Rants

Channel 9 have endured a make over with their new look and idents saying “Welcome Home”. They use the same channel 9 logo as always with the 9 dots made up into a blue 3D image of the logo which they then super impose into selected scenes from certain channel 9 shows.

This is the 4^th make over in as many years, with the dots disappearing in 2006 and re-appearing in 2008. WIN owned stations including channel 9 Adelaide and Perth do not use the dots but have adopted a similar appearance with a make over of their WIN logo. Similarly, NBN – who do keep the nine dots – have also been part of the new look.

As part of the new look, all major shows on Nine seem to be advertised in big 3D blue letters, and a big white horizontal bar across the bottom of the screen showing the name of the show and what time it is on. If the white bar was at an angle, they’d be getting pretty close to channel 7’s program announcement white bar.

As for the “Welcome Home”? Are they saying they are the home of something? Home of quality prgramming? Home as in a cool place to hang out and watch TV?

All that aside, no matter how channel 9 make themselves look and no matter what slogans they use, the facts all remain the same – it is still the same old channel 9 underneath. A channel 9 that is no longer performing like it used to back in the Packer days. A channel 9 where 8.30 means 8.40 and sneak peaks are considered part of programming. A channel 9 that makes reality shows that don’t rate and bumps shows off to oblivion never to return. A network that has, this year made programming changes so quickly, that at one stage, none of us had any idea what was on Tuesday nights for example until the day was upon us. At least they have GO for a number of those shows they bump off and simply don’t feel confident showing on channel 9.

Is channel 9 trying to change? There may have been some lessons learnt this year but the programming remains much the same as always. We do have two less Two and a Half Men repeats during the week with Tuesday nights’ normal Two and a Half Men timeslot being occupied by movies in the short term but at the same time we also get one extra episode with a fast tracked episode on Monday at 8pm – this episode surely would have been best placed at 7.30 instead of a repeat. I must, however, commend Nine for putting ER on at last at 10.30 Thursdays from October 8. Finally ER fans can see the rest of the show. Only issue will be if they bump it from that timeslot, it won’t end up on GO as ER is not really GO demographic. I will believe that channel 9 is trying to change only if they stick to ER and let the show run its course. Even if that means playing double episodes through summer to get through the remaining 42 or so.

As they say, a leopard can’t change its spots. But with channel 9, we’ll soon find out.

What is happening to Packed to the Rafters?

In the last two weeks, Australia’s current most watched show has dropped about 10% of its audience. Just two weeks ago, Packed to the Rafters was rating close to 2 million in the 5 city metro ratings results. Last night (Tue Sept 22) it was below 1.8 million. If the show continues down the route of that episode, I would expect its ratings to drop further.

The episode had not one, not two but three separate fantasy scenes by the guys in the show. There was a lot more than usual in terms of sexual references with Nathan caught masturbating by his wife after saying he was too tired to have sex with her.

Nathan Rafter’s fantasy scenes were about the girl he works with – Layla. Layla – who has an open relationship with her partner Steve – has been tempting Nathan to cheat on his wife Sammy. Sammy was upset catching Nathan in his compromising personal situation which set the mode for the show.

A surprise character – Lexie – who works with Ben Rafter at the bar played a major part in the show. Lexie befriended Carbo’s friend from Lesbos Greece Artie – who I might add is a very annoying character. Funny she has been in for two weeks and the ratings have been falling. Coincidence? Doubt it.

The two ended up in a washing the car scene based on Jessica Simpsons’ video “These Boots Were Made For Walking”. Carbo then has his fantasy about the two girls and also seems to go off and masturbate.

Then there is Ben’s fantasy. He just wants to marry his girl friend Melissa. We see Ben fantasize about Mel appearing to be pregnant symbolising that he wants to spend his life with her.

Fantasies aside though, why have they brought back the annoying Warney? The Rafters hate him, and having Sammy’s mum start dating him seems a ridiculous story line. Doesn’t really make for good viewing. In real life, the chances of those two sorts of people hooking up would be extremely unlikely (well, in my opinion).

And my final word on Packed to the Rafters story lines. It’s a shame that Rachael continues to have bad luck with guys like she did with Jake. Thought they could have taken that story further considering the tension between the two prior to them getting together.

Next episode, we see another new character – Dave’s mum – who we met a few weeks ago drop a bombshell in the family. Rumours say it is to with drugs.

