I caught with the Monday and Tuesday audition episodes this afternoon.
In Tuesday’s episode, Meghan was travelling to the second audition in Alice Springs when the SUV she was in was stopped roadside by a police car. The police officer led Meghan to his home, as it turns out he is the father of sisters Jenaya and Paityn Laidler who were trying their luck at the auditions.
I think this was clearly staged.
Well obviously. There’s no chance that happens in real life.
They certainly had big expectations for it, they would have gone to the market with fairly big numbers too, many advertisers won’t be too impressed.
I have been watching it a bit on and off, it’s not getting any better, no real stand out singers aside a couple. I just can’t get into it. Really is a concept that thrived back in the day, authentic judges and as live as you can get. Seems too forced and orchestrated now.
No chance this will come back next year if those budget numbers are accurate.
They have advertisements asking people to audition for next year at the Top 24 shows that are currently being filmed this weekend.
That’s a huge call. Perhaps Seven are keeping the faith in the franchise (for now) - perhaps they just need to move it well away from the first quarter of the year when MAFS would be expected to dominate the ratings.
I also remember early on the 2015 season of The X Factor they were already opening auditions for 2016, which would ultimately prove to be the final season of the franchise in Australia. From memory, I think the ratings for that 2015 season and onwards started to decline.
They really should have started the auditions and top 50/24 week in early January then aired the first live show of the top 12 the launch night of MAFS. That actually would have led perfectly into Easter and had one elimination a week as opposed to the 2/3 they’ll need to have to finish it by Easter.
While doing that would give the Seven show up to a month’s head start on MAFS, I would have to disagree - it would’ve been hammered in the ratings by Nine’s Australian Open coverage anyway, as was the case with Ten’s delayed season of The Bachelor which is likely not to return within the next twelve months.
It’s getting hammered now though.
Think it was a case of simply choosing the wrong time of year in which to air it. If it had aired in (say) the third or final quarter of the year it would’ve had a good chance, even up against “The Block” on Nine.
I’ll say this again - Seven did a good job picking up The Voice from Nine and launching it off the back of the Tokyo Olympics (though the first episode aired on the night of the Closing Ceremony) paid dividends as far as ratings were concerned, and even drew viewers away from The Block on Nine.
I think over the last 20 years the world and audiences have moved on. We had limited internet and it was like a live concert in your living room every night. There was excitement because it was a new concept (or a least a new take on it) and it had the global tie in to franchises happening near simultaneously in other countries.
The landscape just isn’t the same now. Even they stayed as close to the original format it just isn’t what audiences want now.
And that’s before you even consider the effect of the changes they’ve made from the original format.
The trouble is the Aussie networks have made a rod for their own back by supersizing episodes of shows leaving only room for one to thrive each night really.
I suspect they’ll give Idol another shot as it’s probably more viable than trying something else again against MAFS. A second season will be compared more to their first too, rather than to the original incarnation.
If Idol does return next year, it shouldn’t be put up against MAFS again. Unless something extraordinary happens when the Top 12 live shows begin, it’s performed well, well below what Seven would have wanted and expected (despite the spin in a News Corp article this weekend).
What Seven needs in Q1 is a show that will do to MAFS what it did to MKR (i.e., a watercooler, can’t miss show).
the thing is, MAFS is its own powerhouse - I do not think anything can topple or be even more ridiculous of a format than it.
I would say, maybe give this format a go, but MAFS would most probably still beat it.
Surely there has to be a format that could work to at least be competitive? I think Seven had a few missed opportunities to look beyond recycling formats which (apart from The Voice) has not worked for them.
Not probably, definitely. Putting romance up against MAFS is a death move.
Maybe MKR 2.0 but they’ll need to bring pulling power back to the show to be even competitive. Otherwise a more family-friendly format may be the only way forward.
They need to find the Kevin 07 of Seven to beat the ‘John Howard of Reality shows’ over on Nine for a lack of a better term.
When Idol was on 10, it was always aired in the second half of the year. All seasons starting in July or August, with all seasons finishing up in November.
Back then, the show ran for approx 4 months. Pretty much a month of auditions and the top 24, (with a possibly top 50?). Then 12 weeks of the top 12 + Grand Final.
I know that the tv landscape has changed since. These days, the early episodes drag on, and the final episodes (like the top 12 or semi finals etc like other reality shows) seem to be overly rushed. Quite the opposite to “the good old days”.
Personally, the show should have aired later in the year, when there’s nothing in the cupboard over on Seven, apart from Cat and Dogs videos, Mrs Browns Boys and whatever other filler they have.
I agree, but what would be more controversial than MAFS in this day and age? Maybe if they made Big Brother as controversial as the UpLate days on 10, but it would be a hard challenge.
Part of me wonders if Seven sacrificed the Olympics knowing that the Winter Olympics will screw up the MAFS scheduling in 2026 and open the door for the competition.
2026… that’s a VERY long time away in this ever changing FTA landscape. If the landscape remains the same in 2026, 9 could just bump MAFS or the Olympics to a multichannel and allow it to run it’s course as normal.
Agree with that completely - said it before but think that the only thing that will result in MAFS’ downfall is viewer fatigue.
Having said that, it’s unconscionable for Seven and Ten to cede the first few months of each ratings year to Nine and not attempt to topple MAFS.
Only two episodes for top 50 but three episodes for top 24? That doesn’t make sense, especially given what David posted the format of the top 50 last October:
The top 24 is as per this weekend’s filming schedule with two sessions already taken place on Friday and yesterday, and one session today to decide the top 12.