2020 vision: Australian TV movers and shakers to watch this year
Some of the biggest names in TV are banking on a big year on the box. Viewers could be the winners, Annette Sharp writes, as she looks at the shows, stars and suits you need to watch in 2020.
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From Aussie favourites Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett’s latest TV ventures, to people running television networks around the country, here are the suits, actors and TV shows you need to watch in 2020.
1. JAMES WARBURTON
Seven CEO
It was the comeback not everyone saw coming when ex Seven Network sales boss turned Ten CEO, V8 Supercars boss and outdoor ad exec Warburton was recalled to replace Tim Worner as CEO of Seven in August.
The test of Warburton in 2020 will be whether he can turn Seven’s profitability around, revive its programming slate and restore the network to dominant commercial TV network – a position it held for 12 consecutive years to 2018 – before putting Seven on the market.
He is hungry for success after being robbed of the CEO gig at Seven in 2011, has the Tokyo Olympics in his arsenal, and has only one man in his sights as he begins the year …
2. HUGH MARKS
Nine CEO
After acquiring Fairfax Media in December 2018, former TV lawyer Marks spent 2019 driving synergies across traditional media of free-to-air TV, print and radio to try and improve profitability while, at the same time, maintaining a focus on digital publishing and streaming.
Nine enjoyed a rare ratings win over Seven in 2019 because its programming slate was better than its rivals.
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Marks’ confidence is up – but it will take a programming miracle to achieve a win against Seven in 2020 with it holding the rights to the Tokyo Olympics.
3. MATT PRESTON AND GARY MEHIGAN
Plate of Origin, Seven
The biggest shock TV defection story of 2019 saw MasterChef founding stars Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan leave Ten’s MasterChef and join Seven’s new Plate of Origin, an international cooking competition also featuring Manu Feildel and described as the Olympics of cooking.
Missing from the tried and true line-up is chef and restaurateur George Calombaris.
Can Preston and Mehigan repeat their MasterChef success without him? We will find out after the Olympics.
4. CATE BLANCHETT
Mrs America, Foxtel
Blanchett plays Conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly in this hotly anticipated nine-part series about a fight against the Equal Rights Amendment movement during the 1970s.
Rose Byrne also stars as Gloria Steinem. Another great example of high calibre film stars energising the small screen – this a first foray for the impeccable Ms Blanchett.
5. SHAUN MICALLEF
ABC
On the ABC we love him, on commercial TV we can take him or leave him … what does 2020 have in store for Micallef?
With the support of a great writing team and a clever ensemble of support actors on ABC’s Mad As Hell, Micallef consistently brought us some of the best comedy moments on commercial TV in 2019 but his writers lost their edge in the last episodes of the season suggesting fatigue may have set in post Federal Election.
6. SONIA KRUGER
Seven
Glamorous TV funny girl Sonia Kruger returns to Seven in 2020 and will be spread thinner than the duco on a 1974 Datsun (for memory, a joke from an earlier juncture in Kruger’s career) when she fronts up to host family reality show Mega Mini Golf, judge a resurrected Australia’s Got Talent: The Champions, play a role in Seven’s Tokyo Games coverage and possibly play a role on Seven’s rebooted Big Brother series, which she previously hosted on Nine.
7. JOCK ZONFRILLO, MELISSA LEONG AND ANDY ALLEN
MasterChef on Ten
Can you remove the founding stars from a top rating TV show and hope to enjoy the same success? We will find out when three TV unknowns make their debut on MasterChef.
The show was due for a refresh but can it survive without former star judges, the popular Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris?
Fans will be introduced to MasterChef’s first woman judge, Leong, explosive hatted Scottish/Italian reformed heroin addict Zonfrillo, and reintroduced to series four winner Allen.
8. ANDREW O’KEEFE
The Chase on Seven
He took two extended breaks from production from ITV Studios’ The Chase in 2019 to recover from an emotional and mental health breakdown that followed years of public partying and not “treating myself terribly well”.
O’Keefe, one of the sharpest and most versatile men on commercial TV, is expected back on the set of Seven’s critical news lead-in in January. It’s likely to be a make or break year for the star who will want to be rested and ready for it.
9. HAMISH MACDONALD
ABC’s Q&A
After 11 years, long time host of ABC’s Monday night panel show Q&A Tony Jones has stepped down.
From February he will be replaced by The Project regular Macdonald in a move the ABC hopes will rejuvenate the tired format and help it appeal to a new younger audience.
10. 90 MINUTE 10 NEWS FIRST BULLETIN
Ten
Ten has been vague about its plans for an extended 5pm news bulletin in 2020 after trialling the experiment over the summer but pundits predict the network will stick with the formula, a cheap alternative to the gameshows it previously scheduled at 6pm that were failing to hold audiences.
US parent company CBS also has a strong news identity abroad and appears to be flexing its muscle after Ten slipped behind the ABC in weekly audience share in 2019, dipping to 15.7 per cent behind the ABC’s 18.2 per cent.
