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Programmer’s Wrap 2024: 10

Two shows for Robert Irwin, MasterChef 4 nights a week, NCIS: Sydney this year on 10 -plus which Reality shows yet to be renewed?

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EXCLUSIVE:

10’s first quarter will see Entertainment shows six nights a week in the 7:30 slot as part of a personality-peppered year to feature Jonathan LaPaglia, Grant Denyer, Julia Morris, Celia Pacquola, Sam Pang, Tom Gleeson, Migueal Maestre, Melissa Leong, Tim McDonald, Melanie Bracewell and new star recruit Robert Irwin in not one, but two network shows.

Australian Survivor has returned with an all-new cast of contestants for the first time in years.

“We’re excited to do this because it replenishes the pod of Survivor contestants for future All Stars and future Heroes which no doubt will come around again,” says Daniel Monaghan, SVP Content and Programming says.

“They come in all guns blazing”

“This is like OG Survivor with new fresh faces that play really well. Sometimes I’ve seen on other series from international versions, the new contestants don’t know the game as well. This crew knows the game and they play it fantastically… they come in all guns blazing and they are great characters to watch.

“It’s a proven performer against MAFS in a different demo and it does really well in live streaming and online catch-up as well as the overnight numbers. …it’s always launched against the big formats so I’m happy it’s there.

“I love the format. It’s one of my favourite shows both in my job and as a fan.”

 

This week also saw the premiere of new game show Deal or No Deal with host Grant Denyer returning to the 6pm timeslot.

“He’s the most consummate game show host in the country. If you’ve seen his Instagram posts lately, he is genuinely thrilled to be there, and I think a bit surprised,” he continues.

“Something enjoyable that’s going to make you smile”

“If you don’t feel like sitting through another half an hour of heavy news…. it’s a great opportunity to switch off, put your kids in front of something safe for the kids to watch and something enjoyable that’s going to make you smile.”

The show is designed to bolster 10’s early evening line-up, screening before The Project.

“We’re excited overall about our early evening line-up, giving them massively entertainment skew lead -in. The new Project hosts have had over a year now. So we’re excited to get that energy back into the early evening schedule and flowing through into The Project again.”

New episodes of The Dog House screen from Thursday while Ambulance Australia returns for a 5th season, now narrated by Chris Bath.

“The established cast is so good”

Gogglebox returns in late February. Are there any cast changes?

“I’d love to get some fresh faces. I love all the Goggleboxers, but it’s always nice to have a new group if you can, they’ve got to be good, though. That’s the problem. The established cast is so good.”

A rebooted Ready, Steady, Cook hosted by Miguel Maestre is expected on Friday nights before Easter, given a primetime feel 11 years after it was a hit daytime show.

“What we’re after is to give the show a bit of glitz for 7:30,” explains Monaghan, “so the pace will quicken, it will look shinier. Effectively the DNA will still be there. It is a cooking show and a competition. Endemol Shine do that so well so they’ll just tweak the format ever so slightly to just get into that primetime space, with Miguel in a former Living Room slot.”

“Robert’s so personable”

I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here premieres on March 24 during the Easter non-ratings period, effectively as it did in 2023. One of 10’s big coups for 2024 was signing wildlife warrior Robert Irwin to pair with Julia Morris.

“The show has a spring in its step because Julia and Robert together are gonna be dynamite. It is a really exciting change,” he insists.

“Robert’s so personable and we’ve seen him do a few little bits and pieces and now I think he will surprise everybody. Well, maybe he won’t, because people already know he’s good!”

Irwin will also feature in another show of his own later in the year.

Both Have You Been Paying Attention? and The Cheap Seats screen from Q2 while Free to Air viewers will see NCIS: Sydney from late May.

In a major change, MasterChef Australia will screen four nights a week in 2024, instead of five, with Taskmaster to screen Thursday nights.

“For the majority, the 90 minute episodes are now only on a Sunday. The rest of them, apart from maybe Week One, are usually 60 -70 minutes on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,” Monaghan confirms.

“We want to make them laugh, and give them a reason to come in”

“Honestly, I think five nights is a commitment. We want to protect the show, particularly those episodes on Thursdays …if we were to schedule it there they might choose to watch something else. So we’re giving them an alternative instead of on Thursdays. We want to make them laugh, and give them a reason to come in. Taskmaster is a slightly different audience but there is definitely crossover between the two.”

2024 MasterChef hosts are Andy Allen, Poh Ling Yeow, food critic and journalist Sofia Levin, and chef, Jean-Christophe Novelli. Will all 4 feature every episode?

