Beat The Star

Here’s what is happening on Seven for the much of the rest of summer.

Beat The Star fills in the timeslot vacated by The Amazing Race, 7.30pm Thursday From Dec 23. It remains on every Thursday until Thur Jan 13.

From Sun Dec 26, over 4 Sundays at 6.30pm, is the special Billy Connolly: Journey To The Edge of the World, in which Billy Connolly journeys through the remote regions of Canada and into the Arctic Circle. Note the last Vicar of Dibley special on Seven airs Sun Dec 19, 6.30pm.

Border Patrol, Coast Watch and Bones all remain on Sunday nights from 7.30 until Jan 16. Bones fans receive a special treat, with a double episode on the night of Sun Jan 16.

On Sun Dec 26 and Sun Jan 2, repeats of the Castle at 9.30 are replaced with movies Species and Derailed respectively.

The spectacular special Journey to the Edge of the Universe airs at 10.30 Monday Dec 27 – over just one hour. I thought I saw it as a two hour show on National Geographic a few years ago. Perhaps cut down? Still, well worth watching for the imagery.

The last Under the Hammer for now airs Wed Dec 29 at 8pm.

The final of ICU is at 8pm Mon Jan 3.

One of the few new international shows screening anywhere over summer – Outlaw continues at 9.30pm Mondays, with an extra episode on Sunday Jan 9 before its final at 9.30 Monday Jan 10.

Travel show High Road, Low Road – having being forced out of Saturday nights to avoid a conflict with sponsors of No Leave, No Life premieres 8pm Wed Jan 5. The first episode covers LA and Palm Springs, the second, airing Jan 12, covers New York. The third which will cover New Zealand’s North Island won’t be seen until after the Australian Open tennis, maybe on a Saturday night but that is to be confirmed.

No Leave, No Life, has its final episode for series 2 on Saturday Jan 15, at 6.30pm.

The final of the US version of Minute to Win It will air 7.30 Tue Jan 11.

From Mon Jan 17, the Australian Open airs on Seven from 11am – 6pm daily, as well as from 7pm at night for the first week. The tournament concludes on Sun Jan 30 with the Men’s Final. While the Australian Open is on, the morning news moves to 10.30, while 9am – 10.30am are occupied with children’s programming. Areas not on AEDT check local guides closer to the dates. News and Today Tonight remain 6pm – 7pm weeknights.

Home and Away returns Monday January 24, 2011 at 7pm, coinciding with the second week of The 2011 Australian Open. Weekday night time sessions therefore start at 7.30pm as a result.

All times and information here based on Sydney market.

It looks as though Seven will close out the ratings year with both the most number of viewers as well as the most number of local programming flops.

The network leads the list of new programming failures with a range of new Australian shows failing to take hold in the domestic market.

While Seven enjoyed success with the return of ratings powerhouse Packed to the Rafters, its list of pulled shows is vast.

AFL magazine show The Bounce barely got off the ground before being pulled along with The White Room, which lasted just two weeks.

Reality shows ICU, Beat The Star and Australia Versus were all pulled form Seven this year after poor showings, alongside The Suspects, Under The Hammer and Russell Crowe’s Damage Control documentary.

Channel Nine pulled new Kate Richie drama Cops LAC during the year while TEN managed to escape without any casualties.

Source: News.com.au

7:30pm – Tuesday, September 21 on Seven

- TONIGHT’S STAR IS ADA NICODEMOU

This week on BEAT THE STAR, the Doidge family battle it out against Home and Away star Ada Nicodemou.

BEAT THE STAR pits an average Aussie family against a celebrity in a series of physical and mental challenges.

Each family has a chance to win $50,000… but first they must BEAT THE STAR in eight grueling challenges which are played out in front of a huge studio audience. For the Star, they’ll be playing for their pride and reputation, which is at stake if they get beaten.

The games are athletic, brain-boggling and simply out-of-this-world, ensuring the contenders – and the audience at home – are always on their toes. Can the stars keep their heads held high? Or will the challengers leave them red-faced?

BEAT THE STAR is hosted by Daniel MacPherson.

7:30pm – Tuesday, September 21 on Seven

- TONIGHT’S STAR IS ADA NICODEMOU

This week on BEAT THE STAR, the Doidge family battle it out against Home and Away star Ada Nicodemou.

BEAT THE STAR pits an average Aussie family against a celebrity in a series of physical and mental challenges.