11. STEVE BURLING
Director of morning television, Nine
He’s typical of a batch of newbie executives being fast-tracked into high pressure jobs at Nine, which means, despite the flash title, Burling is yet to prove himself as a successful breakfast show producer after just one full season at the helm of Nine’s embattled and sinking breakfast show, Today.
Richard Wilkins’ former segment producer is tasked with fixing the show which has had four hosting combinations in as many years. Can he stop Seven’s unstoppable Sunrise in 2020? It seems doubtful.
12. PATRICK DELANY
Foxtel
Promoted to the top job at Australia’s oldest subscription television operator two years ago, Delany was tasked with reshaping the Foxtel business (majority owned by News Corp, publisher of this newspaper) as an influx of cheaper international streaming competitors hit the local market.
Delany, who also has Fox Sports under his belt, has rolled out new cheaper streaming services, technology and set top boxes while forging new partnerships in his push to transform Foxtel into a premium video network that provides both linear and on-demand viewing and enhanced data assets to advertisers and his job has just begun.
13. NEW HOST THE VOICE
Nine
Following Sonia Kruger’s move to Seven, Nine is in the market for a new host for The Voice.
With international stars Kelly Rowland and Boy George proving enduringly popular with Australian audiences, industry sources predict Nine may recruit a new international for the show.
Speculation is rife that having tested Guy Sebastian’s hosting chops at the recent ARIAs ceremony, Nine may be planning to move Sebastian from his judging post to the role of program host to make way for a new star judge.
14. ERIN MOLAN AND ANDREW “JOEY” JOHNS
Nine
Will they or won’t they work together in 2020? It was the worst kept secret of 2018 and 2019 – that retired Newcastle Knights legend turned TV rugby league commentator Johns didn’t much enjoy working alongside Erin Molan, the sports presenter who replaced Paul “Fatty” Vautin in 2017 on Nine’s short-lived rebooted The Footy Show.
Johns’ loyalty to his friend, Vautin, is understood to have prompted Johns to withdraw from Nine’s Friday Night Footy coverage in 2019 after Molan was tapped for hosting duties on the broadcast.
Nine denies there’s a rift yet Molan was suspiciously absent from a photo call at year’s end and Johns seems unable or unwilling to soften his stand regarding Molan.
15. RODGER CORSER
Nine
Nine’s loves drama Doctor Doctor didn’t make it off the block in 2019 after the writing deteriorated in 2018 and storylines dried up faster than a Mudgee creek.
Industry sources say Nine was forced to rest the show in 2019 (without a word of warning to fans) to repair the program and create more compelling storylines.
In 2020 audiences will find out if the surgery worked.
16. CRICKET COMMENTARY TEAM
Seven
It took decades for cricket legends Benaud, Lawry, Chappelli, Greig and Taylor to establish the easy style and rapport that made them beloved by the nation as commentators.
In their first summer huddled in each other’s armpits in the commentary box Seven’s commentators prove they’ve learned nothing from the masters (Ponting the exception) and are generally too exuberant (James Brayshaw), too brash (Damien Fleming) or too oafish (Brayshaw again) – or too random (Todd Woodbridge, Erin Holland) to be entrusted with the golden chalice.
17. NICOLE KIDMAN
The Undoing on Foxtel
Following the phenomenal success of TV miniseries Big Little Lies, Kidman backs up this year in upcoming HBO drama miniseries, The Undoing.
Based on the novel You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz, and executive produced by the Big Little Lies team of Kidman, David E. Kelley, Per Saari, and Bruna Papandrea, The Undoing is a nine-part series about Grace Sachs (Kidman), a successful therapist living in New York City whose life is rent apart.
18. BACK TO THE RAFTERS
Amazon Prime
Original cast members Rebecca Gibney, Erik Thomson, Hugh Sheridan, Jessica Marais, Michael Caton, Angus McLaren and George Houvardas are reuniting for this series, a sequel to Seven’s hugely popular Packed to the Rafters.
It will be the first Australian Amazon Original series.
19. THE MASKED SINGER
Ten
The surprise hit of 2019 was surely this bizarre costumed singing competition created in Korea. The show held massive appeal to young families – once again the key target of commercial TV programmers – and while imported panellist Lindsay Lohan brought little to the show (except shock value – yes kids, she really is the little girl from The Parent Trap and yes, she is only 33 …) the formula worked locally.
Now producers have the challenge of finding another 12 celebrities to suit up for 2020.
20. GOLD LOGIE WINNER
Nine
Following Hard Quiz host Tom Gleeson’s surprise win in 2019, the result of a cheeky tongue-in-cheek campaign that drove votes away from more deserving types, the Gold Logie was confirmed as the biggest joke in the Australian television industry, which really is saying something.
Will any hard-working TV veteran ever agree to turn up for the Logies and be nominated for Gold again? Nine is under considerable pressure to save the event it has for too long monopolised.
Originally published as 2020 vision: Australian TV movers and shakers to watch this year
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