Sam Newman: If The Footy Show goes, I go
THE Footy Show’s Grand Final edition could face another ratings hiding by The Front Bar next week. Can it go on without Sam Newman and Eddie McGuire next year? Nine insiders say the network doesn’t know what to do with show.
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CHANNEL 9 insiders say the network doesn’t know what to do about The Footy Show with bosses reportedly acknowledging there is no easy fix for the troubled program.
Nine has a range of scenarios under consideration but experts say the only way to save the show is for a wholesale clean-out of on-air talent including Eddie McGuire and Sam Newman.
The Front Bar trumped The Footy Show in last night’s ratings, with 278,000 people watching the Channel 7 show to The Footy Show’s 170,000.
SAM’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL SKITS
And its biggest offering of the year, The Grand Final Footy Show, faces the prospect of being beaten in the ratings by the Grand Final edition of The Front Bar next Thursday night.
McGuire has said that it would be “absolute madness” if Newman wasn’t part of Nine next year.
Insiders say Nine bosses have discussed everything from a name change for the show, to broadening it into an all-sports program.
Changes to the on-air hosting team of McGuire and Newman is on the table as is Nine taking back production duties from McGuire’s JAM TV.
But behind closed doors there is a determination to continue having a program with AFL content in the Thursday slot.
That is because Nine bosses know that if they completely scrap a sports-based entertainment show it would gift The Front Bar an extra 100,000 viewers in Melbourne alone.
“No firm decisions have been made but getting rid of it completely is not going to happen,” a Nine source says. “There will be a (AFL-based) show in that slot next year.”
But who will be on that show is the big question. Staff are hoping for some sort of clarification across the coming week.
Media analyst Steve Allen believes there needs to be a complete change of on-air talent to give the show any hope of a ratings turnaround.
“I think the only way to fix the AFL version of The Footy Show is to axe Eddie, Sam and most of them (panellists),” Allen said.
“The show needs a 50-50 split on gender. There are plenty of women covering AFL with knowledge and insight and it is women’s sport that is shooting the lights out at the moment.”
There are some at Nine that believe that McGuire needs to admit that his return hasn’t rejuvenated the show and move on.
But McGuire seems to be hanging tough. He recently said he was feeling “very happy about the show again”.
“When I came back I didn’t know any of the production staff and I hadn’t worked with Sam in a decade,” McGuire said.
“There has been a slight reinvention. We’ve been experimenting with how we present the teams, how we get the fun, how we do the interviews. I think we’re starting to hit our stride.”
Others point the finger at Newman who admitted Thursday night that he has “probably marginalised most people” during his time on The Footy Show.
Critics say Newman’s attacks on prominent women, angry rants about political correctness and his disdain for the modern game have been a turn-off for viewers.
Nine has been hoping Newman would use his Sam, Mike and Thommo podcast, with Mike Sheehan and Grant Thomas, rather than The Footy Show, to air his more controversial views.
“I’ve probably been the most criticised person in the media in Australia for probably two decades,” Newman said Thursday night.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way because you are who you are, I know who I am, I know what I am”.
The team on rival The Front Bar — Andy Maher, Mick Molloy and Sam Pang — say they never expected their show to be a ratings winner let alone a giant killer.
“The Footy Show is an institution and Sam has been an absolute icon in the industry and the cornerstone of that show’s success,” Maher said.
“I think everybody has found it a bit hard to see him bearing his soul on Thursday night.”
Nine’s problem is that it has had to confront multiple reinventions of The Footy Show in recent years.
There was the loss of Garry Lyon, the recruiting of Rebecca Maddern, the exit of James Brayshaw and the axe of Craig Hutchison.
Every change has resulted in a short-term ratings spike followed by a seemingly inevitable ratings decline.
A week ago the show recorded its lowest-ever figure in Melbourne — a dismal 119,000 viewers.
Hiring McGuire was thought to be the solution to all the show’s problems. Big name signings Chris Judd, Dane Swan and Brendan Fevola were meant to be icing on the cake.
But Nine bosses now reportedly realise that it was a false hope and that a successful revamp could require changes on multiple fronts.
And the bottom line is that right here right now they aren’t really sure what those changes should be.
It is that indecision that fuelled Newman’s emotional farewell on Thursday saying “this station won’t or can’t tell us if this show will be on next year”.
