Amanda Keller: “That’s the risk Channel 10’s running here. That’s what upsets me, I think.”
As The Living Room is "rested" by 10, Amanda Keller is fearful the 4 presenters may never get to regroup again, and says ratings are challenged following The Project.
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EXCLUSIVE:
In a big week of farewells and resignations, one more long-running show takes its leave from screens, at least until further notice, The Living Room.
In the 11 years the show has been on air it has won 4 Logie Awards for Most Popular Lifestyle Program, ending a 7 year run by rival Better Homes & Gardens.
Officially 10 is “resting” the show to rejuvenate the timeslot and hopefully refresh the show with Amanda Keller, Chris Brown, Miguel Maestre and Barry DuBois for 2024.
But seasoned performer Amanda Keller tells TV Tonight, television doesn’t always work out that way.
“The four of us as a force is such a rare thing”
“We’ve been told that we are being rested and having a tweak and retjzush, fluffing up the cushions and having a play again, we hope the following year. My concern as always is TV’s like a fast-moving river. The four of us as a force is such a rare thing,” she says.
“Chemistry, whether it’s on radio or TV, is such an elusive thing and the four of us have that in spades. We all can’t just sit out here and wait. But the four of us would always make time to make another show together, to make The Living Room together. But it’s a bit of an ask that we’re all going to be available at the same time. That’s the risk that Channel 10’s running here. That’s what upsets me, I think.
“It’s a big ask”
“A year down the track who knows what commitments… people have to feed their families, people want to keep working. We would do anything we could to be with each other again, but it’s a big ask.
“Our brand is something that’s so strong and so healthy, that you don’t want to muck around with it. But I don’t want to sound ungrateful. 10 have been amazing. But it’s a big thing to be cavalier with.”
Despite this, Keller remains grateful to 10 for giving the show a home for so many years.
“I don’t want to sound bitter. I’m very, very grateful that we’ve had 11 years”
“I don’t want to sound bitter. I’m very, very grateful that we’ve had 11 years, which has been incredible. You don’t want to be one of those shows holds on longer than you’ve got juice. But I already felt that this last year has been our best. We’ve had a couple of years, yes, that I think we went in directions that weren’t particularly us. But I do feel that this last year has been our best incarnation yet. And that’s why I was really surprised at the timing of the resting.”
The show underwent major changes in 2020, abandoning producers WTFN for an in-house production without its studio audience, with a warehouse base and helping out families with makeovers. Last week it drew 183,000 overnight viewers against Gardening Australia‘s 362,000 and BH&G‘s 351,000.
As Keller sees it, following The Project means 10 shows have steeper hurdles to overcome.
“I admire Channel 10 that they’ve stuck with The Project for so long. I admire that they’ve decided to do their evenings differently. But it does mean that if your show’s on at 7:30 it’s really hard to be compared to other shows. We’re up against Better Homes & Gardens, Gardening Australia and we do our best to hold our own in that capacity. I love that it’s a lifestyle night. But you know, they come off a rating of 900,000 from the news or something,” she admits.
“It’s harder for any Channel 10 show at 7:30.”
“It’s harder for any Channel 10 show at 7:30. So I’m grateful that we had 11 years. I think that we deserved a higher rating and I wish more people had seen us, but the people who do watch us are rusted-on, loyal fans who are wondering, like we are, what’s going on here?”
The final episode has a Christmas theme with a closing segment that looks back on highlights and the emotions and friendship between the four are candid.
“All four of us – Chris Brown as well – all of us crying at some of those great moments impacting people’s lives, which we’ve loved doing,” she insists.
“That love and support saved him.”
“A lot of it has been sharing the reality of our lives, with Barry announcing his illness had returned and the emotion that went with that. Barry looks down the barrel of the camera -and it makes me want to cry now- he thanks the audience for saving him. That love and support saved him.
“The people who love this show, rallied around him and made such a difference to his life, not just his career, his life.
“Miguel, this fierce Spaniard, talks about the what loyalty means, and that we are his family and he doesn’t say that lightly.”
She adds, “(10 Entertainment Exec) Stephen Tate once said we were kind of doing a Tonight show by stealth. But we lost our live audience, and that made a big difference too, because we fed off a live audience so well.”
Despite the sad end, Keller wishes the replacement show well. Sort of.
“The overriding feeling is you’re with your friends “
“I hope the other shows have great success on a Friday. But not too much, because we’d like to come back! It’s a tough gig on a Friday night when you’re up against footy for a lot of the year. But that’s why I love that idea you have a glass of wine on a Friday night, you have a laugh and you see something you may want to cook, make, somewhere you may want to travel. You get all of that. But the overriding feeling is you’re with your friends and you’re relaxing on a Friday night,” she observes.
“I know 10 really rate us and love us and they’re trying to find things for us in the meantime. That’s what they’ve said to us. But that’s not how the world really works all the time.
“We’re taking a nice long break over Christmas and then I’ll catch my breath for a little while and see what’s around. I’m in no hurry to jump into something. I’ve been spoiled with The Living Room I really have…So I’ll be a bit judicious about what comes next and hopefully, it’ll end up being with those jokers on The Living Room.”
