Axed: The Checkout
Updated: ABC consumer affairs show culled after 6 seasons due to budget cuts & production costs.
- Published by David Knox
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ABC has axed consumer affairs show The Checkout due to budget cuts and high production costs.
It comes after 6 seasons for the Giant Dwarf-produced show, just days after its nomination in Logies Most Popular Lifestyle Program.
A statement from Executive Producer Julian Morrow indicated, “It’s true The Checkout’s combination of thorough research and creative ways to present consumer information means it’s not as low cost as some other ABC programs. But the cost of making the program has not increased for two years, and the next series would have cost the same or less.
“The Checkout was also slated for production in the current financial year, before the Federal Government’s freeze on ABC funding in July 2019.”
Updated: A statement from ABC:
Please attribute the following statement to an ABC spokesman: “The ABC has decided not to commission a seventh series of The Checkout for 2018-19 at this time. The programming slate regularly changes for any number of reasons, including the need to strike a balance between new and returning programs for audiences. Putting The Checkout on hiatus does not preclude the program from returning in the future. The ABC is proud of its long association with The Checkout and production company Giant Dwarf, with which it has worked on other programs, such as The Letdown and Growing Up Gracefully.”
In 2015 then-ABC Programmer Brendan Dahill told TV Tonight, “When you look at what boxes does a public service show need to tick − inform, educate and entertain − I think The Checkout does all of those in spades.
“When we talked about investigative current affairs meets consumerism, only the ABC can make that show. In terms of distinctiveness, it ticks that box as well, and it comes from a great team who have the ABC DNA woven through them. They know our audience and our audience know them so Checkout for me is a brilliant, iconic ABC show.”
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37 Responses
The Checkout is one of the better shows the ABC has shown.
Meanwhile trash like such as Media Watch AKA Murdoch Bash and The Drum are being spared.
Seriously is there really any difference in the left leaning opinions between The Drum and The Project? It is like the ABC is duplicating a show that already exists on a commercial network.
The ABC is alway axes or stuffs up successful shows that their audience like to watch to make the new shows that they want to make. And they never take responsibility for it, they are always blaming everybody else but themselves for their decisions. The Checkout isn’t that expensive to make, it’s 12 30 minute episodes done in the style of low budget sketch comedy. It does require research, but that’s why its informative and valuable. There’s no way they are going to get something anywhere near as good for the same money, let alone less.
That’s also literally the model that the government & commercial networks said they wanted for the ABC last year – to be a development incubator for new shows, leaving the successful to be picked up / cloned by commercial networks so the ABC can go back to doing the R&D work for them.
And now they’re being bagged for dropping a show that ran for 5 seasons over 6 years?
There’s no pleasing some people…
That’s a shame. I’ve enjoyed this show.
Personally I used to love it but it probably fell off my radar two seasons ago – there was so much going on I just found it tiring to watch! But I’d much prefer shows like The Checkout were in production than 24 hour news.
So in 2038 when they do “The Checkout 2.0” they will be like “see? We didn’t axe it”
Those with functioning memory cells will remember that the ABC “axed” “Behind the News” at the end of 2003 in a conceited effort to try and bring an elected government “to heel” over budget issues. It didn’t work then either.
Seems it’s officially “on hiatus” rather than “axed, never to be seen again”
That’s updated in the story. Happy to run a Renewal post when they confirm.
On the plus side, there’s now a bunch of proven politician-stirrers with time on their hands looking for their next project – and an election in the wings.
And if I was Netflix or similar, looking down the twin barrels of potential local content quotas and a hostile entrenched FTA oligopoly, I’d be quietly going “pssst! Hey, guys …”
Netflix would avoid regional politics. The boys have also spoken about how much harder it is to do pranks now.
Not far off from removing my roof top aerial as the number of shows I watch on FTA which can be counted on one hand has been reduced yet again. If the ABC is privatised, this program will never be back. Gave up on the commercial networks years ago and their primetime 90 minute advertorials full of product placement masquerading as reality TV, vomit!