“At the top of the series, when the show is getting established, I think we want everyone as much as possible. It’s just depends on how much they enter into the conversation in each of the tastings and / or wandering around the benches. Even with three judges they always tasted, but on the floor… they kind of taken it in shifts a little bit.”

A second season of Dessert Masters will follow immediately with Melissa Leong and Amaury Guichon, including through the Olympics.

Gogglebox returns after the Olympics along with Dogs Behaving Badly plus 2023 revival hit Thank God You’re Here with Celia Pacquola.

Hunted, which is yet to film, will return to the streets of Victoria but with a new take on its opening scenes.

“There will be a change to the first episode and the way the opening is constructed. It will still be as thrilling, possibly more so. But we will try and keep a tight lid on just how these few fugitives are being put on the run,” he teases.

“We’ve got people banging down our doors to go on it”

Also returning is The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity.

“We’ve got people banging down our doors to go on it, which is good thing. It doesn’t always happen that way.”

Does 10 envisage increasing the destinations in 2024?

“Last season was slightly adjusted around the celebrities,” Monaghan explains, “and the route was sort of tailored to getting a certain type of celebrity and making sure that we could do it. I think you’ll find that we will go a bit further in this series. I’ve seen the route. If everything goes well, we will be extending out on what we did last year. Absolutely.”

The Inspired Unemployed (Impractical) Jokers, returns to both 10 and Paramount, Bondi Rescue returns, and six episodes of Wheel of Fortune Australia hosted by Graham Norton are yet to be scheduled.

10 will also screen Paramount+ dramas Five Bedrooms S4 and Paper Dolls this year.

Two big Reality shows, however, are yet to be renewed -both hosted by Osher Günsberg.

“We haven’t gotten anywhere in terms recommissioning The Masked Singer or The Bachelors as yet. We’re still working through what the year looks like,” says Monaghan.

“We haven’t recomissioned Mirror Mirror yet. We love the series, love to explore doing more with Todd (Sampson). It’s always one of those shows that resonates across all our platforms. It’s a different tangent for us to take and it’s worked really well for a couple of years.”

 

Shark Tank, announced at last year’s Upfront, is also yet to be renewed.

“We’re still talking with the production company about a returning season. Series 1 and our reinvigorated Sharks were very well received and the sponsors absolutely loved it,” he continues.

Not returning this year are Location Location Location Australia, The Traitors, Would I Lie to You? or The Living Room -despite previous network statements about “resting” the show.

“You can’t say it won’t ever come back.”

“There’s no plans for Living Room this year. With Dr. Chris having left that certainly makes it difficult, and Miguel is now on Ready Steady Cook as the host. But it was such a well loved show. You can’t say it won’t ever come back. But it’s not in the schedule for this year.”

Late last year 10 concluded a long run with Studio 10. In its place is repeat content.

“Once Studio 10 was no more, I’m not sure that we were ever planning or expected – apart from your readers- to ever throw another morning show into that slot. What we’ve done is utilise a lot of our Australian content to play in that period, and obviously we’ve got CBS shows as well.”

Lastly, there are is an official assurance for Neighbours fans who this week will be facing the loss of a much-loved character, such is the nature of soap.

There are plenty more episodes ahead, screening 4pm Monday – Thursday.

“Neighbours was always commissioned for two years and we’re still partway through year one. So Year 2 will start in September.”

Still to come: ABC, SBS.

38 Responses

  1. “Honestly, I think five nights is a commitment“
    This makes me laugh!
    To all networks even 4 nights is a commitment!
    I choose to not engage if shows, especially reality are on more than twice a week.
    It’s too much of the same every night I like to mix it up, with drama, docos and light entertainment too!

  2. No Deal! Can’t believe they brought that ridiculous Deal or No Deal format back. I hated it back then and I hate it now. Family Feud is so much better!

  3. Not committing to the Masked Singer is a mistake!! It is such a key part of the water cooler talk!! With the new ratings system it’ll go gangbusters!!

  4. I am still baffled by the love for The Traitors by posters on this site. It’s a poorly constructed one sided strategy game. All I can think of in the venn diagram of people interested enough in television to post on a television site, and people who would like to participate in a reality strategy show that has local casting and isn’t too physically demanding there must be quite the overlap.

    1. There’s no denying it had a cult audience but not one big enough for a broad success which is what 10 needs. I think the format needs improvement around its jeopardy and storytelling, so it remains to be seen if 10 will revisit, but not in 2024.

