Nine enlists Aussie TV legend in bid to save struggling series

Channel 9 has reportedly scored a big name in a bid to entice back viewers after ‘initially scrapping’ a second season.

Channel 9 is reportedly pulling out all the stops in a bid to save struggling series The Summit after it failed to resonate as well with viewers as had been hoped.

The broadcaster is already home to beloved reality shows The Block and Married At First Sight, and it had reportedly hoped to add The Summit to its long list of successes.

Jai Courtney hosted the show, which Channel 9 had reportedly hoped would become a breakout success. Picture from Channel 9.

The season 10 MAFS finale managed to draw in well over a million viewers, and The Block’s 2023 finale scored a massive 1.3 million viewers.

However, The Summit, hosted by actor Jai Courtney, struggled to hit the same highs, instead struggling to climb more than 400,000.

The show sees contestants carrying rucksacks full of cash as they desperately try to scale a mountain, and the prizefund gets depleted every time a climber fails to reach the top.

With tough weather conditions and an expensive on-location shoot, it had been initially claimed that the show wouldn’t be back for a second season, with an insider alleging that Nine felt it wasn’t worth the hassle.

“The show wasn’t worth the headaches that came with it to be honest. At this stage, it won’t be recommissioned for a second season,” an insider told Daily Mail.

It’s now been claimed that Nine has decided to give the series one more chance, and it’s laying its hopes on an Aussie sports and reality TV legend to help entice viewers to tune in.

Former NRL star Mat Rogers, who became a huge favourite among reality audiences on Survior, has reportedly signed up to be among some “familiar” faces that will appear in the 2024 series.

Channel 9 has been approached for comment.

Courtney is set to return to the series when it makes a comeback next year on Channel 9. Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images.

The 2023 series proved tough to film for the network after rough weather conditions forced producers to recreate the ending. As a result, the show was forced to halt filming until conditions improved and filming could commence.

Season 1 ended with three contestants making it to the peak of The Summit during the Grand Finale after 14 days, 200 kilometres of tough terrain and a plethora of dangerous obstacles. With $490,000 still in their prize pool, the remaining contestants decided how the prize fund would be split between the winners.

Originally published as Nine enlists Aussie TV legend in bid to save struggling series