While this season was a little disappointing, it was still a great show. They could have attempted to reduce the cost, perhaps less costumes, sets, and location shoots, and stick to a humorous and factual story.
The Checkout now the Chuckout.
This show, whatever its faults, perfectly embodies why we need the ABC. What commercial broadcaster is going to air a show that represents the consumer against dodgy business practices and misleading advertising? Ever noticed how commercial “current affairs” shows’ only efforts for consumers involve just one errant small business or a solitary rogue tradie? It’s never a corporate giant because they’re also a potential advertiser. When the ABC led the charge against the banks, where was A Current Affair?!
I too am disappointed. I really enjoyed the show. Sometimes the skits were too long, but FU tube was a good outlet for people.
This would not have happened if the Liberals were not in power.
I’ve watched the show since it started and have enjoyed it but I think it has had it’s time. The show wasn’t as good this year as previous year’s. It needs a break but it should return or a new show in it’s place
What the hell, this was one of my top ABC shows, watched it every week. One of the best consumer advice shows on the air, maybe the only one outside of ACA on Nine which is no where as good!
Really disappointing !
Rarely missed an episode – witty, funny and educational.
Wonder what other genuinely worthwhile shows they’ll be axing?
I’m sorry ABC, this is a huge mistake. We need this show on TV. It is entertaining, informative and a vehicle for keeping businesses honest.
#ThanksMalcolm
I’ll really miss this show. It was well researched and put together to make boring consumer affairs palatable.
This is an absolutely tragic loss. The show went from strength to strength with each season and was endlessly relevant and entertaining. I’ve used its lessons to obtain a replacement coffee maker from Woolies (when they cited ‘the warranty says…’), a full refund from Stan for overcharging, a full refund from Officeworks over a hard drive that didn’t function as stated, a replacement laptop from Harvey Norman (from lessons learned in their very first season) and probably a lot more along the way. This one hurts as much as when we lost Good Game.
Wait. What? Nine presenters for a consumer affairs show????? Holy crap!
Except that this is a multitasking team of presenter / researcher / producers. It’s not Getaway.
That’s totally shit. Just look at the court decision reported on last week where ACCC (CCC) were unable to hold LG accountable for fulfilling guarantees under the Act unless the customers themselves asked for them. If we’re not informed, we’re going to be screwed over. I suppose we can only hope the ABC will reinstate the program when this stupid government gets chucked out on its ear.
Yeah kick the Government out for trying to reduce spending.. how about the ABC become more efficient and reduce some of its costs elsewhere then they could save the show.. you know just like any business or a household does
You’ve got a point… we’re always going to disagree about the importance of ABC funding.
So let’s instead kick out the government for creating a $7B unfunded debt black hole with its GST review…
@Bren88. I agree; some of its ‘stars’ are grossly overpaid for a public broadcaster. It has been reported that Tony Jones is on $330,000 a year for example. Ridiculous!!
Well, that sucks. Admittedly I don’t think I watched a full episode, but I loved watching segments on YouTube, and they did a great job of conveying facts in an entertaining way.
Would be a perfect show to live on through YouTube, if the funding could be secured somehow (maybe a cheaper budget somehow?)
Well, that sucks. Though it’d definitely gotten slightly stale & formulaic in the last couple of seasons, starting to re-tread the same-old same-old, it still did a good job of highlighting & explaining consumer issues.
Its cancellation leaves ACA’s “Paedophile Tradies Ripping Off The Elderly – A Story No Parent Can Afford To Miss!” and the occasional visit to Helen Wellings’ vault at the end of the sunday evening news as the only close equivalents.
No doubt some will cheer, citing ‘personal responsibility is not part of the ABC charter!’ – but I’ll miss it.
PS: I meant people with maturity, gravitas, a lifetime of broadcasting experience, a sense of community responsibility, a devotion to the arts and presenting the facts, and dare I say it, a commitment to truth.
Good lord. I can’t believe the ABC are doing this. Can’t wait for the pointless trendy bollocks they replace it with… They’ve removed Lateline. Now this? It’s incomprehensible. I wish proper old people ran the ABC, as they used to. Now it’s middle-aged trendy adolescents.