The Project unveils 2023 team
Sam Taunton and Michael Hing complete the new-look Project team for 2023.
- Published by David Knox
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The Project has confirmed its refreshed panel for 2023.
Joining Waleed Aly, Sarah Harris, Hamish Macdonald and Georgie Tunny are comics Sam Taunton and Michael Hing.
Sam Taunton, who will join Sarah Harris and Waleed Aly at the desk Monday to Thursday, said: “I’m so excited and nervous to join The Project in 2023 (nervous mainly because they’re handing down Carrie’s wardrobe to me and I’m not sure I can pull it off).
“It’s a fresh cast and we’re all looking forward to creating something new and energetic that I think people will really respond to. I’m also excited to steal Waleed’s opinions and use them as my own at dinner parties.”
Comedian, broadcaster, and SBS presenter Michael Hing (Celebrity Letters & Numbers) featute on Friday and Sunday nights.
Michael said: “Honestly, I’m so thrilled to be joining Lisa, Pete and Carrie at The Project and look forward to getting to work with some of the biggest names in television! Wait, what?”
Executive Producer, The Project, Chris Bendall, said: “Both Sam and Michael have been part of The Project’s extended family for a while and I am rapt we have locked them down for big new roles. Comedy is at the centre of what The Project does and given the news has never been more in need of a laugh, these two will make sure there is no better place to get your news and have fun while you do it.
“After the biggest shakeup in The Project’s history I am confident we now have the perfect line-up to launch into the new year. No matter what kind of day viewers have had, we’ll guarantee it will end with a smile. With our new team, I cannot wait to keep serving up the laughs in 2023.”
Network 10 Executive Producer, Tamara Simoneau, said: “What a dream team! We feel pretty lucky to have Sam and Michael completing our exciting new line-up with Waleed, Sarah, Hamish and Georgie for 2023. Who wouldn’t want to hang out with this crew after a long day?
“Both experienced and in-demand stand-up comics, Sam and Michael will bring the laughs, but they’ve also got a few surprises up their sleeves. There’s a great chemistry with the new team already and we know Australia is going to love them.”
The Project also looks forward to working with Tommy Little in 2023 as his schedule allows.
The Project team returns on Sunday, January 8, 2023, at 6.30pm on 10.
39 Responses
I personally would like to see a bit more news…maybe in depth of stories others have brushed over….and a whole lot less mouth open group hysterical laughing…that is so American and so annoying.
Michael is overqualified for 2 nights a week. He could do Waleed’s job easily (and no doubt will at some point).
Not a fan of Sarah, Georgia, don’t know Sam but just feel this is all about budget cuts. With the lower ratings I guess TEN would of tried cutting wages back so I bet Lisa, Carrie, Pete and Tommy walked due to that. Have always watched The Project bit will now only tune in now and then as I don’t think the refresh will work.
I noticed more and more comments by posters on this website complained about our programs/series/movies going woke. As a person from culturally and linguistically diverse, this is truly saddening.
In social media negative comments tend to outweigh positive, broadly speaking. The Project has had a challenging year, and has some perceptions to overcome which I’ve raised with 10. But it also has been a consistent winner with readers in TVT Awards, and also took out this year’s Logie as Most Popular Panel or Current Affairs Program. Who knows if the rebranding will help. Carrie is a loss.
Being culturally and linguistically diverse isn’t exclusively woke. And If there’s a balance that reflects the true demographics and diversity of views in society that are portrayed in the media, whether it be programming or advertising, it certainly couldn’t be described as woke, and it wouldn’t be justified or warranted to describe it as such.
An example is where Salvatore Coco from the original Heartbreak High expressed that the reboot, even though it is diverse culturally, it was done in a way that wasn’t woke.
And yet some called it woke and it’s a big fat hit.
Yes, some called it woke. The point is I think that in reality, in any community, there will be LGBT+ people, and it’s a true reflection, rather than being contrived or an exaggerated or falsified view. It matches the actual demographics of what you’d find in a school.
Waleed, why did you say yes to that guitar bit?? All I could think of was Mike Moore in Frontline strumming his guitar and singing Tears In Heaven!
No more Tommy little on our screens thank god for that. I won’t be watching 10 again ever and cancelling our Paramount subscription after 10’s Australia Day email to staff, how disrespectful and un Australian.
This generation has said sorry and given back 51% of its land back, enough already it’s just insulting now to Australians. CH10 is not the network it used to be and are about to get another wave of people not watching them.
Agree. Al lot of businesses are going to find out ‘Go Woke Go Broke’ will become very real.
Back to television commentary what ever media article you see about The Project the comments section says the same thing. Unbalanced, bias and lefty opinion panel that belongs on the ABC. One hopes Ten are reading these comments, or are they wanting to go broke.
