Good to see that through all this Underbelly fracas and Ray Martin's defection, Channel Nine are Still The One - i.e. when it comes to cancelling/ moving-to-unwatchable timeslots their big ticket programming decisions!

Yes, we're only two weeks into the ratings year for 2008 and already the axe has come down on Nine's "hilarious" new comedy/hidden camera/vehicle for annoying character actors and comedians, Monster House.

We would've been sure that Rebel Wilson's adorable brand of grotesquery would've had the viewers flocking in droves, but it seems we know nothing about what the people want!

Channel 9 last night dropped Monster House from its Tuesday, 7.30pm, timeslot after it scored a terrible 632,000 audience across the capital cities.

The in-house production will be replaced by Bert Newton's 20 To 1 from next week.

...

The struggling Nine had placed great hope in Monster House, but had to shelve it after it scored prime time figures more akin to those SBS programs achieve.

It will be shelved until later in the year.

Ouch, nothing worse than SBS-style ratings - nice bit of editorialising there, News Ltd lackies!

In any case, is anyone really that surprised? Nine's track record when it comes to "shelving" shows (not to mention just stopping and starting them whenever they feel like it) isn't exactly golden - and anyway, what were they thinking? We can understand pinning your hopes on Underbelly, but Monster House? Maybe back in 1989.

 

Tags: au | boned | channel nine | industry | monster house | ratings | television