Hopefully, they get the show back to quality story lines and not focus on fantasies and excessive sexual innuendo or they will risk losing a large percentage of their audience. Generally, Packed to the Rafters has been a very family oriented show and does so well as it is one of the very few shows on TV that is not a crime show or a panel show.

Is 7HD about to become the new home for free to air movies? Or is channel 7 just killing time before launching a new channel?

For the week commencing October 4th, the 7HD program is filled with 5 movies plus an episode of Better Homes and Gardens at 5pm Saturday October 10. The traditional 3 hour midday 7HD breakaway is no longer as of that week. That means the last day time 7HD break away will be Friday October 2.

Again, this shift in 7HD programming could mean preparation for 7’s new digital channel, but that is, of course, just speculation.

Please be advised that the 7HD programming has changed again, and the movie titles, dates and times have changed. Best to check your EPG or internet guide closer to the days to be sure. And if you have a PVR, be VERY wary recording off channel 70 (7HD) at prime time in case you cop an unscheduled movie instead of regular programming.

Here is the list of 7HD movies coming up – UPDATED, BUT STILL MAY NOT BE ACCURATE AND SUBJECT TO LATE CHANGES.

September:
Sat 26th:6.30pm: Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (originally scheduled for Oct 4)
Sat 26th: 8.30pm: Red Dawn (also originally scheduled for Oct 4)
Sun 27th 6.30pm: Chicken Little – no longer shows in the Yahoo TV Guide
Tue 29th 9.30pm: Starship Troopers – no longer on either.
Wed 30th 7.30pm: Chicken Run - as per yahoo guide. (was the Mighty Ducks)
 
October:
Thur 1st: 8.30pm: A Touch of Frost: In the Public Interest

Tue 6th 9.30pm: Rumble in the Bronx – no longer shows in advanced guides
Wed 7th 7.30pm: Hercules premiere
Wed 7th 9.30pm: Sin City – no longer on

Thur 8th 8.30pm: A Touch of Frost: Hidden Truth

That week is school holidays pretty well every where. The following week, all states are back at school except for NSW who go back a week later. School holidays may have been an ideal time to put on more programming for the kids.

While I am all for alternative programming on secondary channels, I do not agree with the HD channel being used part time and during prime time to show just a few movies. The issue with the programming of the movies is that regular prime time viewing cannot be seen in HD. If a show is made in HD, it should be shown in HD – that is what the HD channel is for. Obviously movies should always be shown in HD as they are made in HD, but not at the expense of regular prime time programming which will include City Homicide on Wednesdays at 8.30, pretty well all of 7’s Sunday night line up as well as All Saints on Tuesday nights.

At this stage, 7HD ratings are not recorded separately so we will not know how many people are watching any of these movies. The only hint will be if any of the 7 programming at the times the movies are on increase in ratings to the point where the increase appears unnatural or cannot be explained simply by weekly fluctuations – like what we saw with channel 9 when GO launched for the first two weeks, before GO shows were recorded separately in the ratings.

ADDED SEPT 25: If they keep on changing the program for these movies and given that they appear in very few TV guides and are not promoted anywhere, who is even going to know they are on? I bet out of 100 people reading this post, that only 1 or 2 may consider watching some of these movies. No doubt the same on similar posts in other forums. Don’t get the logic unless it is 7 testing things for their new channel. Still, best to test during the day and have prime time shows in HD. The new series of Amazing Race would have been made in HD yet there will be a movie on 7HD Thur Oct 8 when Amazing Race will air on 7.

Programming information from Media Spy and subject to late change.

The Sunday Telegraph in Sydney has again changed their TV guide layout but this time for the worse. It was just three weeks ago I was praising them for the fact that they were at the time listing the digital channels in columns similar to the main channels this making it easier to browse through what were on the secondary digital channels the same way you do for the main channels. Until then, the digital channel programs were simply a list of times and shows formatted usually into a single paragraph making it difficult to read through easily.

Last week, the Sunday Telegraph promoted the fact that they would have a new look TV guide from Sunday Aug 30. Upon seeing the new guide, I was annoyed to see that the digital channels had reverted back being a paragraph program and not in columns like the main channels.

They have improved the look and detail of the columns for the 5 main channels even including the odd picture here and there with certain shows. There is more information about shows, and more space dedicated to extended prime time from 6pm till midnight.

But with the digital channels, you just don’t get that level of detail. Perhaps the reasoning is because the digital channels tend to have very stable programming compared to the main channels or simply the fact they do not feel the need to give these channels space based on the fact that they account for less than 10% of the overall free to air TV viewing.