And yet Project has never been found in breach of bias by ACMA. Struggling to even think of a complaint lodged.
Gee, if the only indicator of bias (on any television program) is through an ACMA ruling then unfortunately you’ve got some very big blinkers on David…
Sure but what example of bias do you cite? Whenever I ask people for an example it’s stone silence. Which story are you referring to?
This is a pretty outrageous comment really. How bizarre to assert that you will cancel a network because they dare to propose an alternative point of view to your own! That’s exactly what the left are often (inaccurately) accused of. It’s almost 2023, it’s well beyond time to accept and try to understand multiple points of view rather than just being insulting to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives.
Surprised to find out that Tamara has been promoted to a 10 Executive Producer following her Studio 10 EP role. During that time she made Tristan MacManus host and the already low ratings hit rock bottom.
I am hopeful this shakeup turns things around but by reading the other comments on here we all are at a bit of a loss on that promo. Hopefully it’s an intro promo to a bigger campaign that shows the changes to cast and content so people may tune back in.
We all know 10’s hirings are based on warm fuzzy feelings and hyped press releases over performance or ratings.
So another year of woke, left leaning stories that no-one will watch. Now Ten has cancelled Australia Day as well. When will they learn?
There’s plenty of other options if you just want the same old stories from the same old perspectives. The Project doesn’t always get it right but at least it’s trying to engage with a modern Australia that isn’t scared to come out from behind the white picket fence.
What, like the ABC? Please don’t confuse “modern Australia” with anything other than the “loud minority”.
Axed by Easter
The only reason it hasn’t been axed is because they need it and Studio 10 to count towards Australian content quotas.
You spelt February wrong… 😉
I’m not a fan of Sam Taunton. I feel like he is always scolding the audience for not enjoying his unfunny comedy that he delivers with too much confidence. I’ll predict he is boned before his probation period ends.
What happened to Tom Cashman? it seemed like he was being groomed for this gig all year.
I would have preferred Tom Cashman, but I think he is busy filming Taskmaster for 10. Do not know who Sam Taunton is.
My god, who approved that promo?!
Odd isn’t it? You can have an actor loading kids into the car and talking to camera in an ad for a product and nobody bats an eyelid. But do it with a real person being themselves and it just comes across as silly and staged.
At least insert a sound effect of a full cup of coffee being put down on the desk instead of an empty one!
Wow. Shockingly bad promo. Theyre almost positioning The Project as Studio 10.
Like sitting down to a big bowl of Clag.
Gonna take more than this shake-up to improve The Project. I’m sure the newbies are all great, but I have no idea who they are.
I know Michael Hing from Celebrity Letters & Numbers, but have no idea who Sam Taunton is. I like Michael Hing, but it’s not enough to entice me to watch The Project again anyway, as the culture and politics of the program doesn’t appeal to me anymore. To put things into perspective, I don’t watch Sky News (Australia) either.
Yeah, agreed. I only watched The Project recently to see Carrie’s departure. I’ve seen some episodes over the past year and it just isn’t the same show it used to be. I feel like the format is tired and so is the humour.
I have no issue with the stories they cover, but their discussions and humour have become cringeworthy. Like, some of it’s just not funny or obvious. I’m not sure just refreshing the panel is gonna change that although it couldn’t hurt. The lack of name recognition might hurt them though.
So much for this going back to 30 minutes ,the simple fact is Ten having nothing else to show at this time slot and it’s cheap to produce.
The sad fact is that The Project is not cheap to produce and is a very, very big budget program (which is why I am always surprised that they persist with it given average ratings.)
Whilst not recent and being careful of protecting their identity I know someone who worked in a role some years ago that meant they had access to relevant financial records.
TEN pay Roving Enterprises a licensing fee for the concept (per episode) as well as funds to produce the show. Key costs include the regular hosts contracts, guest fees and especially the large music rights fees paid for anything they use as backgrounds for pre-prepared stories.
I was surprised to see that even when they have say a singer on promoting their album said singer will get a fee, the music rights holder will also get a large fee if clips are used, etc. In fact those types of promotional interviews are, for the network amongst the priciest content on a per minute basis.
Hey that’s interesting, thankyou ,I just can’t think of what else they would show from 6.30 six nights a week.
Hey I agree – can you divulge a ” ballpark” figure per episode ? I’m sure TVT readers will be shocked at what this dross costs Ten … and makes Rove a very happy man …long after his on-air career has stalled.
Cast photo steered away from the “traditional news” poses. It reminds me of a comedy group style photo. Not sure why but I find it cheap and tacky.
Shame Tommy Little wasn’t utilized in the shake up.