  5. There doesn’t seeem to be much going on for the back half of the year other than The Amazing Race and Hunted. Feels like they need at least a third tentpole show to see them through to the end of the ratings season.

    1. That’s actually fairly typical of most broadcasters and most years when I do these wraps. Nine and Seven were also juggling some titles and schedules for Q4. 10 will need to fill spaces if Masked Singer and Bachelors does not return, but as we saw last year, Thank God was announced around April. Nine announced Rush and Summit into 23. I think it’s reasonable to afford broadcasters some wriggle room.

  6. I think I’m a Reality TV addict/junkie! I think I have an addiction and I can’t get enough of it!

    In terms of Reality TV, Te has the best offering of it this year (as usual) with Australian Survivor, I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, Hunted & TAR Australia (I suppose you could even count Masterchef, Dessert Masters & Gogglebox under that bannner), but I agree with a lot of other comments here – bring back The Traitors! I really enjoyed the second season and the international versions (UK, USA, NZ & Canada) are fantastic!

  7. I don’t watch a thing on ch9. Ch7 it’s mostly the news and Home and Away plus the Chase Aus. Channel 10 has all my shows-Survivor Aus, MasterChef, I’m A Celebrity (although with Robert as co host I’ll be giving it a miss this year. The promo was so cringe), Amazing Race (boo was hoping for all new contestants, not the celebrity version but oh well. Better than nothing) Cheap Seats etc.

  8. The shows that I would watch are HYBPA?, THe Cheap Seats and TGYH. But I Only listen to HYBPA and TCS through podcasts to avoid ads. It’s good that Working Dog Productions are building more podcasts. Hope that Working Dog produces TGYH podcasts.

  9. Every year at the start of the year TV week have a comprehensive list of all the shows coming that year. I usually keep it & mark off the shows as I watch them. Last year they had Paper Dolls listed as coming to 10 but then it went to Paramount+ instead. Glad to see it will be on 10 this year. I was checking it just before Christmas & there were still a heap of shows that hadn’t aired yet. Hopefully they will be on this year.

  10. I am another Traitors fan. Just finished watching season 2 UK version. It was great, especially the finale. I think the Aussie versions problem is the people they pick to play here. I thought the contestants were terrible on our version last year. Give it another go please Channel 10

  11. I am (delusionally) still holding out hope The Traitors somehow gets brought back especially with the big group of shows yet to be recommissioned. It could even see a healthy bump thanks to the new ratings.

    Absolutely baffling how the show’s currently breaking records worldwide (the US, the UK, New Zealand) but it was DOA on Channel 10 for both its seasons. Poor marketing or the wrong network?

    1. I’d say a few reasons, but perhaps it would’ve worked better as a Wed & Thursday show for 70 mins Max.

      The huge ratings for the UK version are online and in catch up. So the Live showing isn’t the be all and end all like in Australia.
      An episode had 2.1million Live viewers out of 6.7 million total.

      1. Not entirely true – overnights for the back half of the season reached 4.5-5million per episode. The finale reached 5.8m with a peak of over 7m!

        Catch up numbers are pushing it another 2-2.5million. It’s insane over here.

    2. Same. I loved the traitors. There was only one season. I don’t understand why it didn’t get renewed or why more people didn’t watch. Given the Us and Uk and NZ first seasons are on tenplay I’m wondering if they will even get season two of each. And if not where would one watch then. I know us is airing right now.

    3. I do wonder if getting in first hurt it. Would their have been more hype if they could have promoted it as already being a hit in the UK and US?

      But then there was no boost for season 2 either.

  12. SMH reported late last year that Lisa Wilkinson’s contract was extended to December 2024. I’d say that makes Lisa the highest paid narrator in TV history as her last day on air was November 20, 2022!

    It’ll be an interesting watch to see how and if 10 bring Lisa back on screen … Amazing Race for her and Peter?! Or will Lisa be appear in the jungle?!!

  14. It’s curious that The Traitors might have worked better with the new ratings system. Could it have reached a million viewers? You never know. It deserves another chance.

    1. Unlikely. Networks and advertisers get all the data. So while the new ratings system is good for headlines, it doesn’t change the information the network gets.

  15. So we have: Have You Been Paying Attention?, The Cheap Seats (maybe, started to get a bit boring last year), Thank God You’re Here and Taskmaster, that are worth watching. While the rest is mostly reality/observational crap (no offence intended to those who do).

