There was bad news for Asher Keddie fans at Ten’s programming launch on Thursday night: not only does the network’s 2015 slate not contain Offspring but there was no second series of Party Tricks either.
As Guardian Australia revealed in October, the creative team behind Offspring have all moved on to other projects and the plot lines were all tied up when series five wrapped in August.
But Ten continued to insist they were still in talks with the producers of Offspring, and rumours were swirling earlier this week that it would be announced in the 2015 slate after all.
The real disappointment is that Ten hasn’t renewed Keddie’s new star vehicle, Party Tricks, although the ratings have been less than stellar.
Party Tricks’ creator John Edwards says the show has been a critical success but a ratings flop. “We delivered the show we set out to make,” Edwards told industry online magazine IF.
“It was universally extremely well reviewed but it did not connect with mainstream audiences in the way we expected. I don’t know why. Conventional wisdom is that you don’t do shows about politicians because you don’t get mainstream audiences.”
Co-starring the charismatic Rodger Corser as her political foe and romantic interest Party Tricks was set in the Victorian State parliament, a place viewers may not have wanted to visit.
Despite Keddie working hard to differentiate Party Tricks’ Kate Ballard from Offspring’s Nina Proudman, the Offspring fans didn’t come back.
Which is all bad luck for the struggling Ten network which now has to rely on a line-up heavy with reality television, some of which is unproven in the Australian market.
Leading the list is I’m a Celebrity Get Me out Of Here, hosted by comedian Julia Morris and vet Dr Chris Bown and set in South Africa. The celebrities have yet to be revealed. The Bachelor Australia, a modest hit but a big publicity drawcard, is back for a third series and Ten has added a sister program in The Bachelorette Australia as well.
MasterChef Australia, a bonafide hit in Ten’s stable will be back again, as will The Biggest Loser which has failed to attract good audiences the past few years.
In drama, Ten has two new local productions in Mary: The Making Of A Princess about the early life of Mary Donaldson and The Peter Brock Story about the racing car driver.
In a sign that Ten will be working closely with the pay TV company partly owned by Rupert Murdoch, Foxtel, it has partnered with Foxtel in Gogglebox. A hit in the UK, Gogglebox is a show about people watching television. The Australian Gogglebox will be produced by Shine Australia and screen first on Foxtel and the next day on Ten.
At News Corp’s annual general meeting on Thursday in Los Angeles, Murdoch confirmed this ever closer relationship saying Foxtel was looking at buying a stake in Ten.
“As for Foxtel, which is a partnership with Telstra, they are examining a small piece,” the 83-year-old said.
“I can say the independent directors here are hiring independent advisers.”
Foxtel is reportedly teaming up with US cable TV giant Discovery Communications for a 14.9% stake in Ten.
