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Time for 10 to return to 7pm Sunday starts

After finishing fourth in 2022, one of 10's scheduling challenges need a rethink.

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With 10 having finished behind ABC in 2022 it will be time for some soul-searching at 10’s Pyrmont headquarters.

Admittedly, while the network lacks a sports code that attracts big crowds it will continue to have an uphill battle against its rivals.

Still, Aussies do love an underdog and 10 has a great reputation for taking risks and running its own race.

Hunted, the year’s biggest new show is one such example.

So should big pillar shows start at 7:30pm on Sundays, giving competition a 30 minute head start on the back of their big news crowds?

10 has traditionally favoured audiences knowing their big reality shows are 7:30 starts each night they are on.

But Seven and Nine have proven the audience has evolved, and can adjust perfectly well to a 7pm Sunday start then 7:30 weeknight.

Shows like Australian Survivor, MasterChef, I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here (due in April 2023) really need a more equal footing.

Last week Amanda Keller said of The Living Room, “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.”

Now that The Project is refreshing for 2023, is it time to signal a scheduling change, similar to ABC recently abandoning their 7:40 Sunday starts?

TV critic Colin Vickery told TV Tonight, “One of the golden rules of television is never to give the opposition a head-start but that is what 10 has been doing on Sundays.

“Married at First Sight, The Voice, The Block and more get the jump on 10’s reality offerings by screening from 7pm.

“When such a huge chunk of the audience has made its choice at 7pm then anything starting half an hour later is fighting for scraps.”

TV historian Andrew Mercado agreed saying, “10 used to be the cool network that did things different, but their dismal ratings performance this year can’t be ignored.

“Whilst I hate the idea that 10 has to bow to Seven and Nine just because they make the rules, it does seem like the definition of insanity to stick with 7.30pm for their tentpole reality shows when they keep losing to the competition that starts half an hour earlier.

“The sky won’t fall in if The Sunday Project moves to a 6pm start.”

30 Responses

  2. Didn’t they try the 7pm slot on Sunday and it didn’t work? Until we stop being brainwashed by MAFS and The block. Nothings gonna change. Also they need to give shows a chance, Aka the challenge. It’s summer ratings, no need to chance it’s time slot.

  3. Is daylights saving making a difference with the ratings? I suppose if people are out having fun in the sun (when it’s not bloody well raining hah) they’re not going to rush home to watch something especially when they can stream it. I use the pvr heavily for timeshifting, can’t fwd thru ads on streaming. I wouldn’t have thought start time that important if people want to watch a certain show they will no matter what time but maybe its the undecided viewers that make or break the show?

  4. 10 are at the crossroads. They need to make some tough decisions. Yes start at 7pm but they have bigger issues than that. They have tried to attract the young audience for years but it has not worked. Shows like love boat, bachelors and the challenge targeting young audiences have not worked cause teens and twenty somethings don’t watch free to air. Nine and 7 target older viewers who watch tv to be entertained in there 60s and 70s. 10s loyal followers are people who grew up watching ten 25 to 40 years ago. Hence ten need to target 40 and 50 year olds. Maybe that is why hunted was a success. Something older viewers would enjoy. 10 should show the bridge how that it’s been on paramount. Working dog productions a prefect for 10. Get them to do more. They desperately need a major sport. Cricket rights is all that is left for a while. The project needs to target an older audience. They have to attract wider audiences and more eyeballs or the end is getting close.

  5. This is a good little thread – my two cents! Make the Cheap Seats as a replacement for the Project, keep at 30-45min Monday to Friday from 7pm and turn the Project into a single night staple (say Tuesdays) like Dateline or 60 Minutes but with some humour. Neighbours back on Ch10 as a news lead in, and Ch10 News can compete with ACAs timeslot/ABC News. Utilise Viacom-CBS content better to plug gaps in the schedule.