Each family has a chance to win $50,000… but first they must BEAT THE STAR in eight grueling challenges which are played out in front of a huge studio audience. For the Star, they’ll be playing for their pride and reputation, which is at stake if they get beaten.

The games are athletic, brain-boggling and simply out-of-this-world, ensuring the contenders – and the audience at home – are always on their toes. Can the stars keep their heads held high? Or will the challengers leave them red-faced?

BEAT THE STAR is hosted by Daniel MacPherson.

7:30pm – Tuesday, September 14 on Seven

- TONIGHT’S STAR IS ANDREW GAZE

This week on BEAT THE STAR, the Carter family will face off against basketball legend Andrew Gaze. Will he stand tall or will he be slam-dunked?

BEAT THE STAR pits an average Aussie family against a celebrity in a series of physical and mental challenges.

Each family has a chance to win $50,000…but first they must BEAT THE STAR in eight grueling challenges which are played out in front of a huge studio audience. For the Star, they’ll be playing for their pride and reputation, which is at stake if they get beaten.

The games are athletic, brain-boggling and simply out-of-this-world, ensuring the contenders – and the audience at home – are always on their toes. Can the stars keep their heads held high? Or will the challengers leave them red-faced?

BEAT THE STAR is hosted by Daniel MacPherson.

Wow – that didn’t take long.

Looks like we will only ever see two episodes of Beat The Star on Seven, with the network choosing to take it off from the week after next, and move Four Weddings into its Tuesday night timeslot.

Beat the Star failed to attract a similar audience to Minute to Win It with less than a million watching the show’s first episode last Tuesday. Even the 7.30 Report on ABC1 did better. It’s the kind of show that would probably be more suited to a weekend timeslot rather than the ultra competitive nightly weekday prime time.

As for Four Weddings, it faired better in ratings, but its move to Tuesday night from September 21 will see it avoid being impacted by the premiere of season 2 of Glee on Ten at 7.30 Wednesday Sept 22. In it’s place that night will be Border Security and The Force. Both are repeats.

Summary:

Four Weddings Wednesday Sept 15 7.30, then Tuesdays 7.30pm from Sept 21.

Border Security and The Force repeats from 7.30pm Wed Sept 22.

Beat the Star Tue Sept 14, 7.30pm, then gone altogether.

Daniel MacPherson will be front and centre when Channel Seven launches its new arena style game show Beat The Star, next Tuesday September 7 at 7.30pm.

Beat The Star pits an average Aussie family against a star from the world of sport and entertainment in a series of big challenges that test their physical and mental abilities.

My Kitchen Rules judge Manu Feildel; Home and Away’s Ada Nicodemou; boxer Danny Green; basketball legend Andrew Gaze and champion surfer Layne Beachley are some of the stars lined up to take on Aussie families.

Each family has the chance to win $50,000 as they battle it out in front of a huge studio audience. Guts, determination and a high tolerance for embarrassing situations will be vital in their quest for glory. For the Star, they are battling for their pride, ego and dignity.

MacPherson knows all about tough challenges as he balances his career as an actor and presenter with the gruelling regime that comes with competing in elite level triathlons.

“Beat The Star is part variety, part arena spectacular, part sport, part entertainment and I’m really excited about that,” Daniel says. “It includes all the aspects I love about TV. It’s an ambitious format and I’m looking forward to having some fun.”

Beat The Star has been a phenomenal success worldwide. Seven’s Head of Production, Brad Lyons, says: “We have always loved this format and have gathered an amazing bunch of celebrities for our families to battle.  To see an 11-year-old kid take on a world champion boxer makes for great viewing.”

When Beat The Star premieres there will be only one thing standing between the Mort family and $50,000… sexy French chef Manu Feildel.

Father Darren Mort says: “We are a family of many talents but most of all we are competitive and we love to win.”

The My Kitchen Rules host is used to cooking up a storm in the kitchen but will he be able to stand the heat in the Beat The Star arena?

Beat The Star is based on the German format “Schlag den Raab” developed by Brainpool TV GmbH and Raab TV GmbH. “Distribution by SevenOne International”.

Looks like The X Factor will settle into regular Sunday and Monday nights with timeslots for two new shows beat the Star and Four Weddings being announced for Tuesday and Wednesday nights, and details coming out for week two of The X Factor.

On Sunday September 5, The X Factor will run for 90 minutes, starting at 7.30pm, pushing back Bones and Castle to 9pm and 10 pm respectively. The Sunday ep is Bootcamp which sees the judges find out which group they were mentor. The contestants will be put through their paces to see if they can take on different song genres, as Kyle, Natalie, Ronan and Guy find out if they have the enigmatic X Factor.