    To make matters worse, a number of these shows go on for hours & hours over multiple nights (ditto for 7 & 9). Didn’t Gladiators just flop with 1 of the reasons given was the length of each episode & the nbr of episodes? We simply don’t have the time to sit down & watch 70mins+ of MasterChef or similar 3+ nights per week.

    Where’s some decent drama (or even semi-decent drama)? Five Bedrooms … watched years ago (well it seems like years ago). After all these decades moved on from NCIS: whatever and Paper Dolls … maybe. Bugger all really.

    Seven & Nine are just the same, full of reality/observational rubbish with just the odd show worth watching during the year.

    Oh well, nothing has changed…

    1. Did you read the article? It clearly stated weekday episodes of Masterchef will be 60-70 minutes (and one less episode per week, down to 4).

      Cheap Seats still rates well, and I for one look forward to each new episode. It’s likely to have a later start this year. Mel is performing in the Sydney Comedy Fest in May.

      1. I absolutely read the article & I’m saying for reality shows, such as, MasterChef, MAFS, The Block, Survivor, etc. etc. etc. all go for way too long each week. 1 or at absolute most 2, 60-90 min (incl. ads) episodes per week is more than enough. Even so, it would be unlikely that we would watch. Reality shows such as these aren’t our “cup of tea”.

        The last reality TV show that I can remember watching was seasons 1 & 2 of Dancing with the Stars, way back in the early 2000’s (or whenever).

        As for CS, I’m not saying that it doesn’t/didn’t rate well, it was 1 of the few 7/9/10 shows we watched in the recent years (after recording & deleting those pesky ads) and I’m sure we will watch this year as well.

        When CS 1st went to air, we both thought that CS as 1 of the best shows of that year. However, after a while CS & HYBPA can become simply “more of the same”. So they need to remain funny, etc. to keep us watching each new season.

    2. I so much agree with you BazzaG. All the movies and (almost all) drama series have gone to paid streaming, so we get reality/observational shows.
      I want to go back to the 1990s when we got movies on FTA TV just six months after their theatre release and first rate British/US/Aussie drama series you looked forward to every week.
      We are being told we have to pay for this – a disgrace.

      1. Well there’s at least 2 of us out there who miss the good old days when drama was still king on FTA TV !!!

        I’m not against Reality TV, I just don’t want shoved down my eyeballs every time I turn my TV onto 7, 9 or 10 (either because it’s on now or there’s a damn promo) … the ads are bad enough.

      2. I don’t disagree with your sentiment, but am genuinely curious which movies got 6 months release on FTA. Was more like 2-3 years, even longer if it was a Hollywood blockbuster. And more delays once video rentals and pay TV was factored in. I agree with your frustration, however.

        1. This six months from cinema to free-to-air in the 90s claim is nonsense. It took longer than that for movies to get onto VHS and then there was a pay TV window after that.
          In any case, movies haven’t rated on free-to-air in decades.

          1. I grew up in the 90s, and movies almost always premiered *two years* after their theatrical release (and it’s still the case today, from what I’ve noticed anyway), and most films weren’t even released to video until about six months after the theatrical release (as opposed to now, where some films are released on disc and/or streaming while they’re still in theatres!).

  16. I am still kinda salty at them not doing Traitors – but 10 have the best offerings for me of the FTA commercial channels (Survivor, Amazing Race (celeb version … boo, But better than nothing) TGYH, Taskmaster with things like DonD, HYBPA and Ready Steady Cook (Team Tomato!) being some nice background watch shows).

    I don’t think 7 & 9 will get much of a look from me – most of the good stuff is on streaming sites.

  17. Ten have a decent schedule this year. Loving Survivor already, the cast is great again this season.

    Ten made the right choice bringing on Deal or No Deal because whatever news you watch the stories are all the same across the networks so it’s great to have something fun in that timeslot. My older teen even watched it with me!

    So happy to have had Neighbours throughout Christmas and New Year. Looking forward to Gogglebox in February as well.

    All in all I think Ten has the best offerings (for me) this year.

  18. They should cut their minor losses on the six episodes of Wheel of Fortune Australia. The UK version is terrible. They’ve stretched out a 30 min show to one hour, and it does not work. There are also many other things wrong with it. It’s on YouTube if you want to see for yourself.

    1. Agree – on paper a prime time wheel of fortune with Graham Norton hosting should have worked and been fun. But, it’s just so long and boring! Totally agree with you as well about duration – it’s not a one hour show

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