Logies eligibility to span two years

Now confirmed for late November, this year’s Logie Awards are making many adjustments as they seek to honour the best of Australian Television.

Like the AACTAs, ARIAs, Emmys, Grammys, Golden Globes, Oscars, BAFTAs the Logies have had to work around the challenges of the global pandemic -although notably, it is the one that cancelled a ceremony outright rather than pivot to alternative. More on that later.

Eligibility for TV shows will be for shows from 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2021 -two years worth of content.

But the ceremony won’t be until November 28 -a long way out from their original broadcast.

All shows from Thursday onwards will fall into the 2022 ceremony, which means voters will be faced with a similar problem next year.

To compensate TV Week will allow networks an increased quota of shows they can submit, but TV Tonight understands there is some frustration that many shows (especially those from 2019) will be forgotten in the process.

It will be up to 10, for example, whether they submit MasterChef Australia 2020 with Jock, Mel & Andy or 2019’s Matt, George & Gary (2 guesses which one). But remember these from 2019: Andrew Denton: Interview, Mr. Black, The Recording Studio, The Super Switch, Taboo, Sunday Night, The Letdown, My Life is Murder, Ask the Doctor, Stargazing…. networks have a tendency to submit shows that have current or future prospects.

Early last year TV Week also announced an overhaul to its voting process to try and address recent criticisms. The plan, as it currently stands, is to abandon long lists of candidates. Instead Popular category nominees will be determined by factoring in TV Ratings, Social Content, Industry Judges. The public would simply choose a winner from the shortlist.

TV Week has not confirmed if it is proceeding with this plan, nor when it would commence, but likely around 5 weeks (mid October) before the ceremony.

Television historian Andrew Mercado tells TV Tonight, “I think it’s going to be really tough on shows that aired back in 2019 because people’s memories fade.

“Those who work in the industry and do peer voted awards might be better at studying the guide form than the general public who vote in the Most Popular categories. It’s a big ask for everyone.”

Much of this might have been avoided had TV Week offered a virtual or stripped back awards in 2020. Instead it is now faced with compressing two years of shows into a single ceremony, further exacerbated by the November date.

TV Week’s preference for a live Gold Coast event, underwritten by the Queensland government appears to have driven this decision. The government offers networks $1000 per talent up to $75,000 each, in addition to event funding. Reports yesterday suggested keeping the government happy in order to secure a new deal was also a factor.

Finally, there is the knock-on effect. Late November is busy with Screen Forever conference (due the previous week also at The Star, Gold Coast), ARIA Awards, ABC & SBS Upfronts and is about a week before the AACTA Awards. The latter is particularly awkward timing.

TV Week Editor Amber Giles said, “TV Week is thrilled to have landed on a date we know we can deliver a spectacular show on.

“After spending way too much time on the couch in stretchy pants over the past 12 months, it’s important to us and our partners that we come together at a time when we can all frock up and be in the same room.”

Disclaimer: TV Tonight is a partner of the AACTA Awards.