In recent times Channel Ten has endured a serious dip in the ratings, characterised by a long run of much talked about, but ultimately underperforming shows. What used to be a huge commercial channel in the 90’s, Ten has now fallen behind its commercial competitors, with even SBS and ABC overtaking the faltering network.
I can recall my tween years, waiting in anticipation for shows like The Simpsons, Charmed and of course, the classic Dawson’s Creek (which I will always have a soft spot for). When I compare the Ten from my childhood, to the one now, it seems like a pale imitation. Has the quality of Channel Ten’s programs declined, or did I just have really bad taste as a kid?
Ten has rolled out an overload of reality show, The Shire, Everybody Dance Now, Being Lara Bingle, I will Survive, Don’t Tell the Bride; with most achieving far from envious audience ratings. Ten’s binge on reality TV did not hit the same highs as The Voice or The Block. Instead, it further disengaged a broad range of audiences who had not fallen for the reality craze.
To me, Ten has always skewed more to youth (12-30 years old). Despite the rise of more targeted digital FTA TV Ten has faltered, especially with the increased time youth spend online. With Ten’s offering of Eleven, also airing youth-oriented shows, the channel has created a split between audience; half opting for Ten, whilst the other for Eleven.
This fragmentation not only creates a scattered market, but lower audience numbers for Ten’s main commercial channel. With Facebook now the dominant source of entertainment, young audiences have shifted away from TV. Given their prerogative now is to maintain a constant online presence, this has hit Ten the hardest with a majority of youth diverting away from TV altogether. This too has added to Ten’s downward spiral.
Whilst Ten has hit a slippery slope in terms of engaging audiences, one show does shine through. Puberty Blues is a gem, dare I say, out of all the channel’s programs. It is refreshing, amongst the mess of reality programming, to finally see a quality show on Ten. Maybe this signals the start of a slow and steady courtship to regain the hearts of Aussie youth? On the surface you can say the show appeals because of sex, drugs and nostalgia for the 70’s. But I think it’s much more. It’s about women and their social struggle, at a time when their rights were still being understood. Puberty Blues has generated a lot of talk online. The show has built a strong community of women, bonding over their experiences and opinions. For Ten to create a show which generates this much conversation, might mean its days of soft ratings are coming to an end. Only time will tell.
Shan Du
Media Coordinator, Initiative