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Nine looking to new comedy projects

It may have lost The Big Bang Theory reruns, but Nine hints at more local comedy at last.

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Nine is hinting at more local comedy for 2016.

“Local production is more important than ever before — it defines your brand,” Managing Director of Programming and Production Andrew Backwell has told The Australian.

“We also think there’s a big opportunity in comedy as there’s not enough on air — viewers are looking for light relief.”

His comments follow Nine losing rerun rights of The Big Bang Theory to Seven after retreating on its Warners output deal.

“At the moment, Nine is winning all the audience demographics under the age of 65, so for them it’s a strategic acquisition because it will bring some balance to their very old network. They’ve got to spend that sort of money to get the demographic profile of the network down,” he said.

But Seven takes the view that the acquisition will boost its share, including on 7mate, and diminish Nine’s library at the same time.

Seven director of programming Angus Ross said, “It is a strategic acquisition — a one-two punch that strengthens our demographic position while weakening theirs.”

Meanwhile Nine’s Backwell tells News Corp the copycat programming war of 2015 will not be revisited.

“We have to get to a situation as an industry where we stop fighting each other,” he says.

“Seven and Nine are not enemies. Our main challenge is to stop the audience fragmentation.

“We should make free to air TV the best product possible so we stop viewers drifting to pay TV, online and to the streaming services.”

Ross agreed: “As a programmer you want to offer alternatives and that was always the intention this year. It didn’t work out that way.”

As the final quarter of the ratings year begins, Nine is leading in the Demos, but Seven rules on Total People.

And TEN has gained on both.

15 Responses

  1. Yuck…

    Local scripted comedy on commercial networks tends to be stale and unfunny. Hamstrung by the personal tastes of senior executives (which seem to rarely match that of the general population). I will give whatever shows 9 chooses a chance, but as soon as they turn into another “Wedge” or “Bogan Pride” I’m out.

  3. I wouldn’t think the copycat programming will continue in 2016 either. Not because of some higher purpose rationale of protecting the longevity of FTA TV, but mainly because it actually leads to lower ratings. Self interest will almost always reign supreme in commercial TV land. And that’s fine….viewers have voted with their remotes in 2015 and the networks have to respond to prosper (or survive).

  5. Seen an article this year on 9 considering a drama project at 7.30pm. Now this article saying they are considering comedy shows. Yet all I see when I turn on channel 9 is reality promos in ads, reality promos on their news services and multiple reality shows, 1 airing and another coming. 9 can speculate all they want about possible projects but all I see is reality every time I turn on channel 9.

      1. I know this is for 2016 and that’s my point. Networks can speculate for the future all they want but when I turn on free to air most of it is terrible now. Quite frankly networks can say they will make improvements all they like for next year but if viewers keep switching off because its terrible now than the viewer is already lost before next year arrives.

  6. “Seven and Nine are not enemies.”
    Ahahahahahahahahahaha. He sounds like he almost means it. While Seven and Nine were throwing their toys at each other and out of the pram, Netflix et al. have come along and picked them up and won’t be giving them back.

    2. Yep not enemies at all, which is why one is in team with Foxtel as Presto and the other in team with Fairfax as Stan for Streaming Services. Which also adds to the other part of that, 7 and 9 losing viewers to their own partly owned pay to watch Streaming Services makes you wonder if that’s what they want for some viewers programming choices.

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