
PERFORMANCE GENRE: Aerialist
GRAND FINAL SONG: I’m Kissing You – Romeo & Juliet Soundtrack

Georgia, 15, NSW.
PERFORMANCE GENRE: Vocal
GRAND FINAL SONG: Starships – Nicki Minaj

Lil’ Banditz Krew, 8-15, NSW.
PERFORMANCE GENRE: Dance
GRAND FINAL SONG: Performing to Medley – Battlewalk (Wade Robson), Imma Be (Black Eyed Peas), Baby (Justin Bieber), What Makes You Beautiful (One Direction), Yeah (Chris Brown)

Amanuael, 11, Vic.
PERFORMANCE GENRE: Vocal
GRAND FINAL SONG: You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me – Cher

Young Talent Time: Grand Final airs 7pm Friday on TEN.

15 Responses

  1. Please Chaanel Ten Bring Back Young Talent Time and this time put it on at 6,30pm on Saturday Night and let it build an Audience then you can show Before the Game at 7.30 or you can put that show on Friday Night at 7pm straight after The Project

  2. I must admit I didn’t like YTT when it first came back on air and stopped watching it. But I tuned back in a couple of weeks ago and really loved it. The team seemed to be more confident and the show had a much better rhythm to it. I was actually in tears last night watching Tina Arena sing Macarthur Park again.
    I really hope Channel 10 give it another go. They’ll ned to look at fixing that awful set though. Making it a concert stage I don’t think works. It needs to be like the old show with “TV Studio” type sets (even if they are made out of cardboard). That would give the show a sense of fun and dare I say “campness” that the old show had in spades and the new version lacked. Also I don’t remember the old show being so much about the contestants. It used to be more about the team and me as a kid wishing I was one of them. Bring those elements back to it and if 10 stick with it people will eventually see what a fun show it can be.

  3. I was a fan of Hey Hey when it was on years ago and when it returned (and still hope it comes back.. need a live variety show on each week for all to watch for local and international guests on to show their stuff).

    YTT I liked in the few years up until it ended (with Bevan, Juanita, etc), but not really today. Whilst I know they couldn’t use much of the same cast (as they wouldn’t really be ‘young’ anymore), it just didn’t seem much like the original show at all. Only things similar was the name and they had younger performers on it. They were filming in a different place with different sets, the show was run and handled differently, just none of the YTT flavour of old really.

  4. The production was current, very innovative and up to date. The problem is the format. The world has changed and people now want more . Yes people want drama, they want the judges fighting, even if it is manufactured. In a world where people multi task on computers, they do five things at once, they want the same thing on a tv show or they get bored. They are on Facebook on their laptop and at the same time watching tv and checking their phone.The world is always moving forward but what a shame we can no longer slow down and be entertained by a simple singing show.

  5. Oh my God.
    is all I can say. Tina Arena just blew the roof off singing MacArthurs Park. What a voice.

    The grand final was very good. I hope that this is not the end for this show.

    It does deserve a second chance at a better timeslot. It should be more about the talent team.

  6. This is a good show. It deserves to succeed.
    Some of the comments thus far show a sense of palpaable glee at its current ratings difficulties. Why be so negative and cruel? To say that the cast is ‘untalented’ is just bizarre. Hopefully TEN can get their act together re a suitable time slot and give the shwo a chance to shine.

  7. Well hopefully that is the end of that little period in TV history were we felt a need to relive hits of another past!

    TV has moved on, and more so have the viewers.

    There is only one last major program to come from the ‘past’ and that is Big Brother. While it is far more contemporary than the former lot (hey hey, ytt & its a knockout) i still believe we are best trying something bold and fresh.

    If Ten didnt be bold they wouldnt have had Masterchef, and if we didnt have Masterchef we wouldnt have had MKR etc etc etc

    On wards and upwards and not backwards I say!

  8. The problem with HHIS was it was like going back in time. Nothing changed from 12 years ago. The lighting, the set, the cast. Nothing….except Daryl’s skin was tighter.

    With YYT they had a go at bringing it to current day. The set media production was good. But kids, more than anybody, want hi energy in 2012. It was too slowly paced. Graphic design needed to more edgy. I tried to get my kids to watch it but they just got bored. Just not exciting enough. It’s a shame cause some of the kids have great talent and it’s an Australian format. Friday timeslot has killed it. Now the pressure turns to I Will Survive….too survive!

    It’s a knockout by the way was not bad. If it had been on Seven it would have rated very well. HG and Charlie were great and it was a laugh. All these people who think the 80’s version was sooooo much better – you are kidding yourselves. Take a look online at the old versions… it’s production values were very very basic. I think it would have rated better in winter when people are home and it is not daylight savings. I think recording it in Asia turned many off too.

    Will The Price is Right work?

  9. Proves once again that retro television simply doesn’t work. We saw it with HHIS and now we’re seeing it with YTT. Baby Boomers and Gen Xers may wax lyrical and peer through rose coloured glasses about the beloved TV shows of their youth, but let’s be honest, those shows have not stood the test of time and today’s kids are not interested. YTT is over, Ten would be crazy to bring it back. Next.

  10. Worst show ever. How could anyone ever think it would work. Everything about it was wrong. Judges were boring, team was untalented and unlikealbe, contestants weren’t much better, rob was annoying always awkwardly breaking into song mid-sentance, the scripted conversations were painful, and the production values didn’t cut it.

  11. I actually enjoyed watching this on Sundays but Ten ruined it by putting it on Friday night to compete against the footy.

    Shame since the team and the contestants very talented.

    Bet a lot of them were wishing they auditioned for The Voice or the crummy AGT.

    Never mind – they can audition for X Factor or the drag queen show “I willl Survive” – yikes!

  12. Whats wrong with channel ten? wake up channel ten.. All they do is this rediculous promos New Young talent time… and then how about All new Its a knock-out.. But aventually we all new the show would had only lasted just so little amount not even longer then 3 months.. And now this show young talent time doesnt last even half a year to begin with… I personaly dont watch any of this. I only watch Its a knock-out ones.. i quickly new it wasn’t as good as it used to be many years ago in the 80s It was more like a tiny arena indoor just like big brother game show.. And now this Young talent time… I believe this show has been alittle over reacting.. Its only because they wanna do the so what 80s style on stage.. But they don’t seem to do the todays things… Back when young talent time was on in the 80s.. they did everything that was fashion of the 80s.. And today aparently they have the show back and wanna do the 80s looks. Well if they really want the show to continue for many years to come.. I expect them and the kids to do the todays looks and todays music not the rewind back in time… When young talent time was on in the 80s they didnt rewind back in time and did some old things.. They truely did what they had at the time of the 80s. I personaly again can’t imagine the show to continue.. Its all channel ten putting a new show but by the time you new it woo the show is about to end.. it was only temporary and a waste of time. Channel ten should Stop doing this..

  13. 10 destroyed this show in favour of the project on Sundays. My kids loved it on Sundays but Friday night is sport night both in and out of home so no chance of YTT being viewed at our house.

    Damn shame as it is/was ideal family entertainment.

  14. Doesn’t matter what timeslot or what day of the week this program is screened….it’s ratings will never increase. It’s a dated format and “family viewing” habits have changed from 30 years ago when this show was bumber one in the ratings. Young Talent Time should be where Hey Hey It’s Saturday and It’s A Knock Out are….in television heaven…..

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