Indeed, the Gold Logie nominee will be off contract with 10 as the show concludes, meaning another network could swoop upon her availability.
“That’s the nature of the beast. There it is. So I’ll be doing my Anusol commercials all over the place before you know it!”
“Everywhere I go, people tell me how much they love this show.”
Finally she leaves with a message for the show’s loyal fans.
“Thank you for your support. I’ve never worked on a show that has really hit people in the feels like The Living Room has, and I’ve loved that response. Everywhere I go, people tell me how much they love this show. They talk about Miguel, Chris and Barry. I’ve never ever had that and I don’t take that lightly. I will never forget how much I love hearing how people love this show. And I hope we get to do that again.
“Thank you for your loyalty. We’re working really hard to come back again.”
The Living Room finale airs 7:30pm Friday on 10.
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32 Responses
Wow The Living Room gets a lot of comments, maybe a lot more people watched it than the ratings gave it credit for. I just wanted to respond to tvaddict’s comment below about Miguel taking over and getting all the comedic attention – you are so right! They needed more of Amanda’s quick wit and comedy but she could only play off Miguel and the silly gadget segments, they should have scrapped all that and just had a segment with Amanda rocking up to peoples houses for a cup of tea and a chat – tea time!
They did have just such a segment in early series!
Personally I’m not a big fan of Miguel. Yes the travel segments with him and Dr Chris are funny but the rest of the time he is just too loud and takes over. I feel like this means that they don’t give anywhere near enough airtime to Amanda who is actually a very good comedic presence & has great presenting & interview skills that are underutilised. Also that gadget invention segment needs to go, used to be fun but it’s just too stupid now.
I used to watch Better Homes and Gardens before the Living Room happened. I much prefer TLR to Better Homes. To me, Living Room is more homely, where Better Homes is too grande. I also enjoy the friendships/love and banter of Amanda Keller, Barry Du Bois, Chris Brown and Miguel Maestre. Im not a fan of Gardening Australia, so will probably have to return to Better Homes, or channel 94.
I do hope that The Living Room returns in 2024. Thank you Amanda, Barry, Chris and Miguel for entertaining us for 11 years thus far. You will all be very missed.
I’m really going to miss The Living Room next year. 😭 Amanda, Dr Chris, Miguel and Barry made a great team!
Amanda for the Gold at next Logies!!!
A Friday Night lifestyle show is the least of Parmount’s problems. They have no major sport so their ratings tank after Wednesday night every week during peak TV viewing season. They have failed both trying to counter-program and go head on against 7,9,2 News, and have The Project as least worst option. The CBS police procedurals that are airing on 10 are rating 100k, Ghosts US doesn’t do very well and they aren’t even bothering to show The Conners, they are just showing loads of Seinfeld, Friends and Mom reruns on Peach.
The Living Room is a great show and I like the chemistry between them it’s rare these days to see. It needs to come back in 2024 and return the studio audience,, bring back hot or not segment and not the one we ended up with showing stupid stuff every time. Let them each have their own segments including Amanda who would interview people in earlier seasons. I do like it when Chris and Miguel go on trips together it can be hilarious but also there needs to be some real moments where they offer information about the areas they visit. I like it when Barry does renovations on things in the community because it great when you see a project for kids at a school and their faces at the end result compared to a nice house getting another room fixed. TLR For 2024
If Amanda is out of contract with 10, would the same apply for the other three too? Maybe not Chris given he’s also host of I’m a Celeb. What would be the chances of another network picking them up as an ensemble, bringing back WTFN as producers and calling it ‘The Lounge/Family/Good Room’ with the original more successful format!?
The format is owned by WTFN. who created and developed the show.
Props to Amanda and the team for managing to keep the show alive in what is arguably the most difficult timeslot of the entire week. It has historically been where shows go to die.
There goes my Friday night….10 ruined Saturday night for me when they ‘rested’ The Loop…..I dont want drama….I want an easy watch….
I like shows that are always there…same time…same day every week…you can set your clock by them….
At the risk of harping on about it, I feel sorry for Amanda and the team being let down by 10 with the format changes. Those few rejigged shows I watched were cringeworthy. I also feel like 10 don’t promote the show at all?
Now that you’ve mentioned it, they don’t promote it very much when you compare it to all the endless (& very annoying) promos for the latest reality show. I tend to watch shows if I like them not because they’re been promoted or not, but new viewers might be drawn in by bit more promo of TLR.
10 needs to accept responsibility for ruining a format that did not need changing…all to save money I assume, by taking it in-house. I’m one of the many viewers that turned off after that 2020 “refresh”. It’s a shame, because its probably much improved since then, but it’s best days were pre-2020
I used to enjoy the Living Room but I didn’t enjoy the story (who is down on their luck tonight?) running through each episode, I would rather see specific stories from each presenter on something interesting and relevant! And that sounds a lot like BHG – but it works!
