MEDIAWATCH: Thank God Harry Potter put The Project out of our misery
Three’s 7pm news show The Project will be axed
Three’s 7pm news and entertainment show The Project looks set to finish up at the end of the year, Warner Bros. Discovery ANZ have announced.
Hosted by Jesse Mulligan, Kanoa Lloyd and Jeremy Corbett, the show has held the 7pm spot on Three since 2017.
28 staff work for the show, and according to Mediawatch, the show will be off-air on Thursday night as staff digest the news.
“We have commenced consultation to discontinue The Project on Three from the end of the year – our primary focus is to support our people as we work through this process,” a spokesperson for Warner Brothers reportedly told Newshub.
I was never a fan of The Project.
We are a more stupid people with a weaker democracy because the 7pm Current Affairs slot has been so bastardised by both networks..
When TV3 killed Campbell Live, the rumour was a dumbed down jokey Ben and Jonno was going to replace it to target the advertising Shortland Street takes. The rumour was quashed because the backlash against real current affairs was so intense and TV3 produced a half way house with Story hosted by Heather du Plessis-Allen and Duncan Garner.
When the short-lived Story sank in the ratings low enough to resurrect the desire for a 7pm vehicle that could take Shortland Street advertising, Rove’s The Project was licensed as a proper way to do jokey current affairs.
The problem was that the Australian Project was hosted by rebels and smart funny hosts who had no problems ‘going there’ where as the NZ version had weak joke writers from 7 Days for a safe scripted banality that helped dumb down the 7pm timeslot to levels even worse than Seven Sharp.
Seven Sharp while dreadful as well, has trust fund baby Jeremy Wells to lean into the camera and knowingly arch his eye brow at the banality that is 7 Sharp while Hill’s giggles in the background, so while utter crap, this knowing wink routine always makes the dumb seem smarter.
The Project never had that luxury, it was dumber than Seven Sharp and could never transition to the serious stuff because it’s 7 Days writers for fucks sake and what the Christ do they know beyond feminist approved jokes by the NZ Comedy Guild?
Not a hell of a lot as it turns out.
Warner Bros is killing The Project off, not because they suddenly cares about public broadcasting, but because the licensing fees and royalties to Australia cost them a fortune.
The AM Show is currently smashing the ratings despite becoming a glee club for private schools, property investment and Farmer grievances because Breakfast on TVNZ is still mourning John Campbell leaving them.
It’s just so sad at TVNZ Breakfast. It’s like that relationship you lost and knew was your highest point ever and that everything else afterwards never compares.
That deep, deep sadness?
That’s what watching TVNZ Breakfast is like now. I don’t want to wake up to their sadness as well as my own each weekday FFS!
That’s why The AM Show is smashing the ratings right now, it’s either watch Ryan Bridges salivate over property tax loop holes for 3 hours or the sadness in Jenny and Matty’s eyes.
Ryan is going to win 4 out of 5 of those weekdays isn’t he?
Discovery will look at the success of The AM Show and ask why they were paying Australia for a product they can make themselves at a fraction of the price.
Taking Paddy Gower’s got issues across 5 nights would be smart for TV3 if they really want to challenge Seven Sharp and Shortland Street, or they could use Rebecca Wright from the dreary and poorly watched Newshub Nation and make something surprising at 7pm or hell, beg Paul Henry to come back.
Anything, literally anything would be better than The Project.
Thank God Harry Potter put The Project out of our misery
The Project achieved nothing and dumbed people down. Don’t fret about the hosts, I’m sure everyone will get a job as a panelist on 7 Days.
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If they replaced it with re-run’s of the Simpsons I might actually start watching TV3 again.
Better yet, the Nanny exactly like old times. After all, we can’t (always) have animation on weeknights.
New Zealand journalism and current affairs is dreadfully, dreadfully, fragmented.
And dreadfully, dreadfully, over-priced. You need so many subscriptions to keep up that it’s becoming unaffordable.
Shame. . . . ‘cos the country really does deserve better.
Right on Martyn . The false applause turned me off the project from the first day and Jeremy appears to me to be creepy uncle nobody wants so I can’t watch the other channel. As for Paddy his real issue is the fact that he actually believes people want him to foist his opinions on them. Damn the lot of them.
Now to love. Currently one of the big reports in the New Zealand media space is that Chippy found companionship during Labour’s rise and demise. This is a love story that belongs on a sinking ship like the Project, a tale of struggle, intimacy and ultimately tragedy (with more intimacy) so shallow and irrelevant in the current global situation that only a cringe 2 minute laugh track masquerading as journalism could do it justice. There is no war in Gaza, it is a systematic slaughter of innocent civilians by the Israel and American governments.
NZ TV and Radio is a woke joke.
Agree with all the comments
It was an appalling programme as is 7sharp. Honestly the cost presumably includes on both of them the clothing they wear and their hairstyles, why do they do that to Hilary barry, she has straight hair you morons absolutely stupid!!!!!
Paddy Gower do you remember his drinking programme, pretty pathetic compared with Guyon Espiner’s proper in-depth look at booze and then drugs. of course booze is our No. 1 Drug and should be treated as such.
The whole lot can go to hell, they never have anything on I want to watch… well maybe tonight’s drama with Robyn Malcom. Oh yes that other show a Kiwi invented ‘The Repair Shop’.
But all that endless survivor crap, food shows, gay men being dickheads showing off property
The news on both channels is appalling, so bloody light weight more about sport than real news. You idiots thousands marched on the streets yesterday – probably 20,000 and where was that why don’t we have a real discussion about why Kiwis are marching.. why don’t we look at the history of palestine, why was it given to another group of people and the Palestinians pushed out, oh no far to difficult for us to understand with our tiny brains.
When are we going to have a proper debate / discussion about our INDEPENDENT foreign policy? Or are all these politicians just going to say yes yes yes forever.
I see the reference ‘7pm Current Affairs slot.’ Is there an immutable truth that there has to be a 7pm Current Affairs slot?
I realise serious issues of the day should be looked at, must have attention given to them. Do people have the appetite though for traditional time slots with serious issues stacked for attention? I do get that everyone demands a say, to be involved and be informed but they sure as shit don’t want to invest a half or full hour having their brains exercised.
Okay real current affairs and a deep look into one subject…for half an hour with adverts. yeah nah too difficult
https://bankslist.ru/
Can someone please give Vlad the precise coordinates of the Panel on RNZ for a Kinzhal visit.
Seven Sharp in its current form is the kind of show that should be on at 9am weekdays and The Project would be more suited to late night TV audience.
At least Project had a studio auidence and some decent guests now and again. Humour was good.
A better show than seven sharp.
If only we had the talent to replicate The Bolt Report on Sky News Australia.
Bring back Campbell Live!
May be get that guy that did the current affairs on Max TV.
If they’re smart they would poach and make Moana Whāea Of The Nation.