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“Worst Show Ever?” Nah just an easy headline.

Every week the media cycle manages to find a new show that cops tough tweets.

“Ever” is a very short time in the media cycle.

According to some press, TEN launched the “worst show ever” with Pointless a fortnight ago.

Late last month news.com.au declared “Disappointed Viewers Slam Pointless as ‘Worst Show Ever’” with plenty of tweets with viewer reactions.

Today news.com.au reckons “Dance Boss Branded ‘Worst Show on TV’ as Viewers Slam Dannii Minogue’s Series on Social Media.”

You can guess the kind of tweets it has republished.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with writing about social media reaction to a new show, I’ve done it quite a bit right here, and sometimes copped criticism in kind. Fair enough. Filing both sides of the story is always worth remembering.

Yet with a headline like that be careful what you wish for.

Starts at 60, a partly Seven-owned website aimed at older Australians, also ran its share of republished tweets on the Pointless debut. So if the network’s own entities are happy to throw the phrase around, it can’t really complain when it cops the same as it has today.

No question Pointless was a baptism of fire for the new quiz, which left host Mark Humphries sharing (also on Twitter) that it had been quite a week. Welcome to television. Or commercial television, at least.

Pointless launched respectably before dropping after the curiosity factor was over. It has its work cut out in the toughest timeslot on television, but TEN will be hoping it can bed in and find a crowd.

Dance Boss costs more money and if it doesn’t work is likely to impact on Seven’s primetime schedule. The network, which has recently highlighted issues with Overnight ratings reportage, will be hoping for a better outcome tonight. A very tall order.

As for Worst Show Ever? …… Yasmin wants her title back (for those of you with long memories).

23 Responses

  1. Whether you like or hate Pointless is your decision but let’s give Ten a Ten out of Ten (sorry l had to type that) for trying out new shows. The TV landscape needs fresh ideas and concepts. Let these critics come up with better rating programs. I just heard a pin drop…..

    1. Errr-you do know that it’s a truncated version of a British show that’s aired on the ABC for several years now-hardly a ‘fresh idea’!

  2. What’s amazing about those articles is often the Twitter accounts they quote are from accounts with very small followers who are professional trolls. It’s just fuels the trolling.

    It’s like giving headlines to those people who’d write angry letters 30 years ago.

  3. Am I the only person in Australia that likes Pointless? Think it’s a great show.

    Thought the official worst show in Australian history was Arcade.

    1. I really enjoy Pointless too, but it’s on at a weird time when I’d rather not watch TV.

      As for worst shows – another 7 one, Celebrity Splash!

    2. Not at all. But unfortunately, most of them are watching the UK version, and Channel 10 have pitched it at the wrong time to the wrong audience. I’m still watching the 6pm occasionally but the abbreviated version still annoys me. Otherwise it is watchable.

    3. I’m enjoying too and I think it’s improving as it goes on. We’re starting to get to see a bit more rapport between the hosts and some of the personalities of the contestants. Not an easy feat given the show has been shrunken down from the British version, but I think it’s feeling more relaxed and less rushed. My only real gripe is that they’re not giving all the Pointless answers for the jackpot rounds. I understand there’s time constraints, but it wouldn’t take long to flash them up on the screen. Not knowing what is Pointless, often not knowing any of the Pointless answers in the categories we’ve chosen answers from, takes away from the interactive experience Ten is going for. I like to think maybe Ten will take that feedback on board (I’ve seen a few people complaining about it on the FB page) and make changes at some point going forward.

    4. I’m also enjoying it. I like the two hosts. Mark has a bit of a subversive sense of humour… which cracks me up. I enjoyed the UK version too. Better than most of the game shows. I also like that it moves fast

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