Cops LAC

Wondering what is happening with your favourite Australian drama or reality competition show? Here is a list summarising both genres with information as to what has been renewed, what has not been, and some names of new shows to air in 2011. Updated November 22.

The list will no doubt grow and update as the networks release their upfronts for 2011.

Australian Drama.

AFP – Nine was supposed to air in 2010 – Low ratings with cop based dramas all round sees it held off until 2011.

City Homicide – Seven – Rumours of the show being axed have not been confirmed by Seven. A decision will be made on whether there will be a 5th season or not some time in 2011. A 6 part mini series airs early 2011.

Cops LAC - Nine – Officially dropped by Nine. Not renewed.

East West 101 – SBS ONE – 3^rd season to air 2011.

Home and Away – Seven – No confirmation, but almost certainly will return in 2011 for its 24^th year.

Inside Out – Ten new for 2011

Neighbours – Ten / Eleven – Returns on Eleven in 2011. 26^th year.

Offspring – Ten – confirmed for 2^nd season in 2011.

Packed to the Rafters – Seven – Production on 4th season has commenced – so yes – it is back in 2011. Ads at teh end of the final suggest Rafters will return ealry 2011 – so possible February start. Usually Rafters is not on until mid year.

Rescue Special Ops – Nine – renewed for 3^rd season in 2011.

Rush – Ten confirmed for 4th season in 2011.

Sea Patrol - Nine renewed for season 5.

Spirited – W renewed for season 2.

Tangle – Showcase 3^rd season yet to be confirmed

Underbelly – Nine 4^th season to air 2011. Subject of 4^th season TBC though. Telemovies to come as well.

Winners and Losers - Seven new for 2011.

Reality Competition shows.

Australia’s Got Talent - 5^th season for 2011. Auditions underway.

Australia’s Next Top Model – FOX8 – 7^th cycle open now for applications

Beauty and the Geek Australia – Seven – Season 2 concludes Thur Nov 25, 8.30pm. If there is a third season, it will be announced during or at the end of the finale.

Come Dine with Me Australia – Lifestyle – 3^rd season in 2011. Looking for contestants now

Don’t Stop Believing – Ten – CANCELLED - Show will not be going ahead.

Got to Dance – FOX8 – new for 2011

Junior Masterchef - Ten – 2nd season for 2011

Masterchef Australia – Ten – 3^rd season in 2011

Must Be the Music – FOX8 – new for 2011

My Kitchen Rules – Seven – 2^nd season in 2011.

The Amazing Race Australia – Seven in 2011.

The Biggest Loser – TEN – back in 2011 with a family based series.

The Block – Nine – Technically 4th season planned for 2011.

The Farmer Wants A Wife – Nine. Applications open for 2011 season.

The Renovators – Ten – New and to air 3^rd quarter 2011, been described as “The Block on steroids”.

The X Factor – Seven – possible second season for 2011, but nothing confirmed.

Note: Documentaries and Factuals (and there are a lot of them – shows like Bondi Rescue, Recruits, Border Security, RBT, The Force, Find My Family, etc) are not part of this list. If there is a current (as in airing in 2010 or 2011) Australian drama or reality competition show I have left off the list, please let me know.

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

Junior Masterchef - Mon Nov 15, 7.30pm, Ten

Packed to the Rafters – Tue Nov 16, 8.30pm, Seven

Parenthood – Tue Nov 23, 8.30pm (double episode), Seven

RPA – Thur Nov 18, Nine

Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation – Tue Nov 23, 7.30pm, Ten – Xmas Special

The Big Bang Theory (new) – Wed Nov 10, 8.30pm, Nine. NO MORE FOR 2010.

