TEN to return to event television
Did TEN boss Hamish McLennan just signal a return to Australian Idol?
- Published by David Knox
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Did TEN boss Hamish McLennan just signal a return to Australian Idol?
In an interview with The Australian, McLennan signalled a return to “event” television to counter-act timeshifting.
“The type of shows we’ve been known for of late, like really good solid US dramas and Australian drama, is getting time-shifted,” he said.
“Live sport doesn’t get time-shifted, and we will have a greater focus on news, and big franchises like Australian Idol. That’s why you’re now seeing a strong commitment from advertisers for upcoming programs on TEN like The Bachelor.”
Australian Idol departed our screens in 2009 after seven seasons. at its height it was must-see TV live at the Opera House. Since then The X Factor and The Voice have dominated the singing landscape while TEN’s plans to revive Young Talent Time floundered.
McLennan also indicated the network will aggressively pursue 25-54 year olds, because younger viewers are no longer watching traditional TV in the same way they once used to.
“We will always have the youthfulness of Channel 10 and an attitude that is unique to us, but we’re fair and square going after the 25 to 54-year-old demographic,” he said.
Since taking the helm at TEN, McLennan has seen TEN acquire the Winter Olympics, The Bachelor, and make a $500m bid for cricket rights. TEN is also reworking its breakfast offering under Adam Boland.
In February TEN Programming Chief Beverley McGarvey told TV Tonight,“I think it’s fairly obvious from our crowded schedule that we do miss our Idol days. It was the grandfather of those shows that are doing everywhere right now.
“Idol was such a brand defining show with the Sydney Opera House finales, they were fantastic TV. It was sort of the beginning of Event Television for us.”
TEN is also tipped to announce the return of So You Think You Can Dance.
30 Responses
TEN should really throw more money at The Project. They need to get at least another 300k to kick the night off. The show has a good foundation but needs to be more consistent over the hour. A few more big names and exclusives. They should also try a cool late night (Vizard) type show five nights a week and get Adam Boland to oversee it. They need to get aggressive and get Idol on early in the year before The Voice and get some massive stars as judges, even if it makes a loss, just to crank the network up again. My 2 bobs worth.
@ oztvheritage
Is that in as a “dog chasing its tail circle”?
This would only just work if they could find two months when nobody else has any reality competition shows. It’s another case of Ten closing the gate after the horse has bolted. This will end in tears.
Cooking shows and Talent/Singing shows, please just go away!!
Oh yes because Idol will work with X Factor, The Voice & AGT still going.
What is so wrong with having shows that are timeshifted?
I always wonder if a show like “I’m a celebrity get me out of here” would do well. Obviously an Australian version with Australian “celebs”, with a live show each night and content run on secondary digital channel.
But would assume the audience size in Australia, might mean the cost of such a show is to much.
Just bring back SYTYCD (the Aussie version)
As for Idoll,I’m not too fussed.
In its hey day Australian idol was good and I will give it another chance if it returns and its done right. I don’t watch X factor and I am more disappointed as every week passes by with the voice this season. I feel last seasons voice was about the contestants and this years voice is about the coaches. When the coaches often comment its not always about how the singer has evolved its about the coaches role with the singer. Enough already. At least idol was about this singers most of the time. I would love to see keith urban return to the voice.
I loved Idol and SYTYCD, but unfortunately like everyone else has already said, they are dated brands that are losing traction internationally and will likely get flogged by the juggernauts on Seven and Nine (X Factor, Voice, and AGT). Unless it is a new brand I can’t see it getting the numbers that TEN need. However, McLennan buying the Winter Olympics and the Cricket is the smartest thing TEN has done in years (even the SBS were smarter by joining FOX Sports for Netball and A-League games). That combined with their MotoGP, F1 and Rugby Union, they may just become a competitive commercial network again.
There’s no room for Idol with all the (better) similar shows.
en has ruined its big brands by flogging them – they learnt nothing from MasterChef Babies when they thought Professionals was a good idea and The Biggest Loser has felt stale for a couple of seasons now. Obviously they’ve had no luck with their original reality formats – the Renovators and that Dance show were tragic – so its back to recycling ones from a few years ago? I guess Nine think it’s working for them with BB and AGT, but new ideas are desperately needed.
I would love Idol to return (not with Dicko or Marcia as judges), but there’s already enough singing shows on air. No more please.
I personally see 10’s future in drama but I guess reality and event television that rates is easier because once you have the format you only have to tweek it each season until it dies (lazy TV), whereas with drama it is constantly evolving week after week so more brainpower and talent necessary to create the ongoing story.
If they put Idol on air in June after the Voice and before X Factor they might do okay… but having it on at the same time as either of those two is going to kill it.
No more singing contests, please.
Yeah compete against X Factor and The Voice, that’s gonna work….. not. Music reality show is a good idea though but it needs to be different to those shows to survive
I am pleased to hear Lachlan supporting the new strategy after he “ripped the guts” out of the company with his youthful focus for two years. Do they have the money to take on Seven and Nine at their own game !
@jonno – exactly right. That’s what I warned would happen with Ten entering the Breakfast foray when 7, 9 and ABC already had breakfast shows. I kinda was right. Overcrowding doesn’t work. Boland might change things a little, but the others will just copy and away we go again.
They are doing the right thing, only problem is that we are going to have all 3 networks doing the same thing. It will result in reality overload.
Ten has a “crowded” schedule? That’s news to me. How do they explain all the repeats and low-rating filler?
There is no way Hamish would put Idol back on the air, it’s and old tied format that’s not even working in the USA.
I agree with the whole event thing… but how about something fresh!
@oztvhertiage – It sure does go full circle. A couple of years ago, Ten hired journos, reporters and camera crews to become a powerhouse in News and Current Affairs. Now they’ve done a complete about-face and laid them all off. Don’t understand how a select few people can be paid very big bikkies to get things so wrong, and then get paid out of their massive contract.
I was wondering where this article went
(Either that or I can foresee the future)
Dunno (obviously!!!) how Boland’s going to do it but I reckon TEN’s new brekky show will be the most interactive programme ever known to man.
Somehow he’ll weave as much different social media into the equation as possible making his concept potentially irresistible to the teen and early 20 viewers.
It’ll certainly be different…
Great that ten is investing in programming. But didn’t the old Managment invest in sport and event tv and get dumped because the costs were to high. How things go full circle!!!