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Why I heart Network TEN

It's easy to kick someone when they're down. So here's a shout-out to the things I love about Network TEN.

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Let’s be honest. It’s easy to kick someone when they’re down.

And it’s hard to think of a time when TEN has been lower than now. We all know the shows that are tanking, the decisions that are inane and the brand that we once viewed as bold. We’d all run it better than the mob that’s trying to do it now.

I’ve written plenty on what’s wrong, so today I’m turning the tables and giving a little bit back.

We’re a small nation and if we don’t have three commercial networks all firing on four cylinders then we all lose out.

So here’s a shout-out to the things I love about Network TEN. The things I probably take for granted and would miss if they weren’t there anymore. It’s little moments that make up the bigger picture -literally- and here are just a few…

Neighbours. Jacki Woodburne -dammit why doesn’t this woman have a Logie yet please?

An Idiot Abroad. I don’t care if Karl Pilkington is putting it on for the cameras, it’s bonkers.

Bondi Vet. Is there a more perfect nice guy on the telly than Dr Chris Brown? I just want my cat to get sick so I can take it to him. And I don’t even own a cat.

American Horror Story. Jessica Lange, Jessica Lange and Jessica Lange.

Can of Worms. Chrissie Swan won me over when she stood up to bully Ben all those years ago on Big Brother and has been defiant ever since. Smart, self-deprecating, pitch perfect as this show’s new host.

Class Of. Ok it really doesn’t belong on TEN because it’s far too ABC2, but this is quite the surprise package.

Glee. Any musical number from Darren Criss. What a little star.

Homeland. Straight up, the best new US drama of 2012. Played with my head trying to work out if Brody was lying or not. Can’t wait for S2.

Judge Judy. Just to hear her say the word “Baloney.”

MasterChef Australia. Croquembouches, macarons, and Matt’s cravat. Amina was a sheer joy this year and Andy was a popular win. Shine did a great job of restoring the brand. Oh and Gary Mehigan has totally stepped up as the show’s key storyteller.

MasterChef: All Stars. An inspired idea to compete with the Olympics and there was such a feeling of camraderie between the teams. Effortless telly.

Modern Family. A rolled gold cast. Twice as funny when you watch it with a group of friends.

Offspring. Where do I start? Asher Keddie’s timing, Kat Stewart’s cyclonic character, Eddie Perfect’s songs, Matthew Le Nevez’s longing looks and the gorgeous Deb Mailman…. the show is the epitome of a.w.k.w.a.r.d.

The Good Wife. Yes we can talk about Julianna Margulies, but what about Archie Panjabi as Kalinda?

Puberty Blues. For bringing back ’70s, language ya moll. Brenna Harding and Ashleigh Cummings are so natural as two partners in crime. A sparkling ensemble. And I’m keeping my eye on Susan Prior.

TEN News. Mal Walden’s little asides and editorials. Sandra Sully’s dulcet tones and sheer staying power. Angela Bishop’s camp passion for showbiz. Hamish MacDonald, dashing, smart, a nose for news, loves an interview and wears red pants.

Nurse Jackie. L-i-a-r!!!

The Project. Hughesy’s segues, Carrie’s capacity for emotion, and Charlie’s ability to balance it all. Often a deft balance of humour and news which is a bit of a tall order. Plus the poor buggers are made to work on a Sunday and I still haven’t worked out why.

Totally Wild. 20 years and totally committed to kids. Ranger Stacey has seen it all.

The Living Room. Quietly emerging as an engaging mix. Amanda Keller is always wry and personable. Miguel Maestre is a fresh find from the LifeStyle channel.

Planet of the Apes marathon. For having the balls to schedule it.

Meet the Press. Paul Biongiorno.

H20, Lightning Point and a network commitment to Children’s Drama.

And there we have it. Any others you care to add?

Of course this doesn’t mean I don’t heart Seven, Nine, ABC, SBS and Foxtel too …….News flash: I heart Television.

85 Responses

  5. I think they might Heart you back David. On the PB promo last night the had a quote from tv-tonight
    “Just keeps getting better”

    I also love Ten, the issue now is after a few duds people change their habit’s and get stuck on one channel.
    I think IWS is a great show although a little niche, PB is fantastic. DTTB Is good but as mentioned before seems to fit on seven much better.

  6. OK, the reason ch10 is having a few struggles is down to the execs, decision makers & programmers and not always the shows themselves.

    I put forward Sons of Anarchy

    Great show, starts on time, has the same timeslot each week, the episodes are in the correct order, it comes off air when the season ends, not half way through. It has built a fairly loyal following and can be regarded as successful. Just apply the same principles across the network…happy days

  8. These are probably some of the reasons I watch TEN, and still remains my favourite network.

    They sure do silly things but I can’t say they don’t try and do things a little different.

  9. I think they may have been lower when there was, I think, an American woman holding tenure and she turned it into a game show channel for a short while. I’m sure that was 10.

    I also think we bash 10 because for a lot of us it was our favourite and they treat us with disdain for the most part these days. Are they pushing us to buy Pay TV?

    That said PB was awesome again last night.