The Block – Wed Nov 24, 7.30pm, Nine

NCIS (new) – Tue Nov 23, 8.30pm, Ten

Offspring – Sun Nov 21, 8.30pm, Ten (two hours)

The Force – Wen Nov 17, 7.30pm (double episode), Seven

The Good Wife – Wed Nov 24, 8.30pm, Ten

The Mentalist – Mon Nov 8, 8.30pm, Nine (not on Mon Nov 15 or 22)

The X Factor – Mon Nov 22, 7.30pm, Seven

Top Gear Australia – Tue Nov 2, 7.30pm, Nine (not on Tue Nov 9, 16 or 23) – so has now finished for the year

Two and a Half Men (new) – Mon Nov 8, 7.30pm, Nine (not on Mon Nov 15 or 22)

Undercover Boss Australia – Mon Nov 22, 8.30pm, Ten

Assumed:

60 Minutes – playing best of in summer.

Neighbours – 6.30pm, Friday Dec 17, Ten

Rush – Continues in summer. If no doubles, last would be Thur Dec 16, 8.30pm

Two and a Half Men (repeats) – At this stage, appear to be continuing into summer

* Not including GO – which may continue playing repeats at varying times – although I would assume the need to fill the GO schedule with Big Bang and Two and a Half Men repeats would not be as prevalent during non-ratings.

The Amazing Race and Survivor Nicaragua will continue as it would not make sense to hold off the final few episodes until 2011.

The list will be updated as more information comes to hand. Focus here is mostly on prime time main channels. Feel free to comment or question any exclusions.

Neighbours generally finish later than the end of ratings. Will add dates once confirmed. 

Nine are set to “burn off” the remaining four episodes of Cops LAC over the next two weeks in two weeks of double episodes.

Next Thursday, November 4, Cops LAC will be a double episode from 9.30pm, the same the following Thursday November 11 – which will be the last two episodes of the show.

Due to low ratings, it is unlikely Cops LAC will be renewed.

The double episodes mean that CSI: New York repeats at 10.30pm will not be seen for those two Thursdays.

Cops LAC on Nine, 9.30 Thursday Nov 4 and Thursday Nov 11. Double episodes.

After another night of bad ratings, Nine have decided to move Cops LAC to 9.30pm, with CSI at 8.30pm.

The original line up was for Cops LAC to stay at 8.30pm, with CSI at 9.30pm.

Last night, Cops LAC was watched by just 684,000, while The Big Band Theory on GO – on at the same time – was watched by 431,000 – nearly two thirds as many people.

The changes for Thursday night take effect from next Thursday, October 21. The new season of CSI features Justin Bieber for the first two episodes.

For Cops LAC, it is perhaps for the better, although for the first week – Oct 21, Cops LAC will still be against a two hour episode of Rush. If the ratings slide further in its new 9.30 timeslot, Cops LAC will fall into a later night timeslot.

New CSI on Nine, Thursdays 8.30pm from Oct 21.

Cops LAC on Nine, Thursdays 9.30pm from Oct 21.

Channel Nine are sticking to movies on Sunday nights – at least for those leading up to the NRL Grand Final on October 3.

On Sunday September 12, at 8.30pm, the movie is Iron Man. The following week, Sept 19, sees the free to air premiere of The Dark Knight, then on September 26, it’s The Incredible Hulk. The NRL Grand Final follows the week after on October 3.

The Throng guess for the two Sundays after The NRL (Oct 10 & 17) is that the two telemovies Nine have ready to go will air. One is from the Underbelly franchise – Tell Them Lucifer Was Here, while the other is Panic at Rock Island. This, of course, is all to be confirmed.

To Monday nights now, and the network will be split with the season finale of Rescue: Special Ops. To avoid conflicting with the Brownlow Medal, The season finale in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth will be seen at 8.30pm, Monday Sept 27, while in Sydney and Brisbane, it remains at 8.30pm, Monday Sept 20. In its place in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth is a special called The 10 Things You Need to Know About Sleep.

The season finale of Hot In Cleveland will be seen at 8pm, Monday Sept 27. The Secret Millionaire also concludes that night at 9.30pm.

While the one week delay for the finale of Rescue Special Ops in some markets puts the possible season return of the Mentalist back a week, the conclusion of Hot in Cleveland and Secret Millionaire paves the way for a night of new premieres – Nine, if they chose to, could – or rather should – fast track new episodes of Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory and The Mentalist to Monday nights from October 4. Whether they do so or not, is to be seen.

