How lazy of them. Can’t they reschedule filming dates for a few weeks down the track if they want an audience, or just go ahead with no audience?
What a waste of time for the talent who had to go through two weeks hotel quarantine in Australia.
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I’m sure they’ll live.
There has to be something else at play to explain why that couldn’t/didn’t happen.
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Maybe they blew the budget out to get NPH before they even started 
But on a serious note, to be fair to them, they would’ve never expected an outbreak right before filming. Having said that, there are ways around it but it seems Seven just couldn’t be bothered to navigate their way through it.
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Obviously the cancellation of Australia’s Got Talent for the 2nd year in a row is bad news for Seven and everyone involved in producing the show.
But from the perspective of a viewer (who admittedly, isn’t overly invested in these sorts of shiny floor talent shows), do we really need this AND The Voice on the same network in the same year?
Nine would’ve agreed with that notion back in 2013 and 2016.
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This seems very lazy, back in the day the audition episodes were filmed across the country in theatres, not purpose built sets. they could go back to basics and relocate to another state. If Alesha and Neil have been in hotel quarantine, maybe that could be grounds for a state border exemption?
Exactly, they could do it in Melbourne or somewhere which will grant them an exemption. Or they could just film it in Sydney and have a virtual audience (people will understand, I mean we’re still in a global pandemic). Masked Singer is about to do that, BGT did it last year. They could easily do it considering Sydney’s restrictions isn’t as strict as Melbourne’s last year.
Sounds like Seven is about to go el cheapo again.
I agree with others about there being more too this. I reckon Seven wanted to dump the show (for whatever reason), and this was the perfect excuse to attach to it.
Haha, that’s true. Although while The Voice rated relatively well (compared to the last few seasons anyway…), I seem to recall AGT failing to fire on Nine in 2013 & 2016?
I’d be very surprised if Seven wanted to ‘dump’ the show after going all lengths to get Neil Patrick Harris and Alesha Dixon.
Something tells me another reason ($$) is behind it.
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You’ve contradicted yourself within the same post. If money was an issue for Seven, why did they secure two overseas judges (both of whom you would think would be paid pretty handsomely) instead of getting another two locally-based judges who probably would have been cheaper?
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It’s the behind the camera staff I feel for most here, many of those staff would have been relying on this pay check.
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Sorry I didn’t make my point clear. I was moreso referring to the notion (mentioned by FootyKick) that they were going to dump the show way ahead and use this as an excuse which didn’t make sense when they spent the big bucks to get NPH and Alesha.
My gut feeling tells me they were going full speed ahead with this show and hired NPH and Alesha, but somewhere they realised they’ve likely blown the budget and then came the outbreak plus lockdown which would’ve disrupted everything and any changes would’ve costed more money to them and they decided to bail.
Of course for what we know there might be other reasons but I doubt they were going to dump it originally, but money and the COVID lockdown would’ve played a part.
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It would just be logistics because of this latest lockdown coinciding with the filming. its probably cheaper to cancel all together and maybe try again next year? then to move everything with people’s schedules and uncertainty of everything plus this show requires an audience.
This decision has only been made this weekend or today. I know for a fact that the performers were rehearsing last weekend so production was well under way.
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I notice this morning the heading of the TV Blackbox report has changed from “cancelled” to “postponed”. Is there some hope that filming of AGT could start once the Sydney lockdown is lifted next month?
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Updated version of the story. Will not be happening this year.
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Rather than delay production of AGT until the 2022 calendar year, will it have been possible for Patrick and Alesha to return to Australia this summer to film the show?
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Doubt it with their schedules. Neither would just drop everything they have going on in much bigger markers to come for AGT.
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