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Local dramas pushed back to 2014

Puberty Blues, Secrets and Lies, Love Child -there's a growing list of dramas that will now air in 2014 instead of 2013.

2013-09-20_0027Given there are just 10 more weeks in the ratings year, a number of local dramas originally set for 2013 have been pushed back by networks into 2014.

Puberty Blues and new Brisbane-based drama Secrets and Lies will not screen on TEN this year. TEN also won’t get all of Wonderland into the current ratings year, unless it starts doubling up its episodes -an unlikely scenario. Fingers crossed we see Puberty Blues early in the new year.

TEN has also not confirmed a 2014 screening for its ambitious Batavia miniseries, amid questions over the show’s funding.

“We have no intention of rushing such an important project,” a TEN spokesperson recently said.

Screentime has not confirmed a shooting date.

But TEN is not alone in bumping productions from 2013.

Nine’s Love Child, announced in a flurry of sexy promos during the Logie Awards, will also screen in 2014.

The period miniseries featuring Jessica Marais and Jonathan LaPaglia has been filming around King’s Cross.

Schapelle was another miniseries promised by Nine for this year.

FremantleMedia confirmed it would still film this year. But it won’t screen in 2013.

Even ABC has too many on its slate to squeeze into this year: The Gods of Wheat Street, Janet King, Broken Shore and Carlotta.

Redfern Now is confirmed to return soon and Serangoon Road begins on Sunday.

“At this stage we have not locked off our schedule for the remainder of the year,” an ABC spokesperson said.

Meanwhile Seven never committed to Never Tear Us Apart: The Untold Story of INXS to 2013 so it gets a pass. The miniseries will air in 2014.

24 Responses

  1. I kinda realised Winners and Losers and Wonderland wouldn’t finish up this season but its kinda ridiculous about the others esp Puberty Blues.

    We better get Janet King this year!!

  2. You are so pathetic channel ten I have been looking forward to puberty blues season 2 since the end of season one you are so pathetic no wonder you ratings are so bad if this is the way you treat your viewers you don’t deserve them

    Thanks for letting us know David if it wasn’t for you we wouldn’t know these things

  3. While it’s a shame Puberty Blues has to wait, I’m fine with holding back the Aussie content. I would much rather networks fast track all the US shows from September through to April, and launch Australian shows off the end of that.

  4. @diesel21 – awesome news about second Time of Our lives!!! hadn’t heard that 🙂

    Disappointed about Puberty Blues not airing till next year and Janet King as well. Ugh. Such a long wait. Not happy. can’t believe we won’t get all of Wonderland…. But at least there will be some shows to watch. I don’t know why ten can’t take off their many repeats of NCIS, CSI, Modern Family crap…

  5. That’s a shame about Puberty Blues but 10 could replay season 1 over summer and maybe build an audience. I think it’s probably the best aussie drama in years.

    Shame about Crownies MKII as well, I’m looking forward to that.

    It’s good we have so much drama that the networks are having trouble slating it I guess. They should have tried harder though.

  6. Thanks for bringing our attention to this situation. I agree it was a pity to throw three Australian dramas up against each other on a Sunday night. However I am a little concerned these delays and stockpile of titles may lead to a reduction in production activity next year.

  7. Very disappointed to see Puberty Blues pushed back to 2014… It was a shining light for TEN. It was a brilliant series and I loved it.
    I was rapt when I heard it had been renewed. Crossing my fingers that TEN shows it after the Winter Olympics.

  8. Pushing Puberty back might be the best thing for the show. Clearly the best drama produced in Australia at the moment.

    Gives Ten time to rebuild to a degree around it and come back at the beginning of the ratings year with a genuinely great show.

    Putting it out this year might be throwing the show under a bus considering how they’re doing.

  9. Local dramas are becoming more important for the networks from May to October, with US shows rating less and being show according to the US schedule.

    Showing expensive local dramas in October and November to a small audience up against a swathe of US shows just isn’t going to be worth it.

    The local drama points system will ensure we get the chance to see the same volume of local (and NZ) drama over a 2 year period.

  10. Yet another startling example of how our networks are truly clueless and ill-prepared. They seem to be living week by week and have very little long term planning skills.

  11. I remember at tens upfronts last year they were banging on about this quality drama revolution that was going to turn them around. Almost at the end of the year and mr & mrs murder, reef doctors, wonderland have flopped and the rest have been postponed. Nice work.

  12. Really disappointing to see Puberty Blues pushed back. Leaving a show which had a loyal following on the shelf for 18 months is a (another) crazy scheduling decision by Ten.

  13. This sort of thing happens most years. I can understand ch10 not showing expensive dramas as currently few people will tune in to watch them. They need to generate a regular audience first….

  14. Having just finished a “binge” watch of Time of Our Lives – and thoroughly enjoyed it – I do hope ABC-TV comes to its senses and orders a second season of this entertaining series.

    A shame it had to fight its way through the Sunday 8.30 pm minefield of commercial drama.

    A quality production that deserves another go.

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