It raises the question though – what will these TV guides do when there are 2 more free to air channels later this year – with ABC3 to commence in December and channel 7’s new channel in October. There is the possibility in 2010 for channel 10 to offer a third channel thus relegating ONE to either only HD or only SD (most likely HD only) and the return of 9HD alternative programming. Channel 7 may follow a similar path to 9 as they too will be dropping 7HD when there new channel starts.

Clearly with all these channels, the only way to print a TV guide that is clear for everyone to read is to give each channel its own column. That would mean a double page spread for each day. The ads (I would probably be right in saying there is big money in the ads adjacent to each days’s TV guide) would have to be in strips maybe below the TV guide, or they could just make the magazine larger.

The Sunday Telegraph’s rival paper, the Sun Herald still have their guide with the digital channels as lists but also show a lot more of the cable channels as well. Their guide, however, did not even have GO listed as a channel until Aug 23 – two weeks after it’s launch.

And both papers have the program for channel 7 on Thursday night wrong. As outlined in another post, channel 7 have pushed back Amazing Race to 8.30 with TV Burp and Double Take also one hour later. Gary Unmarried airs at 7.30. This information was released on Friday Aug 21 so there should have been plenty of time for the Sunday paper printed guides to get the program right as I am sure they doe not print them anymore than a week in advance.

In an age of aesthetic supremacy, it seems no television personality too small will be left unedited in the pages of a magazine, with MASTERCHEF Australia‘s Julie Goodwin (apparently hiring Mariah Carey‘s photo retouchers) proving she is also no exception to the photoshop bonus.

Described as “the icing on the cake for the loving mother of three”, Goodwin’s extreme makeover has reportedly left the reality star feeling ‘so comfortable’, saying, “They all went to so much effort and even had a wind machine blowing back my hair.” But fans of the MASTERCHEF series wonder how comfortable Goodwin could feel about herself in reality, with the release of a string of photos that no longer resemble the bubbly chef.

The 38-year-old mother and MASTERCHEF winner has been busy penning her own recipe book as part of her winnings from taking home the cookery crown.

It is really getting out of hand again. Last night, Packed to the Rafters on channel 7 did not start until 8.40, after a combination of Surf Patrol finishing about 5 minutes late and a 3 minute sneak peek for Flash Forward – a new show coming to 7 next month in which everyone in the world blacks out for 2 minutes and 17 seconds only to awake to a world of chaos.

Channel 10 pushed Talkin’ ‘Bout Your generation out to a finishing time closer to 8.45. Both Packed to the rafters and Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation are typically the two highest ratings shows on a Tuesday night.

But one finishes 10 minutes late no doubt in an attempt to hold people on channel 10 as long as possible, while the other starts late – in an attempt to make sure that viewers coming over from channel 10 do not miss out on any of Packed to the Rafters.

While channel 10 do update their EPG (Electronic program guide) to reflect correct starting and finishing times – usually to the minute – they still use the start time of 8.30pm for NCIS even in ads during Talkin’ knowing full well that the show is not starting until after 8.40 or so. At least on Sunday nights they use 8.40 as the time they promote. Its just that on Sunday nights, 8.40 becomes 8.45 or later. Channel 7 and 9 do not update their EPGs so 8.30 still shows as the start or finish times. And according to my TV, SC10, 10’s regional affiliate also does not update start and finish times while channel 10 itself does.

At our house, we nearly gave up on Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation last night. With the EPG updating the finishing time to 8.41, and knowing we were already recording two shows after 8.30, our IQ2 rejected being able to record Talkin’ due to the fact there was a conflict after 8.30 where the IQ2 would have to record 3 shows at once for the first 10 minutes or so. It can only do two at once although can handle 3 or even 4 during overlaps – what I mean here, is that if you record two shows at 7.30 that are supposed to finish at 8.30 by the EPG, the programmed overrun of say 5 minutes will double up with the first 5 minutes of the two 8.30 shows being recorded so for a brief period the IQ2 appears to record 4 shows at once. Usually, though, one of the ends will get cut off. We don’t even watch the last 10 minutes of Talkin’ in any case.

All that aside, had I have not checked what was happening on the IQ2 just after 7.30, I would not have seen that Talkin’ ‘Bout Yr Gen had been kicked off being able to be recorded due to its late finish. We ended up watching the show live, changing channels at 8.30 at the ad break prior to the show going into its “end game”. Even when recorded, we usually don’t watch the end game. The aim here was to watch Packed to the Rafters live straight after it, but as Surf Patrol was running so late, we left Rafters to record (that was once of the two shows set to record at 8.30) and watched another recording before coming back to Rafters later.