On Monday September 6, The X Factor continues in a one hour episode at 7.30pm.

On Tuesday September 7, the premiere of Game show Beat the Star airs from 7.30pm.

Every week an average Aussie family will go up against a celebrity in a series of gruelling challenges and take home $50,000 if they beat the star. The games are athletic, brain-boggling and simply out-of-this-world, ensuring the contenders – and the audience at home – are always on their toes. Can the stars keep their heads held high? Or will the challengers leave them red-faced? This week the Mort family will challenge sexy French chef Manu Feildel. Will he be able to stand the heat? Hosted by Daniel MacPherson.

On Wednesday September 8, Four Weddings premieres, hosted by Fifi Box.

Now we know Minute to Win It will take over the Australia’s Got Talent timeslot, what about all the other timeslots about to be vacated by finishing shows in Seven’s prime time programming? With the amount of one off programming coming up on Seven, it would be easy to think there is a winter non ratings period coming up in time for the June/July school holidays.

Australia’s Got Talent, Private Practice, Grey’s Anatomy, Brothers and Sisters and Find My Family will all finish over the next two weeks. Desperate Housewives a few weeks later. So far – with Bones and Castle finished on June 6, no definite programming has been planned for Sunday nights other than movies.

As for Wednesday night, last Wednesday – the first week since the Pacific concluded – saw Seven offer two factual specials which did not rate very well at all. Next Wednesday – against the State of Origin – Seven will play the movie Schindler’s List – which will be a four hour ordeal, thanks to ads in what is already a long movie without breaks.

On Monday June 14, 7.30pm, there is a special called Breaking the Magician’s Code: Magic’s Secrets Revealed – which essentially is one of these shows that appear every now and then discussing how magicians perform certain tricks and illusions.

On Wednesday June 16, 7.30pm, another one off Medical Emergency, billed as a one hour special episode called Rescue Special.

The following week is still filled with “to be advised” timeslots. Timeslots yet to be confirmed include: 8.30pm Sunday June 20 (2.5 hours), 9.30pm Monday June 21 (1.5 hours), 7.30pm Wednesday June 23 (1 hour), 8.30pm Wed June 23 (2 hours) and 10.30pm Wed June 23 (1 hour).

8.30pm Tuesday June 22 also shows as “to be advised” but should be confirmed as the two hour finale of Grey’s Anatomy.

With school holidays in many states spanning June 27 – July 11 or July 4 – July 18, there may be more on off specials in some of these timeslots as Seven may chose to launch new shows in one big week in July. Packed to the Rafters will definitely return in July but a date is not yet set (I tip Tuesday July 13). Other shows almost certainly likely to return to Seven in July include City Homicide and Dancing with the Stars.

Shows still to come on Seven this year include:
Beauty and the Geek Australia (probably not until September)
Hung (now being promoted, so could be soon)
Beat the Star (another game show)
Australia Versus (new comedy show announced this week)
World’s Strictest Parents (rated well last year, so expect it back probably soon on Wednesdays)
Highway Patrol (Most likely to return to Monday nights)
RSPCA Animal Rescue (Most likely to double up with Highway patrol on Monday nights)
My Kitchen Rules season 2 (most likely a September return but being held until 2011 is also a possibility)
Criminal Minds (new episodes)
Damage Control
Parenthood

Big event TV keeps coming to Channel Seven – with the new arena style spectacular, Beat The Star – to be hosted by Daniel MacPherson.

Production has commenced on the new series, which will debut soon on Seven.
Beat The Star will pit an average Aussie family against a star from the world of sport and entertainment in a series of big challenges in each episode.

This show will test their physical and mental abilities, along with their capacity to engage in unexpected activities. Guts, determination and a high tolerance for embarrassing situations will be vital in their quest for glory.

Each family could win big cash prizes as they battle it out in front of a huge live studio audience. For the Star, they are battling for their pride, ego and dignity!

Host Daniel MacPherson knows all about tough challenges as he balances his career as an actor and presenter with the grueling regime that comes with competing in elite level triathlons.

He said: “Beat The Star is part variety, part arena spectacular, part sport, part entertainment and I’m really excited about that. It includes all aspects that I love about TV. It’s an ambitious format and I’m looking forward to having some fun.”

Beat The Star is based on a German format which has been picked up in the United Kingdom, Sweden, France and Croatia.