Zumbo’s nod to Gene Wilder ….or just tacky promotion?
On the day Gene Wilder's death is announced Seven can't help but link his name to an under-performing reality show.
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“Tonight you’re invited to share the magic of Willy Wonka. How will Zumbo bring the magical hat made famous by Gene Wilder to life?” -Seven publicity release
It didn’t take long for Seven to reference the great Gene Wilder to promote Zumbo’s Just Desserts tonight.
On the day his death was announced the show just happens to be serving up a dessert based on the Willy Wonka hat design.
The show’s entire production look has been based around the “factory” setting of the 1971 classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Nobody could have predicted the death of the much-loved comedian during its season run.
Until now there has been no specific mention of actor Gene Wilder in relation to the show. But Seven hasn’t hesitated in drawing parallels today, for a show that is arguably under-performing.
Wouldn’t a movie tribute actually be a better nod, Seven?
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23 Responses
Whats tacky about it is that it looks nothing like Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder), not even in the slightest. It has a very slight resemblance to the Johnny Depp version, but really its a Mad Hatter hat. I only watched a little bit of the show as it’s all i can stand, was it ever mentioned as a Wonka hat? Even the whole floating part is Mad Hatter all over.
Shameless last ditch effort at promotion. Disgusting.
They’ve been promoting this episode since before the Olympics. They couldn’t possibly have known Gene Wilder would die the day it aired.
Sorry, but I don’t see the problem. The “hat” dessert was already programmed for tonight, and it really does look like the hat Gene Wilder wore in the movie. Move on, nothing to see here 🙂
The episode was alway set to air, yes. However, on the day in which Gene died and on no day prior, 7 centered promotion of the show around the death of Gene. It was hasicilly as if they are saying “Gene Wilder died but watch this show because some people make a desert which looks like his Willy Wonka hat”. They shouldn’t be using a death as a means of promotion. It is wrong on so many levels, but I have come to expect 7 to go that low in the name of ratings.
Yeah I thought when I heard it on the radio it was a bit… cheap. But that’s 7 I spose.
Wrong or not wasn’t that hat amazing? Everything inside it and how it floated.
Waiting on which channel will play willy wonka.
Foxtel have it scheduled on their Family Movies channel. Several repeats over the next few days.
Don’t have that channel. I meant free to air.
Sorry, can’t help. But DK did post that neither Seven nor Nine have it in their libraries.
Of course it is tacky. No class.
Now being tagged onscreen as a “Willy Wonka Tribute”. How low can they go?
Tacky publicity for a show that is sinking (except for 7towns of Adelaide & Perth). Leave poor Gene’s name out of it.
If Channel Nine has the rights to Willy Wonka they should run it this Friday night in non NRL states – it would have to be better than Postcards or whatever they serve up in Adelaide and Perth.
The Gene Wilder death / promotional tie in would be expected to be seized upon by a drowning show, don’t you think ?
Perhaps Seven is hoping some of Gene Wilder’s personality magically rubs off on the wooden Zumbo.
Nine doesn’t have it anymore.
In a word…Disgusting.
Hopefully the coincidental and sad passing of Gene Wilder will also carry on to parallel the overdue demise of this unimaginative, lazy rip off of multiple other formats.
Seven advises it has no GW movies in its library.
I have both “Willy Wonka” and “Blazing Saddles” on DVD should Seven care to borrow them for a tribute. (Just joking)
Using Willy Wonka to promote it is fine, but using Gene Wilder’s name as a promotion because of his death is just tacky
Because I’m such a fan of Gene Wilder, I’m thinking a bit tacky with the timing. Hopefully it’s just a coincidence.
To be fair, the hat did feature in the copious previews during the Olympics and was bound to turn up sooner or later. I wonder if the hat was always planned to appear tonight, or if it was shuffled into tonight to take advantage….
The hat was always planned to appear tonight given the whole show had been filmed, and tonight is the last episode for the week. The timing of Gene Wilder’s passing was coincidental.
Yes but the issue is with how they are promoting it. They are literally promoting it as “Gene Wilder died but watch this show because some people make a desert which looks vaguely like his Willy Wonka hat”.
That is wrong, but I have always expected 7 to sink that low in the name of ratings. This just confirms my feelings.