I’m a sucker for a show with a studio audience. The Old Living room format with the studio audience gave it a point of difference to the other lifestyle shows. An Energy. A good way to start the weekend. Once again again 10 cut costs (Like they did with News and Studio 10) and ratings suffered. Hmmm…I wonder what they are going to do with The Project! Just saying.
Amandas comment about The Project was a bit low. The ratings for The living Room are not sustainable and if the show was good it would of had its own switch on effect which it didn’t.
Spot on.
People switch from other channels to shows they want to watch, and this was not one of them.
The ratings did not improve from the WTFN era.
I switch from 9 for this…every week….
They should have a summer series through out December. Like better homes and gardens does. 7:30pm weeknights (30mins) then Bondi rescue. Them at 8:30pm new season of US dramas.
Used to love The Living Room before its 2020 format change.
Was definitely one of those “rusted on fan”, regularly watching on a Friday night over a glass of wine or two.
Its appeal was its warmth and familiarity and the lovely rapport between the four of them.
But it just wasn’t the same after the format change and whilst I still watched most of the time, I could take it or leave it.
Just seemed to have become a little stale and its “quirkiness” (which had been part of its appeal before) now appears to be quite forced and really not very humorous anymore.
Resting the show is probably a good idea for now but do hope to see Amanda, Chris, Miguel and Barry back on our screens sometime soon in a rejuvenated version of TLR or something similar.
Totally agree. When there was a studio audience and the “what is new segment” was in place, rather than what can you do with say household items…stupid idea.
All the renos were for some cause or charity. Boring. Go back to what can “Barry do for you”.
Covid did cause a format change, but this year, the old audience based format could have been reinstated.
Format change came after WTFN were dropped as producers and it went in house, so not really tied to Covid.
Ten in my personal opinion which everyone is entitled to have before the “knockers” voice theirs, has been the worst channel in years to watch. It’s mostly reality, the age demographic is a big part of the problem too as is with most channels. It’s my go to channel when I’m desperate for entertainment which is a pretty rare occurrence nowadays with streaming/pay. I only watch Law and Order SVU all the rest of the American series are constantly shuffled/bumped around. Maybe the powers that be at Ten need resting too, bring back the days when tv was less competitive and decent entertainment. I gave up on The Living Room when the raging bull got too big for his pen, the doctor became overexposed, Ms Keller wasn’t that funny anymore but I do still like the suave silver fox who has been constant with his demeanour. Ten it’s a -1 from me as far as scores go.
I’m going to miss The Living Room and I hope it comes back in 2024.
I think Ten is basically embarrassed and can’t bring itself to say the show has actually been axed – after all the network took it “in house” and completely ruined what was a competitive and watchable format.
With great fanfare deluded Ten executives proclaimed the “new” format ( basically a rip off of Queer Eye For The Straight Guy) would take the show to new heights. It did exactly the opposite.
The mishandling of The Living Room is a case study in how not to produce a successful lifestyle show in a very competitive slot.
Niche stories, little to no take out information, the four hosts revelling in their own perceived brilliance – I could go on.
Amanda can blame the lead in of The Project all she likes.
Fact is the show became something that was no longer appointment watching – and the rusted on TLR viewers numbered a paltry 180,000 last week – half that of each of the competition. Unsustainable ratings = axing.
Like many shows it came predictable and segments routine. I personally feel people don’t commit to a regular time to watch TV like it was 20 years back. On demand & catchup services make it so much easier to watch when you feel the need. I would turm Friday into crime night and l dont mean shows from 20 years ago.
Eleven years for a show is pretty good. Coming third in the ratings after Gardening Australia and Better Homes and Gardens was probably also a factor.
The last Living Room oh no!!!
My family and kids used to love Miguel so watching his old clips will be fun tonight. I will say this year wasn’t as fast paced and funny (sorry Amanda) but we absolutely loved the other years and have good memories watching it together.
My father won a holiday a few years ago and the man who organised it made him feel really special which we will always be grateful for, I think his name was Jason so a big thank you for that!
I would love CH10 to bring the show back on Saturday nights and make it a bit more like Hey Hey it’s Saturday used to be, I think it would do really well because they are a funny lot together. I agree with Amanda it would have been hard following The Project and competing against other similar shows on Friday nights.
It jumped the shark in 2020.
I have always thought the 7:30 Friday slot, against two other established lifestyle shows, isn’t right for The Living Room. I feel Saturday’s would make much more sense.
I would be surprised if tonight’s show isn’t their last.
Put a game show, or interview show, or (Australia’s Most) Wanted, something different in the 7:30 Friday slot.
I used to love this show and I watched it every week for many years. I haven’t really watched it this year and maybe so many fans have stopped too, as the ratings show. Covid has impacted this show, and the format changed, which swayed me away from my weekly tune in. It is a shame it is being rested, and I hope 10 finds a solution to their Friday nights. Having TLR start a bit earlier could combat that problem of competing against two other successful shows. The four presenters work so well together and I will miss that. I may just have to tune in tonight.