Big Brother Australia axed

[Matt]

Big Brother Australia has been officially axed, with Channel 10 holding a media embargo on the announcement until midnight tonight.

The tragic news comes despite the best efforts of this year’s production staff who took risks to revive the BB format. It is also a huge shock for Big Brother Australia fans and the hundreds of employees involved with in show’s creation.

Our sources inside the Big Brother compound tell us the announcement was unexpected for the BB producers, who did what they felt was in the best interests of the show and believed this year would be a season benchmark.

We have also been informed the Big Brother “concept” will return to Channel 10, however this won’t be seen until at least 2010. No word on whether this project is part of the Endemol Big Brother franchise.

Source: BehindBigBrother.com (http://www.behindbigbrother.com/posts/2008/2252)

What does everyone think?

(Note: I am aware that there is a discussion topic for BBAU 08, but as this concerns BBAU as a whole, and as it is pretty significant news, I believe it warrants its own thread. If the mods disagree, feel free to merge :)

[Rory]

Big Brother Australia was asking for it. This year's fresh new format has gone back to the same 'ol same 'ol, and they really need to think of a format that won't be such a flop that they'll gradually revert back to the old format (which people are obviously getting tired of)

Great casting this season, but we should give the series a year off to think. I do think they should return it as "Big Brother" therefore familiar to current fans.

[Barbie]

It was asking for it really... none of it was consistent this year.. with everything supposed to be new and then it reverts back to old ways... i think the producers should look at other BB's around the world and take ideas from them or use their format

[andybigbro]

Dint it only have like a week to go or something?

[Jakeh]

I can't even think straight. I feel sick.

[bigbr0ther]

I'm surprised but I guess I shouldn't be. I watched the first two weeks but I lost interest. It wasn't particularly boring, but it wasn't entertaining either, and I didn't much care for most of the housemates. I guess I'm not the only one who felt that way.

[*mazedsalv**]

I thought it was really popular over there.

[Corkie]

We have also been informed the Big Brother “concept” will return to Channel 10, however this won’t be seen until at least 2010. No word on whether this project is part of the Endemol Big Brother franchise.


Hopefully that means it's only taking a years break. Which is what I think it needs, just to come back with a bang or even an all stars?

I hope this isn't the last season all together because I've enjoyed it. (Even though I need to catch up A LOT)

[Arneldo]

It is sad news, as the current series has been the best series in years. I'll miss it next year, but I do hope it makes a big return in 2010.

[CrossingGuard]

It's very sad news. :(

This year has been great. It's a shame that the ratings were disappointing. This season had a great cast, had some great tasks, and could potentially have a great winner if Terri wins this thing.

[jamesh]

i watched it for like the first few weeks and liked some of the hm's. i just got a little bored of it i guess. i watched the other day. i might watch it till the end just to see if terri will win *hopes*

[Red Moon]

Could I just say at this point it is all rumor. It would seem that fan websites for the show are saying that the current series will be the last.

It all could be some kind of publicity stunt at the moment and even if it does end on the current channel it could be taken up by another broadcaster.

[Arneldo]

Originally posted by Red Moon
Could I just say at this point it is all rumor. It would seem that fan websites for the show are saying that the current series will be the last.

It all could be some kind of publicity stunt at the moment and even if it does end on the current channel it could be taken up by another broadcaster.

The insider is extremely reliable. She has been on the ball all series and everything she has said as come true. It cannot be taken up by another channel because Channel 10 own the rights to BB.

According to insider, Aussie's may have to wait two-years for a new BB-style format to return to Channel 10.

[Jakeh]

Originally posted by Red Moon
Could I just say at this point it is all rumor. It would seem that fan websites for the show are saying that the current series will be the last.

It all could be some kind of publicity stunt at the moment and even if it does end on the current channel it could be taken up by another broadcaster.

Uh, Channel 10 has released a statement themselves.

[Red Moon]

Originally posted by Arneldo
The insider is extremely reliable. She has been on the ball all series and everything she has said as come true. It cannot be taken up by another channel because Channel 10 own the rights to BB.

There will be some kind of get out clause for the production company that allows them to sell the rights to another broadcaster. They might have to pay back some money to Channel 10 for the series they haven't aired.

The producers would be stupid enough to give them 100% exclusivity it just not good business.

And in any case you could just tinker with the format and create a clone, just like X-Factor is a Pop-idol clone.

[Red Moon]

Originally posted by Jakeh
Uh, Channel 10 has released a statement themselves.

