Welcome to 2021!

… and don’t let 2020 hit you on the way out!

Happy New Year everyone. Boy are we glad to see the back of that year. Surely, the only way is up?

In 2021 we are certainly counting on lots of things we never got last year.

The Olympic Games are due in Japan in late July (bizarrely still to be called the 2020 Olympics), and the Eurovision Song Contest has 4 different strategies to proceed this year in May in Rotterdam. Montaigne will represent Australia, although we’re still awaiting the song choice.

The Logie Awards are expected in June on the Gold Coast after postponing last year, which reminds me the Golden Globes (normally early January) are due in late February and the Oscars now late April.

Closer to home the industry is counting on the new VOZ ratings soon, which was also delayed last year. This brings together broadcast viewing on TV sets (OzTAM and Regional TAM TV ratings) and connected devices (OzTAM’s VPM Report) to provide all-screen, cross-platform viewing… it does not replace Overnight data.

Content wise we get a brand new Doctor Who special tomorrow, then I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here on Sunday. Also in January are the final season of Vikings, Untold Australia docos, and on subscription Wandavision, The Stand, Us, Servant, American Gods, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Dickinson, Disenchantment, Coast Australia, A Discovery of Witches, Batwoman, Legacies, Death in Paradise, Euphoria (special) amongst others.

Soon we will also get The Amazing Race Australia, Holey Moley, Aftertaste, The Weekly with Charlie Pickering, the Australian Open and Married at First Sight.

There’s also a new channel -sort of- from today with ABC TV Plus taking over from ABC Comedy (more on that here).

Next week also marks another year of TV Tonight, with voting currently underway for the annual site awards.

David.