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Seven updates on big ticket shows

Programming boss Angus Ross spills the tea on Plate of Origin, Holey Moley, SAS Australia.

Seven has given more info on some of its big brand titles for 2020 and beyond.

Farmer Wants a Wife, The Full Monty: Guys & Gals, Murder In The Outback: The Falconio & Lees Mystery and Between Two Worlds are next in Seven’s pipeline.

Programming boss Angus Ross told Mediaweek Plate of Origin was impacted by COVID-19 and is only 10 episodes.

“We had to modify what we were doing in order to get something to air. We are quite happy with the way it has worked out,” he said.

SAS Australia will now shoot in the snowy mountains rather than New Zealand and is due in Q4.

Holey Moley will also film in Australia, after US filming was abandoned, and screen in early 2021. Eureka Productions will build a full set with complete 18 holes, in a state yet to be determined.

“We think we will also attract other countries who want to come and use the sets we build in Australia.”

Chatter is also strong Seven will renew Big Brother with Ross describing it as bigger than bigger show than I’m a Celebrity, Survivor, Amazing Race or The Bachelor.

“Much kudos to the production team at Endemol Shine Australia – Mark and Carl Fennessy, Peter Newman and Amelia Fisk. They pitched us a version of the show for 2020 and they have delivered. None of us believed that the original Big Brother format could return. It had been cancelled twice in this marketplace. The reboot really had to work at attracting a new audience. It has evolved and has the storytelling techniques the marketplace now demands. They have delivered that in spades.”

There was less detail around the future of My Kitchen Rules and House Rules, while Ross also confirmed the MKR series that screened this year was supposed to run at the end of 2019, with a regular version with new contestants to start 2020.

“A confluence of events meant we couldn’t do that,” he added.

You can read more here.

18 Responses

  1. It will be interesting how they will allow Ant Middleton is to shoot SAS Australia or will he be allowed to come in still on a visa for the programme?

  2. I’m very much looking forward to seeing SAS Australia & Holey Moley!

    David, any news on if Wife Swap Australia will get an airing sometime this year?

  3. Wonder if POO will be a pile of… goodness lol… i think not!! Pass

    Also big brother, renew it but it needs to be 4 nights a week and the opening episode should be about getting to know the contestants without an initial eviction. Id also change the way sonia announces the votes, there is no supense you know whos gone as soon as she says who got the 2nd highest votes. She needs to say “its time go” between the top 2.

    This wont happen but Id love to include a nomination immunity challenge. The way it is atm its too easy to get rid of people who actually play the game and boring contestants last. Besides that its good. I still dont know much about half the cast tho lol anyway

    1. I’m enjoying the new BBAU, but it’s far from perfect.

      For one, give us more time (the one episode per eviction format is rushed especially with 20 housemates to get to know).

      Plus from a game & drama perspective, it sucks to force the challenge winner to make nominations immediately – I think there’s interesting stuff that could happen by allowing players a day or so to … well kiss butt and make sure they don’t get nominated,

  4. Seven are very lucky that production of Plate of Origin wasn’t shut down completely. I was listening to 2GB Sydney in the early days of the COVID-19 lockdown and people were phoning the station and the police snitch lines complaining that there was no social distancing and that the participants were out and working and not staying within their own homes. The TV and entertainment industry will be suffering from this regrettable period for a long time to come.

    1. Hard to know what Seven should have done without a crystal ball. The way infection spread didn’t happen they could have continued filming the show to the scheduled end.

      1. Masterchef has continued so given the show is of a similar nature to Plate Of Origin it could’ve continued. But the rate at which things were accelerating back then people had different impressions and expected things to be worse than they are now and fair enough.

        1. Absolutely. When the decision to shorten the production was made it was the only show still working in Sydney. People were preparing for universal lockdown and deaths in 10,000s.

    1. BT has said the plan is for Rob to fly out here and join him. Hopefully they will then film the US series on the Aussie set as well (that would explain the casting call for a US gameshow on here last week).
      Really applaud 7 for honouring their commitment to this show, thought it would end up one of those shows that never makes it to air. Hope the investment pays off for them , set must be expensive if the preferred option was to fly everybody to the US.

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