TVT Awards: What readers are saying…

You only have a few more days to cast your vote in the 2022 TV Tonight Awards.

Voting closes at 5pm Thursday January 5 for the best and worst in 2022 Television.

Take the survey here!

Each year the survey also gives readers an open call for comments, allowing for general or specific opinions on TV.

Here are some of the common observations being made this year.

Too much reality. More drama please.

By far the most frequent remark is around the dominance of Reality Television on primetime schedules, and a lack of Australian drama. This has been the prevailing comment across consecutive years -and we could probably predict will dominate next year too.

“As in previous years too much reality crap.”
“More drama and less reality. The Block and Married at First Sight are woeful – scripted reality.”
“Need more homegrown drama.”
“Have we hit peak reality? I think so. It’s here to stay but maybe dial it down a little….. Not much drama on FTA TV aimed at Men. It’s very female-centric. ”
“We need more Aussie dramas and more longer run series.”
“Its not bad but its not good either. More drama is needed. Its still full of reality and we’re getting even more in 2023. Like they say yeah drama but then it gets shafted to late night or the digitals.”
“Think that we should be investing more money into good Australian dramas and supporting new and emerging writers to give us these stories.”
“Too much ‘reality’ garbage.”
“We need more scripted drama. We’ve reached the bottom of the barrel with ‘real people’ who go on the plethora of reality shows who just want to get Instagram fans and then, unfortunately, a job in the media.”
“Too many drama-driven reality shows, need to go back to basics and stop casting trashy influencers.”
“Far too much reality shows. We have great talent but networks are just greenlighting the cheapest crap they can gat away with to fill the quotas.”
“I am missing more longer Australian made dramas instead of all the cheap reality shows although I am sure some of them are possibly more expensive than a drama. If no Australian dramas shown or made then I would rather watch great us dramas.”
“Still struggling in Drama. Too much ‘Reality.'”
“Doing better in drama and comedy, but still too much reality tv.”

Bring back comedy, variety TV.

There were many calls for more Comedy and Variety Television.

“Strong on locally produced drama but very weak on scripted comedy.”
“Hopefully we have reached peak reality and can return to making quality comedy / light entertainment shows!”
“Love the variety of the offerings and how much good comedy there was this year. Of course there are weaknesses – but there are also strengths and I prefer to focus on those.”
“What on earth is happening to Australian drama and comedy on free to air non-government tv channels?”
“Would love to see the return of variety / tonight show/s and Thank God You’re Here.”
“Start experimenting, bring back variety shows, get some live blunders happening again.”
“New Blankety Blanks without a tired host – nightly on Ten at 17:20 for 30 mins.”
“Same as last year a comedy show (not stand up) and a tonight show.”

Concern about Network 10

10 often attracts a lot of commentary at TVT, including with programming suggestions. After several flops, readers were worried about the network’s future, but acknowledged risks being taken.

“2022 was not a great year for Australian television on the whole. It was particularly bad for 10. The network is in need of a major overhaul if it is going to survive long term.”
“Too many reality shows. TEN launches three new formats this year, The Love Boat, Traitors and
The Challenge. Two were duds, one barely passed. Have viewers finally had enough?”
“Ten needs help improving.”
“Can u please run channel 10. I love 10 and want to see it rose to the top but current mgr suck.”
” How is Network 10 a financially viable business?”
“As for 10’s reality show line up, I can only hope that their BVOD numbers are better than their overnight numbers because their overnight numbers are terrible. When did 250,000 become an acceptable figure for a new 7:30 show? I will give 10 credit for trying new formats (Hunted, The Challenge, The Traitors, etc.) as TV needs some new life breathed into it. However, it doesn’t seem that 10 has figured out which new types of formats its audience wants yet (aside from Hunted, which did great).”
“We’re in a golden era of TV, and Channel Ten especially should be applauded for taking so many risks with new shows like The Traitors, and its commitment to Aus Survivor, despite a few misses.”
“Sad Channel 10 not given credit for trying some different things….some good (Traitors), some bad (Challenge).”
“Some greats hits this year with Hunted and Cheap Seats finding its footing now. Need to take more risks even when some don’t pan out, so well done 10.”

