It’s crazy to think that it wasn’t very long ago that Nine’s situation was so dire, they have really turnt themselves around and I hope 10 can somehow manage to do the same.
The fact that it somehow managed to get green lit still blows my mind - it was by far the most niche reality show on a mainstream network that I’ve ever seen, something that wouldn’t have even made it to basic cable in the US. Arguably the best example of something commissioned to appeal to gays, girls and grannies that went horribly wrong.
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This was the year 10 thought putting Magda, Kate Ritchie and Hugh Sheridan (all big names and popular) as hosts would automatically make a dud into a hit.
I was in the UK at the time so I didn’t get to see any of these but I did manage to find a copy of The Shire just out of curiosity.
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Just wondering which flop did she host?
I remember Kelly Rowland involved in Everybody Dance Now as well. Clearly 10 misread their audience back then.
I could have the year wrong but I believe it was a rip off of 20 to 01
The Spearhead Project? I think that one aired in 2009…
Oh sorry you are right I had the year wrong. Wow time flies by…
Honestly, some of the program promos from this era were more memorable than the shows themselves. I recall seeing the Everybody Dance Now promo with the Justice Crew cover a lot.
Promo for Don’t Tell the Bride Australia.
YouTube: CQtvNetwork.
Minor correction: the program title was actually The Spearman Experiment rather than The Spearman Project…but I think that says just how forgettable the show really was! 
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What a nightmare!
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Perhaps the main reason that Breakfast (on Ten) flopped in 2012: Controversial New Zealand import Paul Henry, a presenter who probably wouldn’t be entirely out of place on Sky News’ post 6pm-lineup nowadays!
Mind you, initially having Dr Andrew Rochford as a presenter (didn’t work on Mix 106.5’s breakfast show in 2011, so what made Ten think he’d work for them?) wasn’t a great idea either.
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Not really a fair comparison for either, pretty safe to say almost no (available) combination would work for a 10 breakfast show so they really had no chance of rating well since the network evidently weren’t that committed to either show.
When it shifted to the news set with just Paul & Kath, the show wasn’t that bad. It lost the awkwardness, Paul had his moments but was barrable.
You’re probably right.
The only way a breakfast show on Network Ten would’ve rated is if popular/key talent from Sunrise or Today was poached. Even then, having Mel or Lisa or whoever would not have guaranteed ratings success.
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And then actually stick with it and promote it. So hard. Look how long ABC news Breakfast took to get any sort of traction. It’s arguably now one of the better abc productions. Not as dry as the early days.
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Yeah this is the point people always forget about the Paul Henry appointment. It was stunt casting, but they needed to make a splash and be different. Getting the same staid Sunrise/Today stylehosts was never going to work, you fade into the background and lose to two shows that have been doing it longer and better than you.
Was Henry the right person? Entirely possible he was and the network wasn’t committed to building it over time.
Also the possibility of right idea (in someone from outside the media realm) but wrong execution.
Have to say I always thought that style of show had more legs than Wake Up. Breakfast show at the beach lol.
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I agree, I think Paul Henry definitely turned a lot of people off from continuing to watch “Breakfast”. He wasn’t particularly likeable. I can see why they went for someone like him though. Ten needed an outspoken figure for the show to have gained any sort of traction IMO, but Paul Henry wasn’t the right choice. Like you mentioned, he was way too polarizing with his views, and he wasn’t even well-known in Australia before he landed the role.
With Karl Stefanovic and Kochie, although they generate bad press at times, they also have a sizable number of fans out there as well. I personally know of people who detest Karl (especially after the cheating scandal a few years back); they can’t stand him. On the other hand though, there’s quite a lot of people who sing his praises and adore him.
The two of them have certain qualities which redeem their less desirable personality traits. Karl draws people in as he is perceived as being this ‘lovable larrikin’ who sometimes messes up, and with Kochie, he can come across as a “goofy”, father-like figure who sometimes lets his guard down and likes to have fun. Ten were likely hoping for a something thing by appointing Paul Henry, but he simply didn’t strike a rapport with most viewers.
To be honest, I actually believe someone like Ben Fordham would have been perfect for the role (ignoring the fact that he was still on Today at the time). Publicly outspoken with his views and popular, but not controversial. It was the execution that let Ten down in the end IMO; I think they generally had the right idea with the concept. If they hadn’t of picked someone who offered differing views on subject matters, “Breakfast” likely would have been as pedestrian/stale as “Wake Up” was.
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Wake Up was a textbook example of a network giving a producer a blank cheque to do as he pleases with minimal oversight or input from others solely based on cred from making Sunrise a success.
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I just went and watched a couple of videos after posting this and my god, what was Boland thinking?
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