Over the past few years, the content of television we are consuming has shifted from the drama we loved to the light entertainment we now crave. Gone are the days of escapism where once-favourites such as Blue Heelers, CSI and Melrose Place had us glued to our seats. The dram-edy of reality TV has been the key programming driving our networks for the past few years. These ratings favourites such as The Voice, My Kitchen Rules, The Block, X Factor and Masterchef have had Aussies viewers tuning in religiously night after night. The question remains: is our drama-driven content slowly fading away into oblivion?
In 2012, there were only two international programs that broke the top 100 (based on eTam -Demo Total People): Seven’s Revenge and Downton Abbey. While Howzat – Kerry Packer’s War saw an average of 2.3 million people tuning in across the two nights and Beaconsfield reaching 1.7 million viewers, the big hitters of the year were predominantly made up of Australian reality TV and the top five that ruled the rating lists were The Voice, AFL Grand Final (Game and Presentations) The Block and My Kitchen Rules.
Obviously, it’s fantastic that the networks are making such addictive programs, but looking back, it has been the American properties and Aussie drama that has carried our networks. How could anyone forget when Seven hit the big time in the ratings department when a show called Desperate Housewives first came to our screens? Shows such as Two & a Half Men (the Charlie Sheen era, not Ashton Kutcher life-raft version) and The Big Bang Theory were pillars (and now very frequent fillers) for Channel Nine while Modern Family has become the go-to show for Channel Ten to turn to when they need to fill the air space. How did these once key programs become second-rate story lines for the Australian public?
Looking to 2013, My Kitchen Rules has already proved to be a ratings dynamite for Channel Seven averaging 1.9 million viewers per episode and even tipping the scales at 2.3 million viewers more than once this season. Shows such as The Block All- Stars, Masterchef The Professionals, The Biggest Loser and Can of Worms have already been gracing our screens and this is only the beginning of the onslaught of Australian ‘real life’ content that is coming our way.
Channel Seven are yet to bring us the X Factor, DIY show House Rules, Celebrity Splash and Dancing With the Stars.
Channel Nine is hoping to repeat last year’s ratings success with The Voice, Big Brother, The Block, Celebrity Apprentice, and The Great Australian Bake Off as well as the newly acquired Australia’s Got Talent.
Channel Ten are putting their faith into consistency with favourite Masterchef Australia still to return.
While our interest now peaks for Aussie reality television starring ‘real people’, will imports as well as our Aussie dramas slowly continue to fall by the wayside? Only time will tell as this year already proves to be action packed with our favourite Australian light entertainment. Enough from me, MKR is about to start…
Tanya Chitty
Account Manager
PHD
THE ADNEWS NGEN BLOG: Where did the drama go?
2 April 2013