I haven't seen one just the sources at Behind Big Brother are being quoted in the press. In the latest story the herald sun [link (http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24013341-661,00.html)] it said:
Comment was being sought from Ten and producers Endemol Southern Cross.

Do you have a link to the Channel 10 statement?

[Matt]

An admin on the Official Big Brother Australia forums has confirmed the news:

http://www.bigbrother.com.au/forums/ann.jspa?annID=272

[Red Moon]

Originally posted by Matt
An admin on the Official Big Brother Australia forums has confirmed the news:

http://www.bigbrother.com.au/forums/ann.jspa?annID=272

At this stage that doesn't prove anything. Look here is one I got from Channel 10.

Hi everyone
I can confirm Big Brother will be renewed on Channel 10 in 2009.

A statement with more information will be forthcoming.

Thank you
Lulu

Now if you believe her message you must believe mine too, it just as fake.

Look at it and you will notice that the thread starter was called Lulu_b so it would seem she writing to herself!

[Spike]

I am surprised but it needs the break.
They need a format completely different and which they can stick too, maybe go down the US route
I can see this sort of news coming out about BBUK in a few years time

[MrGaryy]

Originally posted by andybigbro
Dint it only have like a week to go or something?

The current series will continue but there won't be another.

Nooooo! This series has been the best in years!

[Spike]

I wasn't a fan of the current series
Have the ratings for this series been up or down on the last series?

[Red Moon]

Originally posted by Gazbo
The current series will continue but there won't be another.

Nooooo! This series has been the best in years!

Clearly a good reason to axe the show in the eyes of the fans and start a rumor about it being axed.

I won't believe this rumor is true until something comes from Channel 10 and not from the fan sites. It's just to easy to spread something like this around the internet and get people including the press to believe it.

People have been paid on this site for doing such things in the past by a national gossip rag.

[MrGaryy]

Originally posted by Spike
I wasn't a fan of the current series
Have the ratings for this series been up or down on the last series?

Down majorly.

Interesting, diverse cast (Dixie, Terri, Nobbi, Travis), well executed twists (Snap evictions, different eviction process, The Mole) and entertaining tasks (Ignore the obvious, Moon Monks, Paparazzi). The Friday Night Games were actually somewhat watchable! Great houseguests (Pamela Anderson, Corey Worthingon), the inclusion of a pet dog Ollie, the hand grenades and the vending machine all made great entertainment!

[Spike]

Originally posted by Gazbo
Originally posted by Spike
I wasn't a fan of the current series
Have the ratings for this series been up or down on the last series?

Down majorly.

Interesting, diverse cast (Dixie, Terri, Nobbi, Travis), well executed twists (Snap evictions, different eviction process, The Mole) and entertaining tasks (Ignore the obvious, Moon Monks, Paparazzi). The Friday Night Games were actually somewhat watchable! Great houseguests (Pamela Anderson, Corey Worthingon), the inclusion of a pet dog Ollie, the hand grenades and the vending machine all made great entertainment!

It was changed alot and still the ratings were down
maybe it is time for the show to be given a break and come back with a bang.

[Red Moon]

Originally posted by Spike
It was changed alot and still the ratings were down
maybe it is time for the show to be given a break and come back with a bang.

I don't know the Pamela Anderson stunt made the rating sore:

Pamela Anderson a ratings winner for TenTHE gamble to put former Playboy bunny Pamela Anderson in the Big Brother house has paid off for the struggling Channel 10 show.

More than 1.4 million people tuned in to watch Anderson go into the house on a highly competitive night for Australian TV.

Anderson, who will be on the reality TV series for three days, busted into the house wearing a red mini-dress and shocking housemates.

For the first time this year Big Brother beat all its competitors and won every major demographic.

It propelled Ten into second position for the night, just behind Channel 7.

Last night also was a big night for the ABC, which had an impressive debut for its political Satire The Hollowmen and broke records with At The Movies and The Gruen Transfer.

Working Dog production The Hollowmen pulled in more than 1.1 million in its 9.30pm timeslot.

"1.185 million viewers is a fantastic result - and that's just the primary figure. We are still waiting for postal votes and preferences from the Greens,'' Working Dog's Michael Hirsh said.

Advertising panel show The Gruen Transfer had its best audience to date with more than 1.3 million.'

More than 705,000 watched At The Movies to give David Stratton and Margaret Pomeranz the best figure of their 23-year partnership.

The national broadcaster performed especially well in Melbourne, where it had the top three programs - Spicks and Specks, The Gruen Transfer and The Hollowmen.