And while I enjoyed the extended sneak peek of Flash Forward, I do not think sneak peeks should be used before shows to delay their start, especially when they are already running late. Luckily, after starting 10 minutes late, Rafters only just fit into the 10 minute overrun I had allowed on the IQ2.

It is really about time that this strategy is put to rest once and for all. Sure channel 10 does well with Talkin’, but, as was once seen in the past, if you put it against Packed to the Rafters, you’ll find that Rafters will be unaffected by Talkin’. Why start Rafters late? Why not set the example and start it on time? No doubt the growing length of Talkin’ will return back to a normal – more watchable 60 minute shows as opposed to being 70 minutes or more. Rafters is the most watched show in the country so people will be tuning in anyway. Why put two and a half million viewers (total viewers cities and regional combined) through having to wait like this?

And while it is fantastic that 10 update their EPG to show real start and finish times, what good is that to the 60% of the population who do not yet have digital or subscription TV and have to rely on printed or standard internet TV guides? On guides that say 8.30? When 8.30 is really 8.40 or so?

The networks have to start respecting their viewers by providing accurate program start and finish times and then adhering to them. All three of the commercial networks are guilty. Usually channel 9 is the worst. Back when Underbelly and the Mentalist were on earlier this year, an 8.45 start time was almost typical for these two shows which were advertised as 8.30 starts.

While I don’t watch any channel 9 on Tuesday nights to accurately comment on what happens with their Tuesday night line up I can say that I noticed that Kitchen Nightmares started more than 10 minutes late, and then the news after it was at least 5 minutes late as well. So it looks like channel 9 is running to the same sort of times as 7 and 10 are.

Finally – now that 7 are back to starting Packed to the rafters so late, I think it would be in 10’s interest to finish Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation on time. That way, there is the chance they will hold onto some of the viewers that can’t wait the 10 minutes for the next show. Conversely, with Rafters being the top rating show of the week all the time, 7 can pretty well do what they want with it and everyone will still watch, so why not just start on time? Or, if they cannot fit shows in on time because there are more ads or whatever the reason is, why not advertise the start time as 8.40?

Maybe when the code of practise is reviewed for free to air TV there will be an industry guide line for show times.

Last night, Sunday August 9, sixty minutes went to air on channel 9 at around about 7.33 – a few minutes late. Pretty normal considering the show before Domestic Blitz started at 6.32. 60 Minutes started with its usual introduction stating what 3 stories were going to be on. Then went to ads, then the first story came on.

After the first story, the second story was promoted. Than ads, then the second story was on. And then that finished. The third story was not promoted after the second. In fact, the third story was never on. Instead, they went straight to the mail bag, then the show finished. It finished 10 minutes early, leaving us to wonder why?

Why would they promote three stories and only show two? And not even a mention during the show either as to the thirst story being held over!

After 60 Minutes finished, channel 9 showed what they called a sneak peek for Australia’s Perfect Couple – a show which is currently failing. How can it be called a sneak peek for a show that is already on? Surely anyone who cares about it have tried the show by now and decided not to watch it! Then an extended ad for Farmer Wants a Wife. And then, Rescue Special Ops started – exactly on time at 8.30pm. It is great that Rescue started exactly on time, but at the expense of cutting a whole story out of 60 Minutes? And doing this on a night when both Australian Idol on 10 and Dancing With the Stars on 7 would have gone 10 minutes overtime? The move simply does not make sense at all.

Its not the first time channel 9 have chopped down 60 Minutes to allow time for sneak peeks. On Logies night, they cut out the mail bag so they would have time to show a HomeMADE sneak peek before the Logies started.

Channel 9 overdo the whole concept of sneak peeks. Usually they are very long ads for up and coming shows they slot in between two shows usually resulting in the second show starting even later than it should. But to cut a full story out of 60 Minutes without notice? That is just ridiculous and uncalled for.

60 Minutes has been third in ratings in its time slot ever since Dancing With the Stars returned to 7. And moves like this will only worsen their position as the show struggles to hold audience.

[Updated] – According to TV Tonight, the pulling of the 3rd story could have something to do with court proceedings in progress.