  7. disrupt. disrupt. disrupt. Ten have always been great at setting the agenda rather than following. I think they should use this project refresh as a chance to really flip things up – i like the project and think its a flagship program for them and believe it belongs in the schedule but they should look at every option. 5pm, 6pm, 6.30pm, 7.30pm, 9pm, 9.30pm, 8pm – I dont know what will fill the gaps (would love to see some form of light enterianment/tonight show) but they should be looking at all options and and as an opportunity to adjust to the changing needs of how Australians consume media.

  8. I have been saying this on TVtonight for a long time, 10 needs all prime shows to start at 7pm not just Sunday. Nine is committed to ACA, Seven has Home & Away and ABC is committed to 7pm news, why not offer at alternative?? The Project not setting the ratings ladder on fire so why not try it??

  10. Upper Management needs to be replaced by CBS management and over seen by some Australian tv executive that knows what Australians want on TV. Currently 10 is sinking bad.

    1. I wonder if they’ll pack up and go one day as I for one do not see any improvement next year or the years ahead ,and to be honest they’ll never have any big Sport that will help their ratings ,they appear to be an also ran network.
      I know the rights for the cricket are up soon and being looked at by alot of FTA but the BBL will not regain what they lost when the rights went to Seven.

  11. I love channel 10. They’ve had so many of my favourite programs on over the years. I do wish they’d start their reality TV stripped shows at 7, getting better ratings, and knock this nonsense of clinging to the Project at one hour on the head. If it must be one hour, move it half an hour earlier instead of the silly hour and half of news. They are really stubborn re the Project.

    1. It’s a saying full of holes though. Heartbreak High is a hit around the world and was accused of the same. Nine and Seven reality shows also have high diversity although it varies from show to show. 10’s woes are a mix of factors, poor sport, some weak formats. Agree Project needs more than some host changes, it needs to revisit its format after a decade 10+, no shame in that.

      2. Never seen the reboot of heart break high not my demographic Of course 9 and 7 have a high diversity but its not shoved down our throat, its just people on a show, not lecturing the rest of the country. When the networks flagship show The Project is so far left and so PC, that has an effect on the rest of the network. If you dont have eyes watching at prime time how do you expect people to know whats on. Ten has alienated many people, coming 4th behind the ABC, my god what a disaster. As 10s Chief sales officer said in an interview “Today, brands must reach the most progressive, switched-on, socially active, fan-heavy audience,” he said. It was up to brands to ask if their media partners were “being held to account as strongly as your customers hold you to account”………….. Really mate, sorta narrowing down your audience arnt you???

      3. Yes I agree, 10 needs to think outside the square, if you want to win you need to lead the pack not follow them, we know how and what the pack (9-7-2) do……has any asked the question at 10 what there not doing?……

  13. How could channel 10 compete with 7 & 9? 10’s big problem was its 6/6:30 timeslot. Chopping & changing doesnt work. In 2011, 10 dumped the Simpsons to make way for expanded news output. Sadly, the 10 News Revolution strategy failed. George negus was moved from 6 to 630 and was axed. Then they moved the project to 6:30 and extended by 1 hr. In 2012, the show pushed to 6pm to compete with 7/9 news. it never worked and simpsons returned to its 6pm timeslot with project reverting to 630 in late 2012. The simpsons backfired in ratings. Channel 10 simply gave up its 6/630pm timeslot in 2013.

    1. Agree. Even if 10 start (which ever) tentpole show at 7pm, it needs a decent lead in. Otherwise these reality shows will keep languishing about 300k-400k and will never build an audience. BVOD numbers add to the live broadcast but the total people number still dwarfs the competition.

  14. “similar to ABC recently abandoning their 7:40 Sunday starts”.
    True, but the ABC usually had a 50 minute show on at 7:40 (no ad breaks!), so the next program started at a more conventional 8:30pm. And this was often a well-rating first-run drama.

  15. Agree. Shorten Project to 30 mins or start it at 6 on Sundays. Move Cheap Seats to 7.30 Weds and Googlebox to 7.30 Thurs while they’re at it. Supersize Sunday reality and strip it Monday, Tuesday only. What they’re doing isn’t working so they need to change approach.

