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“The MAFS dinner parties have nothing on this season of The Block”

Nine exec Adrian Swift compares the new season of The Block to other key programming properties.

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Block fans are in for quite a ride this season according to Nine’s Head of Content & Production, Adrian Swift.

Speaking at a media launch yesterday he said, “The Block started in 2003. By 2004 it was the biggest show on Australian television and it remains that to this day, 19 seasons, 20 years later, I was talking to David Barbour, who as we’ve heard, co-created the series with Julian Cress. He screened Episode 882 of The Block, this morning. Let me assure you that is very rare in television.

“It is part of Nine’s DNA. It is our touchstone program …. I did think ‘What else is The Block like? Is it like any of our other shows? It’s not like the tennis because if Novak Djokovic is playing, everyone knows he’ll win.

“It’s not like Lego Masters because none of our judges cry. And it’s not like 60 Minutes because it never runs to time.”

There are five new couples this season renovating five 1950s style homes in Charming Street, Hampton East.

“This season is very much like MAFS and you’ll see what these crazy kids get up to, but the MAFS dinner parties have nothing on this season of The Block. And it is a little bit like the News because have you ever been in a meeting where we set the reserves? There’s every chance someone will die. And that will make it on the News that night.”

The new series begins 7pm Sunday August 6 on Nine.

7 Responses

  1. Sounds like I will be recording and fast forwarding through all the drama/ads like last year. I can get through most 90 min eps in about 30 mins this way. I love the base premise for the show, but the Sunday shows are so long winded skewed towards styling now and some of the challenges can be completely irrelevant to the build so I skip them entirely.

  2. “By 2004 it was the biggest show on Australian television and it remains that to this day, ”

    I’m confused, if it was the biggest show on Australia by 2004, why was it not on for 6 years after that?

  3. Well that’s disappointing. I was hoping these older style houses would mean a bit more back to basics approach to the show. Oh well… I guess i’ll just keep watching Streaming services then…

  5. They need to go back to renovating real houses and show what’s actually possible for people that have enough money to renovate rather than just trying to create properties that will sell for millions. Get rid of the drama. I understand it’s reality and it will show stuff that’s real and the drama that is actually real but I hope they don’t have Scott Cam adding fuel to the fire like he always does by being bitchy and saying stuff that he should keep to himself and I hope they don’t concentrate on the drama over the actual reno’s (knock down and rebuild)

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