For nearly 25 years I have enjoyed reading the weekly TV guide in the Sunday papers as part of a lazy Sunday routine. Despite now writing TV blogs and knowing weeks in advance what the TV schedule on each channel will be, there is just something about sitting down and studying the printed TV guide even though I already know for the most part what will be on, and even though the printed guide is never 100% accurate anymore – especially with channel 9 and their last minute changes.

And given that I am well aware what is on TV, I still do not know what late movies are going to be on any of the channels. Or when 7 or 7HD will be showing random Deal or No Deal or Sons and Daughters repeats. What midday movies are there? Are the any obscure shows I haven’t seen for years on at some time on any channel? What documentaries are on SBS, ABC1 or ABC2? All of this information I get from the printed guide – even though I know I could sit here end go through an online guide as well, or read through detailed advanced guides from any number of sources. There’s just something about having it printed in front of you – and I would consider the printed guide to most likely still be the source of most people’s information and decisions as to what they consider to watch on TV each week.

Sadly, however, the printed TV guide is not an accurate representation as to what is on all the time. With late scheduling changes being made as close as 4 days in advance – especially in relation to channel 9 and Tuesday nights, 7 has done it this week with True Beauty, and 10 recently with the Biggest Loser US not being on one Sunday and changing 7.30 Thursday to John and Kate plus eight – the printed guide is more often then not out of date by the time it is read on Sundays. This appears to happen due to the weekly printed guides having deadlines some time during the week leading up to the Sunday so they can be printed as a separate magazine.

Sure – the papers print “last minute TV changes” somewhere in fine print on page thirty-something, but it still does not help overcome the inaccuracies caused by late changes. A show here and there is not really a problem, but it has happened for a complete nights’ line up with channel 9 and Tuesday nights. I wonder, if the people editing the TV guides each week are completely up to date with the latest TV changes in time to make sure the guide is as accurate as possible.

This week, with the launch of GO, there is a full extra free to air channel to include in the guide. Up until this week, the TV Guides in both Sydney Sunday papers (Sunday Telegraph and Sun Herald) have had extra digital channel listings almost as an after-thought with show listings in a very basic text format below the laid out columns of the main channel. Each channel would simply have a time and a show name – no extra information.

Finally, however, in the Sunday Telegraphs’ TV guide, the free to air digital channels have been listed in a column format, the same as the 5 main channels. Now we can see clearly the TV guide for each of the channels ABC2, 7HD, GO!, ONE and SBS TWO listed in the same format, with the same kind of information – such as rating (as in M, PG, G, etc), captions, repeat status, etc. It now allows the reader to much more easily see what is on each of the digital channels, the same way they can for each of the 5 main channels. Congratulations to the Sunday Telegraph for producing a much nicer free to air TV guide. The only criticism is that channel 9’s program on Tuesday night is still incorrect, and this week will be the second week of having 20-1 at 7.30, 2.5 Men at 8.30 and Commercial Breakdown

But with channel 7 now the only free to air network not to offer a full time second digital channel, the column for 7HD is essentially a reprint of 7 programming with the usual break away changes from 12 midday to 4.30pm weekdays and some alternative programming after midnight. And coming before Christmas is ABC’s new kids channel ABC3 – so that will be 3 channels for the ABC.

Now, what about the TV guide in the Sun Herald? Well, not only are their digital listings still listed as an apparent after thought at the bottom of each day’s listing, there is NO LISTING FO GO!! So, if you are getting your TV information from the Sun Herald, you would not even know about GO. This, from a major Sydney newspaper, on the day and the week that a full new free to air TV channel starts just is unacceptable! How could they let the guide hit the streets with a whole channel missing? Its not like there has not been publicity for it? Surely they get the same channel 9 press releases as every one else? Carelessness? Mistake? Who knows. Its just bad! I know I won’t look at that guide again in the future though.

The irony though is that their channel 9 guide is more up to date for the week than the Sunday Telegraphs’ which suggests they are up to date with channel 9’s programming information.

Printed guides are still important. The newspapers should take more care to make sure they are accurate, and the networks in making scheduling changes should have respect for their deadlines to ensure their viewers by not changing schedules too late for printed guides to be accurate.

If channel 9 have the intention of keeping as many viewers away from their network on Tuesday nights, then they are doing a GREAT job of it.

Their Tuesday night line up has changed AGAIN, and at very short notice AGAIN.

Two weeks ago, they had Dance Your Ass Off at 7.30pm. That show was axed a few days later. Last week, they had Two and a Half Men on at 7.30, then the New Adventures of Old Christine at 8, followed by 20-1 at 8.30, then CSI: NY at 9.30 and 10.30.