The ABC had five shows in the top 15, led by Spicks and Specks, which was the fourth most watched show of the night with more than 1.3 million.
source:news.com.au (http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23998326-1702,00.html)

[Spike]

The Pamela Anderson stunt payed off then but thats just one show from the whole series. If most of the series ratings are down then its going to take more than one show to rescue it.

[Red Moon]

Originally posted by Spike
The Pamela Anderson stunt payed off then but thats just one show from the whole series. If most of the series ratings are down then its going to take more than one show to rescue it.

I don't know what happened to the ratings after that but I thought it would have given them a boast at least that would last to the end of the show.

[Red Moon]

At last some comment from Channel 10.

Channel Ten evicts Big BrotherBIG BROTHER, the controversial, youth-friendly reality TV franchise, has become a casualty of television's cruellest cut - at eight years old it is too old for the Ten Network.

Ten's chief programmer, David Mott, told the Herald the series, which has struggled with "audience erosion", and media criticism of its new hosts, Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O'Neil, would be the last because it was no longer able to surprise. "The audience know how it works, the housemates know how it works," he said.

This was despite a spike in ratings last week when the former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson was brought in as an intruder.

The show, which costs Ten about $25 million a year, will be put on the market by the production company Southern Star Endemol after it wraps up on July 21. Potential buyers include Seven and Nine, who are waging their bloodiest ratings war yet, or the pay TV operator Foxtel.

Southern Star's managing director, Rory Callaghan, described Big Brother as a "viable" franchise, particularly with free-to-air networks launching new channels next year. "As a format in a digital environment, it is one of the only ones which can deliver the amount of hours for a network."

Mr Mott said Ten's decision followed continuing analysis and rising concern with the falling ratings. "It's very hard to create a series, the production values are solid and the housemates are giving us content, but we're still seeing further [audience] erosion."

Mr Mott dismissed media criticism of Sandilands and O'Neil. "That's all quite subjective," he said, pointing out that the pair appear only in the Sunday eviction program, not in the weekday program or the weekly Big Mouth.

Of the three Big Brother program strands, Big Mouth, hosted by Tony Squires and Rebecca Wilson, is the weakest performer. Its audience slipped to the half-a-million mark, and Ten has already shifted it into a late-night timeslot.

Mr Mott said Ten's decision had not been made at any single point, saying "there are no set rules as to when it happened. There is a whole range of factors." But he did confirm Ten had been renewing the series annually for several years.

"Last year we signed a one-year deal, and got into the series with a lot of positive aspects in terms of wanting it to work. We put a lot of resources behind it, a lot of emotion behind it. We think it's now time to move on, and to create some new opportunities."

Mr Mott said Ten stood by its decision to replace Gretel Killeen after seven series. "Kyle and Jackie have done an outstanding job."
Source: Sydney Morning Herald (http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio/channel-ten-evicts-big-brother/2008/07/13/1215887442035.html)

[MrGaryy]

Oooh! I hope Seven get it, they would really make something of it!

[Red Moon]

Originally posted by Gazbo
Oooh! I hope Seven get it, they would really make something of it!

It could happen since they only signed a one year deal and the programme is now out of contract according to the article.

[Tom]

So the first of the big three drops. It will probably be back.

[MrGaryy]

Thats what I was thinking Tom. I think it's the first of the longrunning BB's to be cancelled, not including CBB.

[Jakeh]

Channel 7 will **** it up further.

Screw you David Mott!

[Captain.Remy]

I can't be more gutted. People can say whatever they want about it, it is still BB AU with its controversies but also its great moments. It's really sad because we had such an amazing series this year but I guess it wasn't enough and I can see why it has been axed.

[Ross]

How many viewers did all the BB Australia for each series?
If anyone could try and find x

[Red Moon]

Originally posted by Ross
How many viewers did all the BB Australia for each series?
If anyone could try and find x

The week of 18th June it had 790,000 viewers but 1.4 million is considered good in Australia

.Source (http://www.crikey.com.au/Media-Arts-and-Sports/20080619-Media-briefs-and-TV-ratings.html)

[Ross]

Originally posted by Red Moon
Originally posted by Ross
How many viewers did all the BB Australia for each series?
If anyone could try and find x

The week of 18th June it had 790,000 viewers but 1.4 million is considered good in Australia.
Thankyou x

[Captain.Remy]

I think it was too late for BB08 to redeem BB Australia. BB06 and BB07 were disasters and I guess they have already made their choice a long time ago. But well, thanks BB Australia ! That was awesome !