Programming on time, more variety in schedules.

Readers prefer shows starting on the half hour, and would like less cookie-cutter clutter.

“Can we please start shows on the hour or half-hour?”
“We want less reality and more Aussie Drama. Also, we want shows starting on time after 7.30pm.”
“The Front Bar: needs to be Live around Australia at the same time!”
“The FTA networks mostly hold their own with News/Current Affairs and Sports coverage. However, they need to be screening a broader range of programs in primetime other than stupid reality shows if they’re to continue remaining relevant with audiences.”
“Still generic and hoping to emerge from reality overkill, but we won’t see any real variety between the networks. All have similar programs on at similar times. All their promotions are generic and hard to differentiate. In fact there’s no real star power between the three.”
“Too repetitive and relying on stripped reality shows – needs way more variety and alternatives.”
“Aussie tv is becoming stale. Every show feels like a cookie cutter experience.”
“No imagination in programming. Every year it’s the same reality shows on rotation with different faces playing the same ‘characters’.”
“Too much reality. There are only two types of shows on Australian TV, News and Reality. It’s getting boring. Channel 7 home of reality and now a new channel full of more reality what a joke.”
“Commercial Free-to-Air TV just keeps dropping the ball (original non-sporting content, diverse casting, variety shows) to the point that it’s relevance is really not there anymore. If the stations could show some integrity and scale down the betting ads, advertorials and anything with “brand integration” maybe they’ll find some room in their schedules to fit some actual watchable local content that is not just rubbish reality TV.”
“The channels are lacking in variety and there’s not enough choice, as there is in other countries. There are many countries that have better variety and quality of programming in broadcast channels.”
“It relies far too much on derivative reality formats. Dramas are patchy at best. Needs more quality documentaries.”
“Networks need to take more risks and not be attacked if those risks fail.”

Thanks ABC

Readers acknowledged ABC’s commitment to local drama and serving as an alternative to commercial networks.

“More decent dramas and more cop shows. Only ABC seems to make anything decent, with a few exceptions.”
“Would be so trashy if it werent for the ABC.”
“The ABC seems to have had a decent year. The drop in ratings for the 7pm news is troubling, especially in Adelaide. However, I don’t really see a solution for the decline at this point. Frankly was great, and should be renewed.”
“Loved what seemed like an increase in quality local scripted content (The Tourist, Wolf Like Me, Upright S2, Colin From Accounts, Fisk S3, True Colours, The Twelve) and we even got the best Underbelly since season one. And, the ABC’s Sunday night drama slot is always worth watching – even when it misses (Barons) it’s still better than what’s on the other channels.”
“The ABC and SBS seem to be the only networks committed to Australian drama, and reflecting Australian culture. The other networks seem only interested in non-stop reality programmes and promoting individuals who will only have 15 seconds of fame.”
“Binge / Foxtel continue to make the best Australian content, however some god content coming out of streaming services and ABC / SBS of course.”
“I rarely watch FTA and when I do it’s usually ABC or SBS. The quality of shows on the other FTAs is poor and I don’t like the emphasis on cheap & nasty tabloid and reality tv. I watch a lot of SVOD and subscribe to multiple services.”
“I watch the news and then I stream. As each year goes by there is less and less watchable FTA. Ch7 does a couple of dramas and SBS has some good stuff along with the British Content on ABC but that’s it, everything else is garbage. Steaming is now king.”
“As I get older, I find that I watch it less, can’t stand all those reality shows, I very rarely watch the main channels, mostly the secondary channels Rush and Gem, Mate and 7 Two as examples. ABC on main channel and I-View, SBS world movies gets a nod also. Hope this was helpful.”

There were also comments around viewers watching more Streaming, less Free to Air, plus some feedback around News bulletins full of ‘regurgitated’ or clickbait items.