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“No comment” as The Project now runs overtime

The Project regularly runs overtime now, but TEN refuses to say why.

Screen Shot 2014-05-01 at 12.06.07 am.jpgShould we blame it all on Charlie Pickering, whose farewell speech extended to 8 full minutes, or throw our hands up in despair as TEN copies the competition?

Either way The Project is no longer finishing at 7:30pm.

In recent weeks it has been finishing at around 4-6 minutes late, despite other programming promoted as beginning at 7:30pm.

So does the show that used to hurriedly wrap up conversations as the credits rolled now find sixty minutes insufficient to cover its topics? Probably not.

Whether Peter Meakin has brought this idea across from Seven is unclear, but perhaps we should look to the trends that have emerged elsewhere this year for a deeper understanding of what’s going on.

The second half hour of the show is the network’s strongest audience outside of its 5pm News and trailing several minutes over the half hour junction is presumably a strategy to try to prevent viewers from switching over to the competition. Alas, that’s worked a treat for Seven and Nine at 8:30 – 8:45pm this year, all but killing off Secrets and Lies.

TV Tonight recently asked Seven and Nine about similar practices with regards to their breakfast shows seemingly unable to stick to their schedule.

In the interests of balance, it seemed only fair to put those same questions to TEN for The Project:

1) Why is The Project running overtime on a daily basis?
2) What times does it plan to end next week?
3) Will the EPG accurately reflect true times moving forward?

While Seven and Nine both responded to questions here, TEN declined to comment in relation to The Project.

Next week MasterChef Australia returns to 7:30pm and while the show is facing stiff competition from rival Reality shows, surely the last thing it wants to do is keep loyal fans waiting?

Meanwhile, you can always name and shame the worst offenders for Late Programming on TV Tonight’s crowd-sourcing Late List.

41 Responses

  1. Legislation will be the only way to solve this – $1,000 for every minute a show runs over (only exception would be for over-running live sport and similar). That would probably work out $15-20k a night – they’d soon sort it out.

    I just can’t understand the logic behind it. In the US they run pretty much to the minute, and if it over runs by a minute or two, it’s scheduled as such. Here in the UK we have a clear rule which permits shows to start up to 3 minutes earler or 4 minutes late and networks stick with it.

  2. I’m also giving Kate Langbroek a shout out. I’ve always liked her and never seen her as a lead player but she has done exceptionally well this week and the chemistry between the panellists has been positive, cheeky and exciting. She brings a little danger to the desk as I keep wondering when she is going to go too far which makes for great tv. Keep her around! Are you paying attention 10?

  3. Ten are just trying to sync their shows up with change-overs on Seven and Nine. Not doing so gives them no chance.

    To do that though they need to do more updates on the EPG.

  4. If they “plan” on overruns then they should advertise within 5 minutes of the start time. So if something starts around 7.36pm then advertise it for a 7.35pm start and list it in the EPG as 7.36pm or 19.36. That way they’ve informed viewers of the “unusual” or irregular start time. So at least they are truthful.

    In reality someone needs to stop this practice. Because it is one of the things that is destroying television.

  5. @William
    Charlie Pickering was a fantastic personality on The Project as well as Dave Hughes. These two presenters have been working together for 4 years. The Project has had some breaking news as well as too much repeated commercials. That was similar Channel 9 where many shows running more than 20 minutes late. I feel that Channel 9 is the worst offender on the Late List. On many occasions, Channel 9 has gone overtime than Channel 7 and 10. And that is why I give up watching Channel 9, even though I am a fan of this channel.

  6. @Shoudy Chen – that’s because it was Charlie Pickering farewell, so it was fair that it ran over time as he was the anchor of the show and star attraction

  7. I don’t think it’s a matter of The Project running over time, just the fact they are not changing the EPG to reflect it. I’ve been caught out a few times recently with later shows also running over time and the PVR not catching the end.

  8. I give up watching The Project every night last month when the show overran for 16 minutes. That’s why I give up watching The Project, even though I am a fan of this show.

  9. They can do what they like..my issue with The Project running late is…it makes TLR late…and I forget to turn over for Escape to the Country and miss the beginning….which annoys me…so now watch TLR at other times…

  10. Jock makes a very good point, spot on in fact – dear me are things that dire at 10 they are trying any sort of desperation for the audience to sample some of their shows….

  11. Of course they do! My point was that the overruns appear to be designed to make it easier for people to switch over from the other networks at “7:30” rather than trying to stop people switching away from Ten after The Project.

  12. What about the people who don’t want to see the project and boy that’s a lot of people! They go to tune in to a 7.30 show and see the project and don’t want to wait so they switch over to 9 or 7 and then get stuck watching one of their shows!

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