  16. On the flip side with much discussion lately about the future of The Project is it worth Ten getting the jump on their rivals with a 7pm start to the reality franchises in the week?

  17. 100% for 7pm starts on Sundays – I agree with DanR, with news at 6pm. I then think the project at 630. They could capitalise on a shorter news bulletin that competitors don’t have in prime time.
    Then at 8pm (again agree with Dan) a weekly chat show. Frankly style has proven work, but don’t want to be a completely imitation.

    Weekdays 90min news is too long. But there is no way the can compete with running their news at six too. News 5-6. Neighbours at six. Project 630. Stripped reality at 7 also.
    Or need 5-6. 6-630 ??. 630 neighbours. 7 the project.

  18. So much has been commented about ten, I reckon there’s nothing new to be written…..in any event, ten now officially have very little to lose. Behind the ABC……dear oh dear. It’s seems completely stupid for ten to play by seven and nine’s rules. Launching a main show (IACGMOOH) during January was smart and worked. It pulled people to ten. And was a paradigm shifter of sorts. Starting their reality show at 7pm seems a no brainer. They should make a play for the soccer World Cup as soon as they are able. It’s a very popular sport at school level and works along side their domestic coverage. BBL hopefully at ten. And stop repeating CBS shows endlessly within the same week (which I gather they tend to do)….surely the CBS library makes this unnecessary. It does appear ten gave up in 2022 toward the end. I want them to do better in 2023. HYBPA and cheap seats proves we know how to watch ten each week if there’s something worth watching.

  19. Absolute no brainer and not sure they need /should put The Project ahead of it either. News should be on offer at 6pm as no one is looking for it at 5pm on a weekend. They’d be better off considering an 830 variety/chat show offering (an evolved Sunday Project?) that is part Rove/Graham Norton/Frankly.

    1. The habit of people watching News and Current Affairs every evening on 7,9,2 is 50 years old and has shown little sign of changing, despite the rise of the internet. Nothing Ten has tried that has done better than The Project. When they tried News and Current Affairs with George Negus at 6pm it was a disaster even worse than their current situation and was the beginning of Neigbours’ second death. Starting at 7pm Sunday wouldn’t hurt, but it’s a minor tweak that will help Hunted and Masterchef a bit, with the panel changes now is the time change The Project. Nothing is going to help cheap contest shows like The Real Love Boat, The Challenge and Traitors, it’s the same strategy that cost Murdoch the network. It’s also obvious that Paramount cares more about their streaming service not failing for a second time, Peach’s younger audience and shopping channels than the main channel.

      1. Exactly. Sun evening has been a huge problem at 10 in the past 12 years and have reshuffled programs in on Sunday lineup. Sunday early evening lineup is a main problem. In 2012, 10 added a Sunday project (30 mins) and it was a failure. It has never fixed its evening woes for 10. And 5 years later, they brought the Sunday project (60 min) and this had made a lot of damage to the ratings. They had family feud on sundays & it never worked. The PR team have clearly got no idea with their programming.
        7 and 9 have already established its early evening lineup with its Local News at 6pm and its Tentpole programs at 7pm. Sorry this is why channel 10 is a basket case.

  20. I think the attitude with The Project is that the narrative and agenda comes before ratings. There’s a difference between giving a show a chance, like they did with HYBPA?, and holding onto something because of wanting to push agendas. Amanda Keller said that The Project may have affected the lead-ins. And while viewers can switch over if they’re keen, the lead-in didn’t help. The attitude of narrative and agenda before ratings certainly would cause hesitation for advertisers and forecasts.

    1. I still don’t get what this “agenda” is with The Project? Critics seem to think it’s some sort of lefty paradise but I don’t think it fits that perception, or not to the extent that they seem to think it does.

      1. It’s a right wing/News Limited narrative that has gained hold. I think they understand their audience pretty well with most under 50s pretty progressive if recent election results are any guide. But that’s also their problem. Most under 50s aren’t sitting in front of commercial TV at that time of the day!

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