  10. I really don’t think Channel 10 need to be rewarded in any way for recent performance.

    There’s not a great number of programming decisions in that list that could be described as brave either and the ones that are have are part of their history, not their present. (with the exception of Planet Of The Apes, but you can’t describe any late night movie choice on One as “brave”)

    Some of the shows on this list are part of their problem…

  11. I think we all loved 10 but its the people running it that is stopping us from embracing it.. I do want to love it again but Murdoch has to go. He can sack his own wife but cannot sack Paul Henry.

  12. Great article David. I especially like your comment that any one of us could run it better. To that list I would add Supernatural, Star Trek (although Voyager is still a sore point), New Girl, Simpsons, Futurama, Burn Notice.

    Showing both seasons of Dollhouse one after the other (as long as they continue), finally giving Smallville a permanent home, Dexter, Californication, The Office, Hawaii 5-O, Blue Bloods.

    Sadly, all these shows have been mucked around by Ten somewhat, but when Ten have trusted them (and the viewer) then they have really fired.

    The dancers of EDN (just a shame they were let down by everything else) and after the first episode I think that “I Will Survive” will become a must-watch in my household… and I hated “Priscilla”.

    The locally produced short that will be on this Sunday night is a great initiative as well. Perhaps this could be expanded? Short movies made by aspiring artists (maybe as assignments from NIDA etc) and then being shown, all to show what we as a nation are truly capable of?

  13. The Shire – Like you said David, easy to kick something when it’s down, but my family love it.

    It’s a funny positive show, and just very different from a lot of the competition reality show that seem to clog up prime time.

  14. Here’s the shows i love/loved on Ten.
    Rush; NCIS; Your Gen; Modern Family; House; Hawaii Five 0; Blue Bloods; Masterchef; American Horror Story; Wilfred; Being Human; The Good Wife; Homeland; Glee; Monk; Psych; New Girl; Raising Hope; White Collar; Puberty Blues; Offspring. That’s a big list and more than any other network.

    Now here’s why i stopped watching them on Ten.
    NCIS would start 10-15 minutes late each night, and this year they yanked it with 10 eps to go and still haven’t finished it.
    Your Gen was a huge hit, then Ten moved it to several new days and timeslots. In the end the ratings dropped as a result.
    Rush was the best Aussie show on tv,I still haven’t forgiven you Ten.
    Hawaii Five 0 and Blue Bloods two of my fave cop shows. Surely even a 10.30 timeslot or primetime on ONE/Eleven is worthy of these great shows, but nope.
    White Collar. S4 is well underway, Ten hasn’t even shown s3.
    House was one of Ten’s best but too many timeslot/day changes killed it, and to hold it off for so long particularly in its final season is unforgiveable.
    Monk & Psych. Well here in SA i’m pretty sure Ten is still only up to season 3. And Psych is brilliant, but i’ve just watched them all on dvd cos Ten has no room for it.
    Masterchef, was a huge fan, Dalai Lama was the final straw for me and haven’t been back since.
    The Good Wife is one of the best shows on tv, Ten treat it like crap.

    And finally, despite all these great shows, Ten put priority in Lara Bingle, The Shire, EDN, I Will Survive, Don’t Tell The Bride… These are all shite. If this is what your schedule is made up of, then i don’t want to watch.

    I loved Ten, loved Ten shows, but they’ve blown it.

  16. The Shire – Yes it was easy to jump on the hate bandwagon that the media fed us. But for those who have continued to tune in and watch the show for what it is A Guilty Pleasure, we’ve found an absolute gem. Funny, quirky with a great mix of fantastic character set against a stunning setting. I think it’s interesting that after the first ep of the Shire that rated around 950K it was deem a failure in the media, while Puberty Blue at 925K was a hit.

    Personally I love The Shire, and find it a cut above most international docu-dramas.

  17. I know it seems that people kick someone when they are down,but I think it’s just frustration and genuine concern at what’s going on.I would hope that when things turn around we would acknowledge it as easily.Anyway you are right David,there is alot that Ten has done good.I’d like to add The Bold and the Beautiful,Ready Steady Cook(granted Peter Everett isn’t there,but Colin seems to be finding his place),Before the Game,The Simpsons,Meet the Press and I guess if I think about it long enough there would be plenty more.All these shows have their place and cater to many different types of people.It’s always easier to criticise so thank you for this David.

  20. I heart David Mott for his gutsy programming decisions over the years. He and John McAlpine turned Ten around when they were a struggling unfocused mess. First show he ordered was Working Dog’s The Panel which on paper was just a bunch of guys at a desk talking about stuff! That started a great relationship that spawned Thank God You’re Here and All Aussie Adventures. Scheduling Big Brother 6 nights a week at 7pm when other networks were only looking at it as a late night show. Commissioning Idol after Popstars had just failed. First to put series on Sunday night. Moving Rove to Sunday night to compete with copycat Seven and Nine after they moved series there. Buying Queer Eye for the Straight Guy when Seven passed on it. Buying Everybody Loves Raymond from Seven when it failed for them. Putting Hamish and Andy on Rove allowing them to grow in popularity and nurture their talent after Seven axed them. Having faith in The Project and allowing it to build a loyal audience. And the big one…replacing Big Brother with a prime time cooking show that became the highest rating series in television history!

  22. I would add New Girl to the list. Although not consistently funny as Modern Family, I got a lot of belly laughs from it. I especially like Schmidt.

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