So why don’t they bring back Countdown?
Internet killed the video star says ABC, and there's no chance of a Countdown style revival.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under News
If you’re waiting for Countdown to make a return to television, you’ll be waiting a long time.
ABC’s Head of Content Stuart Menzies was asked what chance the show could be revived in the near future.
“If video killed the radio star then the internet killed live music performance on TV,” he told News Corp.
“Countdown was hugely important to me and everyone I knew – it was how we got introduced to any number of bands, but the world has moved on, there are now any number of ways to discover, enjoy and share new bands – and most of them involve the internet.”
Motels singer Martha Davis has also lamented the dearth of live music TV shows in Australia.
“Hell, yes (it helped us),” she says. “It helped all of us. ABBA, Blondie.
“When (Molly) said ‘do yourself a favor’ he was serious and people took him seriously.”
Countdown has most recently been flagged as the backdrop to a drama on Meldrum and an ABC documentary, while the original studios at ABC could be set for sale in the near future as the broadcaster builds new premises in Southbank.
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10 Responses
Does anyone remember Take 40 TV? It was on Channel 10 and hosted by Eden Gaha back in 1993/94. Very similar to Countdown where they would have live performances, artist interviews etc. It was live on a Sunday afternoon.. It didn’t last very long though.
I’d love a show like Countdown or Rove on the air so then presenters could have a proper chat to these musical guests. On breakfast shows and X Factor you get 1 or 2 questions at most. Hardly lets you know more about the person behind the music
Yeah lets bring back The Don Lane Show.
I think Countdown was very much a show of its time. As already mentioned there were few other options for popular music, especially outside the major cities.
These days there are so many options with online media, pay TV music channels, more radio stations (inc. digital) and iTunes that a revival of Countdown would be redundant before it even started.
Plus these days music tastes are a lot more diverse. Back then it was either ABBA or Kiss!!
I say use the early hours of the morning to bring back a retro music show for us oldies instead of the stuff that they call music now days. Have some stuff from the 60’s and 70’s. Not everyone wants new music that record companies try to flog.
I personally do not like music downloads as they do not have liner notes, photos and basically it is just poor form.
Probably why I purchase most music from online as physical CD’s of music from the 60’s and 70’s. And the ABC many years ago produced a folk show, excellent stuff, but sadly no more. Perhaps a Countdown Folk version!
A big reason I supported hey hey and rove (and the panel to some degree) was for this reason. Live variety entertainment and music. It really sucks that hey hey did not return, and rove called it quits like he did.
Bring hey hey back, get rove back on 10, give micallef his own tonight show, get Hamish & andy a tonight show (and not those overseas holiday specials), whatever. TV just feels empty when the only thing we have closest to what was before is The Project and then crazily morning TV (which is hard for many to see due to school/work/sleep).
I thought this article was going to be about countdown the quiz (aka letters and numbers) so why don’t they being that back?
Countdown’s success was the function of a time when it was difficult to track down music videos. I remember at school the highlight of the year was the 2Day FM video tour (can’t remember its exact name) where they showed up and set up a screen in the hall for all the kids to watch the latest video clips. How naff does that sound now? But it was wildly popular because this was almost the only place we could see the latest Madonna, Michael Jackson etc music video. It was the popularity of this that spawned Video Hits and shortly after, Rage. Countdown could not work right now no matter what they did. Nonetheless it’s importance to our cultural history is hugely significant.
Let’s not mention Countdown Revolution…
But didn’t Channel 10 attempt to bring back Countdown in 2000? It was called “House Of Hits” and Molly co-hosted with Leah McLeod. There’s a few clips on YouTube.
It would be great to have a show to highlight live music from Australian and visiting international acts once again, instead of just Sunrise and the Today Show.
And something on the ABC would be great too, to stop record companies having a monopoly on who performs on what show.