Chasers jumping the shark?
NOOOOOO!
I leave the country, albeit briefly, and already things are going phut, with threats of the Chasers preparing to jump the shark.
The legacy of failed ABC-format comic shows floundering on commercial networks surely should be a warning to the boys? Tony Squires looked hopelessly lost on a flash set and in a time slot geared for ratings when The Fat was repackaged as 110% Tony Squires and axed after only 25 episodes following the realisation that Seven’s viewers don’t want acerbic sporting commentary, but blokes dressed like chicks and punchlines made obvious by sound effects. The Channel 9 Show failed to repeat the success of Club Buggery, an institution as Australian as Bondi Beach, the FJ Holden and Mabo. And Tim Ferguson didn’t look so much lost, as a victim of a frontal lobotomy when hosting Don’t Forget Your ToothBrush – a show I still maintain would provide a solid argument for justifiable homicide.
I think it could be assumed if the Chasers do sell out, they’ll go to 7; as possibly making Kerry and Jamie Packer the punchline of so many CNNNN jokes wasn’t the smartest play in hindsight; and I seriously doubt 10 could find time in their programming of Simpson’s and Everyone Loves Raymond reruns to take on local content.
Let’s face it, they’ve already made inroads with Mel and Kochie, so it’s only a matter of time before Anna Coren is doing cross promos on Today Tonight, making Andrew’s tally board somewhat ironic.
It wasn’t enough that their paper got dumped due to lack of profitability (how it wasn’t profitable is still beyond me, as during the entire period of my subscription I never received a single edition… so I’m not really sure how customers giving you money and you giving them nothing in return isn’t profitable… banks seem to do well out of this fiscal approach) but in the same week Today Today got cut from JJJ making the time between 3 and 5.30 quite possibly the longest two and a half hours of any working day.
I guess commercial TV and the audience reach that comes with it is something that most people in TV aspire to. Certainly moving to a commercial station would give them a bigger budget and probably better production quality, but I like to think that the Blair Witch style vision of Craig running after the PM, or the Surprise Spruiker being ejected from yet another building is as much part of the gag as the punch line.
Presumably if they depart, the ABC legal department will have a lot more time on their hands. The unsuspecting residents and business of Ultimo and Pyrmont (frequent back ground vision) probably also won’t miss the 3am last post pranks, or wanker number plate tickets. However, it’s a long way to china town for noodles from the depths of the suburban hell of Epping. So I guess we will see in future series just how much MSG plays on the creative script writing process.
I know this is meant to be a blog about travelling – so… umm… was in Morocco about a month ago. Almost got raped in Casablanca, which I have since found out is actually a common story. Not a good place to travel solo if a western woman –even if you do as I did and stick to day light hours, main roads and followed the local customs re: attire. So, I was spat at in Egypt; called a white bitch; and a guy went into such detail about what he and his four mates would like to do to me that I now have no logistical questions about how a sextet would work… and then the incident in Casablanca. All in all, not good places for women to travel solo. Live and learn.
I leave the country, albeit briefly, and already things are going phut, with threats of the Chasers preparing to jump the shark.
The legacy of failed ABC-format comic shows floundering on commercial networks surely should be a warning to the boys? Tony Squires looked hopelessly lost on a flash set and in a time slot geared for ratings when The Fat was repackaged as 110% Tony Squires and axed after only 25 episodes following the realisation that Seven’s viewers don’t want acerbic sporting commentary, but blokes dressed like chicks and punchlines made obvious by sound effects. The Channel 9 Show failed to repeat the success of Club Buggery, an institution as Australian as Bondi Beach, the FJ Holden and Mabo. And Tim Ferguson didn’t look so much lost, as a victim of a frontal lobotomy when hosting Don’t Forget Your ToothBrush – a show I still maintain would provide a solid argument for justifiable homicide.
I think it could be assumed if the Chasers do sell out, they’ll go to 7; as possibly making Kerry and Jamie Packer the punchline of so many CNNNN jokes wasn’t the smartest play in hindsight; and I seriously doubt 10 could find time in their programming of Simpson’s and Everyone Loves Raymond reruns to take on local content.
Let’s face it, they’ve already made inroads with Mel and Kochie, so it’s only a matter of time before Anna Coren is doing cross promos on Today Tonight, making Andrew’s tally board somewhat ironic.
It wasn’t enough that their paper got dumped due to lack of profitability (how it wasn’t profitable is still beyond me, as during the entire period of my subscription I never received a single edition… so I’m not really sure how customers giving you money and you giving them nothing in return isn’t profitable… banks seem to do well out of this fiscal approach) but in the same week Today Today got cut from JJJ making the time between 3 and 5.30 quite possibly the longest two and a half hours of any working day.
I guess commercial TV and the audience reach that comes with it is something that most people in TV aspire to. Certainly moving to a commercial station would give them a bigger budget and probably better production quality, but I like to think that the Blair Witch style vision of Craig running after the PM, or the Surprise Spruiker being ejected from yet another building is as much part of the gag as the punch line.
Presumably if they depart, the ABC legal department will have a lot more time on their hands. The unsuspecting residents and business of Ultimo and Pyrmont (frequent back ground vision) probably also won’t miss the 3am last post pranks, or wanker number plate tickets. However, it’s a long way to china town for noodles from the depths of the suburban hell of Epping. So I guess we will see in future series just how much MSG plays on the creative script writing process.
I know this is meant to be a blog about travelling – so… umm… was in Morocco about a month ago. Almost got raped in Casablanca, which I have since found out is actually a common story. Not a good place to travel solo if a western woman –even if you do as I did and stick to day light hours, main roads and followed the local customs re: attire. So, I was spat at in Egypt; called a white bitch; and a guy went into such detail about what he and his four mates would like to do to me that I now have no logistical questions about how a sextet would work… and then the incident in Casablanca. All in all, not good places for women to travel solo. Live and learn.
Ali ben Youssef Mosque, Marrakesh
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