Australian TV canceled shows and false advertising

Australian TV channels are annoying, there, I said it. Having lived in the UK for a good many years, on returning to Australia I was happy with the TV… at first. Australia gets TV shows pretty quick compared to blighty and the ‘Fast Tracked’ idea is a great one, meaning Aussies are often watching a new US series within a week of it releasing in the USA.

So why the hell do Australian TV stations feel the need to just whip shows off the air without warning us.. the all important viewer?! I understand they have to keep advertisers happy, but we as the consumer should also get some fair treatment in the equation.

The rant continues after the thread, including a look at the recent furore regarding the Channel 10 axing of 90210….

The recent furore over Channel 10 Axing “90210″ isn’t a strange one off occurrence, I tuned in to watch “Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA” last week and it was gone!! No explanation, just GONE! So let’s assume “Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA” was arbitrarily axed in the same manner “90210″ was the week before, DAMN ANNOYING.

Another strange occurrence on Australian TV is the advertising of a series “NEW SEASON” when no, in point of fact the episodes being shown are the tail end of LAST SEASON, you remember… the season you just suddenly stopped showing for no apparent reason?

Here’s a clue for all those fat TV execs in Australia that clearly know little about viewership and what that actually means. Here are some hints to stop your viewers – you know, the consumers your advertisers pay YOU to advertise to – getting their panties in a twist like with the “90210″ fiasco:

Don’t just cancel a show suddenly. Change it to another timeslot, even a crap one, so that the viewers who are actually enjoying it still get to see the season out!! Taking it off the air suddenly only upsets people! And replacing it with repeats of some old cack makes no logical sense AT ALL. Saying you might show the remaining episodes mid the following year is just rubbing salt into an open wound… sort it out!!

Don’t advertise a show as being from a “New Season” when it ISN’T from the new season, its from the last season!!!

Don’t hype a series to the max for weeks, only to decide 3 episodes in you are going to can it!!

DO have some respect for the viewers.

DO show some sort of honesty in your programming and advertising thereof.

DO get people working for you that actually know about television.. like people that actually watch it, rather than suits that just work it on paper in a boardroom somewhere and wouldn’t know their Battlestar Galactica from their Star Wars, or their Burn Notice from their Alias!!

Australian TV could be perfect pretty much, if the fat cats would just do their jobs properly and stop screwing over the consumer.

Rant over!… for now, but here’s a prediction… the US Kath & Kim won’t see out the season.