On Tuesday nights, the mixed bag of programming at 9pm after Top Gear continues. On Tuesday September 14 at 9pm, the Real Hussle will be seen. Then on Sept 21, it’s a special called Darren Brown: The Events. 9pm Sept 28 is yet to be decided.

On Thursday Sept 30, Cops LAC will be a double episode in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth to make up for the missing episode from the previous week where the Grand Final edition of The Footy Show starts at 8.30pm. In NRL markets, the Grand Final Footy Show still starts at 9.30, so Cops LAC still remains at 8.30 every Thursday night.

Why is Australian drama no longer doing well in the ratings? Do we just not like Australian drama or is it the fact that most of it is crime based and we have had enough of crime and cop shows. Maybe the reasons are that the Americans just do it so much better – with their higher budgets, and slick productions or is it just that our actors are not all they are cracked up to be.

As part of licensing conditions for Australian television networks, they are required to produce a certain amount of Australian content each year measured on a points system, including Australian drama that attract the most points. Aside from dramas, content includes reality and factual shows, and imports from New Zealand also count towards the points the networks earn for local content. The amount of reality and factual content these days, however, far outweighs drama.

If you look at what Australian drama is on free to air TV at the moment, you’ll find there is a collection of soaps, cop or crime based shows, one family based and one just quirky. Seven has Packed to the Rafters, City Homicide and Home and Away, Ten has Offspring, Neighbours and Rush while Nine – promoting themselves as the home of Australian drama has Rescue Special Ops and Cops LAC. Other shows that have aired this year include Nine’s Underbelly and Ten’s Hawke telemovie. Still to come on Nine include another police drama AFP, Panic at Rock Island and Tell them Lucifer was here – the first of the Underbelly telemovies.

But if you look at how these shows rate, only two of them could be described run away successes. Packed to the Rafters on Seven – the only drama family based – attracts as many as two million viewers each week. Only Underbelly on Nine has matched – and surpassed – the figures the Rafter family attains.

Looking at the cop / crime shows, none of them are currently reaching over a million viewers. City Homicide and Rush are hovering around the 700-800,000 mark, Rescue Special Ops flirts with a million each Monday night and the new kid on the block Cops LAC for its second episode was watched by 944,000 after debuting to over 1.1 million for its premiere on Sept 2.

Ten’s very different Offspring is watched by around a million viewers per week while Seven’s Home and Away attracts a similar nightly audience. Neighbours on Ten struggles in comparison – between 500-700,000 prompting its move to Ten’s new digital channel in 2011.

The story is somewhat different for US dramas. Crime procedurals like Bones, Criminal Minds, NCIS and the Mentalist all enjoy audience figures well over a million, with new episodes of NCIS and The Mentalist reaching as high as 1.5 million. Parenthood – currently seen on Seven after Packed to the Rafters – another family based drama – also is watched by around a million each week.

Meanwhile, Australian reality competition shows still attract the biggest audiences. Talent based formats like Australia’s Got Talent and The X Factor easily outdo the dramas in ratings, reaching average figures around 1.5 million, while cooking based Masterchef puts everything else on TV to shame with its success. Even Seven’s My Kitchen Rules was easily watched by more people than the dramas are.

One off telemovies like Hawke and last year’s A Model Daughter – The Killing of Carolyn Byrne do very well in the ratings, Hawke at about 1.7 million – good news for the up and coming Panic at Rock Island on Nine. Back in the 80’s it was the big mini-series like Vietnam, Bodyline and the like that used to clean up in the ratings. Telemovies these days are few and far between.

The message the ratings are sending about Australian crime or cop based dramas is that the audience is perhaps had enough of the genre and perhaps it is time to try something different. Packed to the Rafters does so well because it is so different, and easy for many to relate to. Shows made for Pay TV like Tangle and Spirited stand out as being different, but are only exposed to a limited audience.

It’s hard to know what will be our next big drama hit. Apart from Packed to the Rafters and Underbelly, no show is performing well enough to guarantee long term success. Rescue Special Ops is renewed for a third year, but no word on Rush or City Homicide – both of which are having their worst years since being on air.