This line up failed and gave 9 the worst Tuesday night ratings that I can remember. WHY? Simple: noone knew what was on. Printed guides wrong. EPGs updated sometime over the weekend. And out of those who did know what was on, many would have chosen not to watch any of the shows knowing full well that it is unlikely the same show will be on the following week.

Next Tuesday (Aug 4) sees 20-1 return to its original Tuesday night time slot of 7.30, with an hour of Two and a Half Men to Follow. At 9.30, it’s Commercial Breakdown – another show that noone watches, so expect it not to be on the following week – followed by Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares at 10.15.

If they would only settle on a line up and keep it the same for more than a week, they may actually have the very strange effect of the audience building. The 20-1 / 2.5 Men line up is tired as, and now the laughing stock of the industry. So much so, the line up was sent up on channel 7’s Double Take last Thursday, showing a channel 9 “coming up next” screen with 3 Two and a Half Men episodes, followed by – well, in the skit, they start typing 20-1 in, then change it, then change it again, then say we don’t even know! Maybe another Two and a Half Men?

And even TV Burp had a go at it, with a segment called “RIP Dance Your Ass Off – 15/7/09 – 15/7/09”, which started with Ed discussing the new show on 9 which is a cross between So You Think You Can Dance and the Biggest Loser. While he introduces the show, he takes phone call, saying the show has been axed already.

It’s fair enough to dump shows that are not rating, but it is sheer stupidity to change the line up of a whole night every week at the last minute with no regard for the fact that printed guides will be rendered useless, and many EPGs will not have up to date programming until some time on the weekend. Both channel 7 and 10 go through the same process but, these days, rarely change a show at such short notice.

It is time channel 9 started listening to their audience, and started allowing viewer loyalty to build up. Think back one year or so, channel 10 was in the same boat – chopping and changing the schedule at short notice and coming 3^rd in the ratings. Now look at 10. What’s the difference? THEY LISTEN. They care. They try new shows, new ideas and aren’t afraid to go out on limb.

And as for channel 7, quality, stable programming is also their key. 7 allow shows to build. Look at Scrubs on Monday night for example – it ended up at around a million viewers, but started at 600,000. If that was channel 9, it would have been off after a week.

An interesting fact I read on TV Tonight – When 9 first aired Two and a Half Men, it rated so poorly, that they took it off one week later. The show returned one summer, built audience and has been on ever since.

Finally – there is a twitter account called twitter.com/fixchannel9 following me, and after checking who they are following, a lot of other TV based twitter accounts. Don’t know who or what it is, could be a promo even, who knows? But there’s one thing for sure – channel 9 definitely needs fixing. We’ll have to wait and see what comes out of this twitter account which so far only has one update commenting on last Tuesday night’s performance.

What are 9 thinking by putting on Dance Your Ass Off? A show that airs on a niche audience cable channel in the US. Sure it may do OK over there, but here, it is likely to fail in ratings, and be subject to 9’s well warn axe within one week. The first week maybe OK, but if they actually let a 2^nd one air at that time *** UPDATED – It’s been axed, so no second show!!! ***

Tv Tonights’ David Knox has given the show a half star out of five rating as calls it “cringe worthy”. Based on the ads, and seeing parts of the show on American talk shows, I could not agree more. Not only is a show with the word “Ass” in its title inappropriate for prime time viewing, they have promoted the show during times where children as young as toddlers watch TV. I have seen an ad for it in the ad break between ET and Here’s Humphry – a time when 100,000 toddlers are in front of the TV waiting for their daily shot of Humphry. Obviously the ads are for the parents, but does any parent want their 3 year old running around saying “dance – ass off?”

As a parent of a 3 year old girl myself, who repeats everything she hear, the answer is no. And its enough to keep us away from channel 9 even at G, C or P rated times. Even during Australia Funniest Home Videos the show was promoted 3 times. Another show my 3 year old loves, and we all know is watched by kids Australia wide.

If only someone at channel 9 could explain what their motivation is with a show like this. It is an all time new low for the network. It belongs in the “What were they thinking” basket and will only add to the growing list of shows on 9 that have been axed within a few episodes. Trouble in Paradies, axed after 3 episodes would have been better in its place at 7.30 Tuesday.

A new idea for a 20-1 episode: Channel 9’s top 20 axed shows for 2009. Followed by: GO!99’s top 20 new programs (yes, this one would be the same list).

Dance Your Ass Off  HAS BEEN AXED. Surprised anyone?