Channel Ten’s 2009 Line-Up Is Apparently Rather Unimpressive

I know we’re all wondering which great new television shows will appear on our screens during prime time next year, get us hooked, and then find themselves promptly shoved to an 11pm slot before disappearing without any warning whatsoever, but from the sound of things, Channel Ten have not been purchasing programs wisely.

Ten network is counting on a collection of new reality television programs to help arrest the decline in its audience this year and convince advertisers it will not be swamped by the Seven and Nine networks next year.

Launching Ten’s 2009 program line-up at presentations in Sydney and Melbourne yesterday, television chief executive Grant Blackley said new programs such as Master Chef Australia, Guerilla Gardeners and Talkin’ ‘Bout My Generation would build Ten’s share of viewers in its key target market of people aged 18 to 49.

For a second there I misread Talkin’ ‘Bout My Generation as Talkin’ ‘Bout ‘Ginas and felt briefly excited Channel Ten had turned a Saturday Night Live sketch (“Gayle King: Oprah’s vagina is a beautiful tiger lily. Oprah’s vagina is an inspiration to other vaginas. I have never seen it, but I imagine that it looks like sweet potato pie, and the future.”) into a television series! Alas, no.

Also – there’s nothing that 18 to 49 year olds love more than gardening, cooking, and strolling down memory lane. Cha-ching! The money’s gonna be rolling in!

Of course, actual television types disagree.

Media buyers were not convinced the new line-up would give Ten’s ratings a significant boost in 2009. “It was a bit underwhelming,” Universal McCann managing director Henry Tajer said. “It didn’t feel like Ten had enough strong new programs for next year.”

Group M trading director James Parkinson said the 2009 program line-up contained few surprises. “It looks like next year will be a week-by-week grind for Ten,” he said.

And that’s just how Channel Ten like it. What do these “buyers” know anyway? I’ve no doubt Defamer Australia will be following the adventures of the Guerilla Gardening gang very closely next year.

MORE: Ten underwhelms with 2009 line-up