The decline in ratings for these shows can be attributed to a combination of factors not only including genre saturation but the changing television landscape where viewers have so many more options now. The quality of acting and story lines in some cases doesn‘t help.

But with a small selection of show reaching high ratings figures – like Masterchef, Rafters and Underbelly, the audience is there – and will tune in to a show if it is worth watching. Problem is, while ever the networks keep giving the audience more of the same or trying to play it safe, the figures are simply going to dilute further across the various options on offer.

The dilution of audience is already happening for the crime genre. It’s just a matter of time before the talent based reality competition shows face the same fate, and, as we see a proliferation of cooking based shows hits our screens over the next year, expect cooking shows to also suffer the same fate.

Only those shows that are original, well made and feature believable characters or participants will stand out, and therefore bring in the numbers.

Some changes to Nine programming as well in the week leading up to the AFL Grand Final.

With the Browlow Medal on Monday Sept 20, and everyone to do with AFL at the event, Nine has moved Footy Classified from that night to the special time of 10pm Tuesday Sept 21. This, of course, is in AFL markets only.

On Thursday Sept 22, the AFL Footy Show will start an hour early at 8.30pm for its Grand Final Special. That means, Cops LAC won’t be seen that week in AFL markets.

UPDATED: Cops LAC has a double episode in AFL markets Sept 29 to make up for the one missed Sept 22.

Nine has the exclusive live rights to the NRL finals series, with matches being shown on Friday nights at 7.30, Saturday nights from 7.30 and Sunday afternoons as well in Syndey and Brisbane. Replays can be seen on Fox Sports. There are four matches for the weekend of Sept 10-12 and Sept 17-19, with two that decide who goes in to the Grand final on the weekend of Sept 24-26. Some matches shown late night in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth – check local guides if interested.

In other Nine programming news, Sunday nights after 8.30pm are movies for now. The NRL Grand Final is on Sunday October 3, 2010. Possible new programming from October 10 until the end of the ratings year – perhaps they might fast track the new season of CSI for Sunday nights from October 10.

Earlier on Sunday nights, at 7pm following RBT, is a new series called Hot Pursuit. It’s a UK produced series, more likely a temporary fill for that timeslot than a long term programming move.

Meanwhile, the finale of season 2 of Rescue Special Ops in on Monday September 27. There will be a third season of the show, to return mid-2011. It was to be seen on Sept 20, but Nine moved to avoid conflisiting with the Brownlow Medal. This is the same in ALL markets now.

At the end of this week, there will only be 12 weeks left of the ratings year for 2010 – yet Nine still have a list of shows still to come in 2010 that simply will no longer fit in their main channel line up unless they start doing some serious overhauling of the schedule or moving more shows to GO! and the imminent third channel.

I would go as far to say, that a number of these shows simply won’t be seen at all until 2011.

Here is the list, with updated comments.

Shows to come in the remaining 12 weeks of the ratings season on Nine include:

AFP (Australian Federal Police) – Seen in promos, possible late September start.
The Ashes – cricket – Starts November 25, continues through summer.
Australian Masters – Golf – November 11-14
Big – similar to Ten’s Biggest Loser – Will air in 2011.
The Block 2010 – Premieres Wed Sept 22, 7.30pm
The Boss Is Coming to Dinner – Premieres Wed Sept 22, 8.30pm
Cops LAC – premiere September 2, 8.30pm
Nikita – will now be seen on GO late September.
Panic at Rock Island – possibly in October
The Politically Incorrect Parenting Show – possibly in October – a 3 part show.
Random Acts of Kindness – possible in October, maybe in a new timeslot – depends what they do with the Block.
The Real Hustle – Premieres Tuesday Sept 14, 9pm, after Top Gear.
The Secret Millionaire – Currently airing, 9.30pm Mondays. Not a long series though.
Top Gear Australia – launching “with an international event” – Tuesday nights soon.
S***! My Dad Says – comedy – Been promoted, should air soon. Maybe If they got rid of the 7.30pm Two and a Half Mens on Monday and Wednesday they could fit more new shows in.
Survivor: Nicuragua – premieres in US Sept 15. If Nine fast track, possible late September date.
Underbelly Files – 1^st of them possibly airs Sunday Sept 19 or 26, 8.30pm
Hey Hey its Saturday – returns to Saturdays from October 16. Final November 27 will be a big party for Nine, as that Hey Hey will be the last show EVER made at the historic GTV-9 Melbourne Studios.

