They put it on ice before Covid lockdowns became a thing. I think there were concerns with cost and commercial interest that it could generate.
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I wondered what happened since it was announced early 2019, which means it couldâve easily have been filmed and been in post production before covid as you say.
Surprised to hear that they thought that though, youâd think those considerations and cost analysis wouldâve been done & considered prior to commissioning and announcing the series.
Itâs a very popular and noisy show, particularly on socials and on catch-up but they probably thought the linear audience wouldnât be enough with their previous TV first approach which shows in the previous owners lack of interest or investment in their BVOD service.
No surprise if TVNZ have picked it up then, they seem more aggressive with commissions. Would be a good fit for TVNZ2 and for their On Demand service.
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I agree. It would definitely be a much-needed boost for the struggling channel.
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Interesting, is it really struggling?
They seem to have some pretty decent and diverse amount of local commissions, Celebrity Treasure Island (poor mans Survivor?), Popstars (again another cheaper version of other formats like The Voice, Idol etc), Bachelor, Bachelorette, Dog Almighty, Taskmaster, HYBPA?, Last Dad Standing, Jono & Ben: Good Sports etc.
Wouldâve thought theyâd all be fairly decent raters along with Shortland Street and other popular imports like Wentworth and the like.
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Includes funding for the third season of TVNZ crime drama One Lane Bridge.
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Didnât they had lacklustre ratings this year
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Yes, TVNZ 2 is definitely struggling. Big time.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/300253654/tvnz-aggressively-chasing-growth
âTVNZ 2, Three and Sky (Sport) lost ground in 2020.â
" TVNZ 1âs share gains more than made up for the weak performance of TVNZ 2."
Of the Top 20 shows on TV last year, 19 of them were on TVNZ 1 and one was Three.
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TV2 lost its identity a few years ago and no one really noticed at the time.
Theyâve been hurt harder by cord-cutters/streamers than 1/3.
TVNZ1âs audience has skewed older forever so theyâve been protected somewhat with homegrown/British content, while TV3 has been able to lean on the homegrown multi-night stripped reality to get it going.
TVNZ2âs big loss has been the relevance of US dramas that used to pin its 8:30 slots. Procedurals work well for TV3 still but the fare that TVNZ2 used to show (Desperate Housewives, Lost, Greys, ER, Revenge etc etc) simply sink here now or their style arenât being made anymore. People go to Netflix etc for their overseas drama fix, not local broadcasters.
TVNZ2 needs to rediscover what it is and what its target audience is. Iâm not sure what that is in the online era.
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It seems to be whatever works on Duke (Taskmaster, WILTY, 8/10 Cats)
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The producers of Shortland Street has introduced a one-way system of filming to ensure cast and crew are COVID-safe.
Actors arrive in the front door and head straight to their dressing roomâŚ
There, theyâll get dressed in character and apply their own makeupâŚ
When actors finish scenes, they donât go back to their dressing rooms. âYou actually exit the studio, leave the building, go around and enter the front entrance again,â says Michael Galvin.
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I was thinking that TVNZ should do a 50/50 programme skewing content in both channels again like they did in the 1980s to regain ratings on 2, unless the merger going ahead
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Explain?
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What merger?
RNZ-TVNZ
No news service either hasnât helped. But not necessarily needed in the past.
So true, US Dramas and sitcoms that rated so well for so long. What an era that was for them, times have certainly changed.
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this is true. Iâve often wondered whether they should simulcast 6pm on TVNZ2, but they should probably provide a general entertainment alternative.
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This is an article from Newsroom (Nov last year) which you may find interesting on TVNZ2âs woes
TVNZ 2 is a different story. The previous powerhouse channel of the network has been in steady decline since 2012, in both ratings (the percentage of the population watching) and share (share of the audience watching TV).
Back in 2012, TV2 averaged an 8.6 rating in its target audience of 18-49 year olds. In 2020 this had dwindled to a 3.3 average rating in primetime.
In the last four years, its demise has been dramatic. Ratings have dropped by 42 percent but the total number of people watching television has declined by only 25 percent. In other words, viewers have preferred other channels.
A big part of the problem has been the ratings drop in TVNZ 2âs mainstay â Shortland Street. The soap has plunged from a high in 2012 when it had a massive 16 percent rating and a 46 percent share of the 18-to-49 audience to its current six rating and 27 percent share.
To be fair, not all TVNZ 2âs woes can be pinned on an underperforming Shortland Street ; the way people consume content has changed. Shortland Street also happens to be the most-streamed programme on TVNZ On Demand .
Slater also points out that the lack of a news programme, especially when there is a lot of news around like now, is a handicap. â2 is unusual in that it had a high share without a news programme. If you look at the Australian networks they all have news programmes to bring in the audiences.â
Rescuing TVNZ 2 has emerged as a priority for the networkâs executives.
âWe are doing a lot of work to broaden Shortland Street so it delivers to a broad audience and we have moved Home and Away to 5.30pm to provide it with a better lead in. We also have a new slate [of programmes] to deliver a family co-viewing experience.â
Think it is meant to say moved Home and Away to 6.30 (from 5-30)
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Thereâs a bit of creative spin there. Home and Away was doing okay v TV3 as I understand it but was being thumped by The Chase. Certainly nothing compared to its TV3 heyday of a decade ago or so.
I think TVNZ should look into a bespoke news product for TVNZ 2. Maybe a talk/panel discussion format with guests who are of relevance and share similar views to the target demo of the channel. And a phone in/social discussion element to get viewers to interact with the show.
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Or move Seven Sharp to TVNZ 2, move Shortland Street to 7:30pm.