McGuire said yesterday that he is “still hopeful and confident” The Footy Show would continue but even he had to admit that “I’ve got no inside mail on this because the decisions haven’t been made.”
DID SAM RETIRE?
This morning McGuire told Triple M Hot Breakfast he hoped Newman would return next year.
“I am very very hopeful the great man will be part of Channel 9,” he said.
“You know my absolute love and respect for Sam it would be absolute madness for him not to be part of Channel 9 next year.”
“I’m still very hopeful and confident, and I’ve got no inside mail on this because the decisions haven’t been made.”
McGuire out of the loop? Even his Hot Breakfast co-hosts Luke Darcy and Will Anderson found this hard to stomach.
“He hosts it, his production company makes it, for a guy who used to run the network, suddenly Ed has no inside mail on this one,” Anderson ribbed.
Newman also joined McGuire and his Hot Breakfast co-hosts, explaining his announcement on last night’s show.
“It’s pretty logical really. If the station — and it’s absolutely their prerogative how it works. If the station can’t tell us if the show will go ahead next year.”
“Because I won’t be if its not going ahead next year. It would be pretty logical that this would be my exit strategy — I would be retired I would retire — you have to have something to be on in order to still be working.”
“That’s all I was saying — if the show goes on — and the show might go on and they don’t want me to be on it — and that’s completely up to them.”
Newman didn’t want to waste an opportunity to say what he wanted last night.
“The people who have watched the show over the years in large and fewer numbers — deserve to have us say this might be it and thank you very much and if its not then so be it.
McGuire added: “I can tell you absolutely categorically no decision has been made. Sam and I are equally trying to work out what is going on — and that’s no knock to anyone.”
SAM’S FOOTY SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT LAST NIGHT
Newman told viewers last night Channel 9 had not said whether the show would return next year.
“They can’t tell me if I’ll be part of the show next year if it’s on,” he said.
“I will not be continuing. It’s appropriate and opportune that I end my association with this show and network on the off chance that this is the final show we do.”
He thanked the Nine Network, saying the station was “about as loyal an employer as you can get”.
“They stood by me when I transgressed the broadcasting tribunal laws, they stood behind me when I broadcast inappropriate things, which is what happens in live television.”
Newman admitted he’d “probably marginalised most people”.
“The only thing I can say is I’ve probably been the most criticised and traduced person in the media in Australia for probably two decades. I wouldn’t have it any other way because you are what you are, I know who I am, I know what I am.”
He finished his speech by saying: “I want to thank you very much for putting up with me or enjoying me.”
A spokesman for Channel 9 said on Thursday night there had been no decision about The Footy Show for 2019.
“We are in talks with Jam TV, the producers of the program about how we might proceed with The Footy Show for 2019,” the spokesman said.
Last week’s edition of The Footy Show averaged 119,000 viewers in Melbourne — the program’s worst-ever result.
Fellow panellists ribbed Newman after he spoke, with Shane Crawford joking: “I’ve got my new contract for next year. They have obviously left you out.”
Brendan Fevola said: “You could have gone out with a bigger bang”.
Former host Rebecca Maddern posted on Twitter: “My great friend Sam Newman speaking from the heart tonight. He IS The Footy Show.”
My great friend Sam Newman speaking from the heart tonight. He IS The Footy Show. Some will find this hard to believe but he’s been my no 1 supporter from Day 1.
— Rebecca Maddern (@RebeccaMaddern9) September 20, 2018
Sam Newman finishing on The Footy Show? Spent 9 wonderful years with him (1996-2004) and most of that time was his producer. An absolute TV genius over 25 years. No one has ever been as selfless a TV star. All about the show. A very loyal generous person 👠pic.twitter.com/yDX09KLpkS
— ralph horowitz (@rtralphy) September 20, 2018
Grew up watching Sam every Thursday night on the @AFLFootyShow - rushed home straight after footy training to tune in, nice innings well played. https://t.co/bU9XmcoSmr
— Warren Tredrea (@warrentredrea) September 20, 2018
Newman has regularly found himself in hot water on the show. When Nicky Winmar refused to appear in 1999 Newman decided to “step in” and appear on set in blackface, with his face covered in shoe polish.
In a 2008 move that was widely panned as sexist, Newman lampooned football writer and TV presenter Caroline Wilson by stapling a cutout of her face on to a lingerie-clad mannequin, before dressing it up and then groping it.
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