National IQ Test – I left this off the list, but have heard of people being emailed to attend – so maybe possible for November 2010.

The following shows are all possible to air in 2010, but without any promos, its hard to know when or even if they will end up on Nine in 2010:

Chase
The Enforcers
Harry’s Law
Mike and Molly
Mr Sunshine
Undercovers
The Whole Truth
When I Grow Up

And on GO!

Community – Possible for October.
Dark Blue – Already airing, Wednesday nights 9.30pm
Fringe – season 3 fast tracked – Will be on late September. Possibly Sept 21.
Glory Daze – not sure.
The Hard Times of RJ Berger – not sure
Hellcats – Stars Monday Sept 13, 7.30pm.
The Middle – Seeing they have taken this show off again, it is hard to say.
Pretty Little Liars – Definite for late September or October.
Southland – no news
The Vampire Diaries Season 2 – fast tracked
V – season 2 fast tracked – October or later.
Wife Swap – new episodes – possible for October, or even the third channel.
Wipe out – new episodes – already airing.
Human Target – currently airing Wednesday nights. 

Nine’s new drama COPS L.A.C will premiere on Thursday September 2, at 8.30pm.

COPS L.A.C is a 13 part drama that sees Kate Richie’s return to television after a short lived stint in radio. It focuses pm the Seaview Local Area Command, a busy metropolitan Police station in Sydney.

The Thursday night timeslot means it will air at the same time as Ten’s Rush.

Details:

At the frontline of law and order, the brave uniformed officers and plainclothes detectives at Seaview fight everything from murder and organised crime to diamond smuggling and identity theft on their own turf, as well as tracking missing persons. These cops are the backbone of law enforcement, shouldering the responsibility and the stress the badge demands.

The twists and turns in COPS L.A.C will keep audiences guessing while the cases these cops work on unfold one piece of evidence, one unwilling witness and one lying suspect at a time.

This is a competitive, pressure-cooker policing environment where the line between work and personal relationships is easily blurred. Most officers do their job with professionalism, altruism and a healthy dose of humour. They are focused, ambitious and competitive. Most are honest. Some aren’t. At least not always.

Keeping the police team in line is their boss, Superintendant Jack Finch (Gary Sweet). His crime manager and head of detectives is Detective Inspector Diane Pappas (Denise Roberts). She oversees the crime-solving duo of Detective Senior Constable Samantha Cooper (Kate Ritchie) and Detective Senior Constable Rhys Llewellyn (Martin Dingle Wall).

Senior Sergeant Graeme Sinclair (Roy Billing) is responsible for managing the daily workload of the general duties officers. Senior Constable Nathan Holt (Tom O’Sullivan) and Senior Constable Roxanne Perez (Ria Vandervis) have the added responsibility of mentoring and training two probationary constables fresh out of the academy – Priscilla Smith (Kelly Paterniti) and Daniel Van Der Mark (Graeme Squires). Meanwhile Detective Senior Constable Matt “Matilda” Hilton (Damian de Montemas) is the Seaview command’s resident witty forensics expert.

At Seaview, it’s a tough and unpredictable job that takes all sorts. Some cops will succeed beyond their wildest expectations, others will fall by the wayside.

This is the story of passionate cops on the beat. The first ones at the crime scene. Savvy detectives marked by their gut instinct and tenacity. Naive recruits uncertain if they’ll make the grade. Daring undercover officers flirting with danger. Ambitious superintendents juggling politics with policing. And forensics experts with their hi-tech toys.

In COPS L.A.C there is more to their story than you think.

COPS L.A.C. – Thursdays 8.30pm from September 2.